Aran knitting has always been a story told in symbols: cables for safety and resilience, diamonds for fertility and prosperity, honeycomb for abundance and reward. In the north of Ireland – particularly in Donegal and Derry, these patterns live with extra texture. The yarn is rugged, flecked with colour like the landscape, spun to endure wind, rain and the pulse of coastal storms.
Picture cottage windows lit by lanterns, women leaning over laps of weaving wool, laughter mingling with the scent of peat, each clicking stitch passed from one generation to the next. That’s the tradition – that’s the pulse you’ll feel here.
At the heart of this County Fermanagh retreat is Edel MacBride, a designer whose work does more than honour tradition, she brings it fully alive. Based in Donegal and Derry, Edel is one of the most respected names in Irish knitwear design. She specializes in Aran knitting, but she never treats it as static. Her work is rooted in tradition but always looking forward.
Edel founded her own label, Edel MacBride Knitwear, after graduating from the Limerick School of Art and Design. From the beginning, she’s balanced artistry and craftsmanship, ensuring that every pattern, every fabric carries meaning.
She is known for her lightning-fast hand knitting skills, yet she never compromises on quality. Every stitch, every seam, is thoughtfully considered.
In her classes, Edel does more than show you how to make stitches – she shares from her personal and family archive, revealing patterns and samples shaped by her upbringing and place. With her, you’ll work using her custom yarns and Donegal wool.
Designer Edel is deeply rooted in the culture of Ireland and supporting local wool producers and spinners. Her passion for wool, for place, and for tradition is visible in everything she makes.
Imagine this: morning light breaking over sparkling Loch Erne. You settle beside Edel with your yarn and needles. She guides you through cables and diamonds, letting you feel what it is to knit something that isn’t just beautiful, but meaningful. You trace the stories in her patterns, some drawn from her own family’s archive, others inspired by the landscape, the flora, the wind.
Afternoons are for exploring: a sheep-to-yarn workshop on a family farm; sipping gin at a distillery on the water’s edge, small artisan shops, afternoon tea, letting ideas settle like moss in your mind. Evenings are for gathering: hearty Irish meals, local music, stories by firelight, needles clicking in harmony.
Though ‘Aran’ names its home off the west coast, in Donegal and the north the tradition has its own voice – stronger perhaps and shaped by rugged landscape, wild skies, resilient farms. These are places where sheep, fleece, and wool-working are not just crafts, but lifeblood. Edel MacBride’s designs reflect that: bold, textured yarns, colours and flecks like the land, patterns built to endure and to tell a story. To listen to Edel is to listen to Donegal itself.
For those who don’t want just to knit, but to be grounded in what knitting means. For knitters who want texture in their work and in their travels. For those who believe that every pattern, colour choice, stitch, and yarn have a story. For travellers who want more than souvenirs – they want something carried in the heart.
Because with Edel, with this retreat, you don’t just take home Aran knitting. You take home a story. Pack your needles. Bring your curiosity. And let Ireland wrap you in her warmth.
Discover more about this amazing experience here!
7 Night Art of Aran Knitting Retreat with Edel MacBride
