Taylor Swift fans were left shocked and delighted last week when she announced the surprise launch of her eighth album – Folklore.
But the pop singer also shocked and delighted the Irish creative industry when she wore a traditional Aran jumper for the big reveal.
Fashion is very much influenced by popular culture, and vice versa, and with 137 million Instagram followers, there is no doubt Swift's choice will lead to huge demand for this "geansai".
The jumpers originally emerged in the Aran Islands – hence the name – and were made from unwashed sheep's wool that still contained natural lanolin, making the garment water-repellent, quite handy when you live in these parts.
Traditionally, they were made by hand, however, today the majority of items for sale are either machine knitted or produced on a hand loom using synthetic fibres.
There are very few people/places still knitting jumpers by hand on a commercial basis but one is tucked away in Bushmills, Co Antrim.
Lucy's Loom is a tiny, unassuming shop located on Main Street in the town.
However, what happens inside is a big deal as this traditional intricate craft is being kept alive by some very talented knitters.
Margaret Laverty opened the shop six years ago to keep her busy in her retirement.
The former nurse was taught how to knit by her mother when she was a child and learned how to make Arans when she was a teenager.
She and one other lady make all the orders which come in all year round – many from American and European tourists who are visiting Bushmills during the summer months.
Using mostly Donegal yarn, they create a huge range of adult and children's knitwear.
Margaret told Be: "I learned the craft from my mother at primary school age and took up Aran as a young teenager.
"I opened the shop six years ago as my retirement from two ladies already in the shop who knitted too.
"My knitters worked from home but some had to stop along the way due to illness so the business had to be scaled back a bit and I am down to one Aran knitter and a lady who makes childrenswear.
"A lot of Aran jumpers – even ones you get in Ireland – are machine knit with wools from Ireland but they don't look the same and they don't feel the same and have the same bulk about them.
"You can always tell a handknit from a machine knit – or at least I can.
"Ours are 100% handcrafted. There are ones for sale which are handloomed but still means they are done in a machine but we actually knit with needles, which doesn't happen much these days.
"It is this traditional way and it is slow – it can take a week to knit an adult Aran jumper.
"People can choose from an array of colours we have in store and there is a Donegal tweed which has a wee fleck through it and a heather range which are plain with hues of heather. They are truly beautiful – no one can do colours like Donegal yarns.
"Some people find the traditional Arans a wee bit hard to wear as they are all wool and some people are allergic but if I were knitting a jumper or cardigan for myself it would be in Donegal yarn.
"However, we also knit Arans in acrylic and wool mix yarns which are probably more comfortable – and cheaper."
This would normally be Margaret's busiest time of year with an influx of orders from tourists visiting Bushmills but like every other business, hers has been hit by Coronavirus.
She said: "Americans love our traditional jumpers and every year we would have a lot coming in to get measured up and we would post it to their address when ready and they would buy a lot of Donegal yarn to bring home to the family and friends who knit.
"But this year we are not getting that tourist trade in Bushmills. Hopefully it will be back to normal next year."
And there is a glimmer of hope thanks to Taylor's Aran, which might even lead to younger people taking up the craft.
Margaret said: "She may help the industry, but to get traditional knitters is very hard because people don't have the patience or the time as a lot of hours go into an Aran."
For more information visit the Lucy's Loom website.
