We get asked everyday what’s the best way to care for your Aran Sweater. As most of our Arans are made by Merino Wool some labels will say they are machine washable. It all depends on the machine and it’s wool cycle whether or not it is really cold.

We always say hand washing is best. Use tepid water, really luke warm. You can also use some generic hair shampoo and conditioner and wash your Aran as though it were like hair, it is full of oils after all and this approach will keep the wool nice and soft.

We also sell 100% Pure new Wool Arans such as the one pictured above and the use of shampoo and conditioner will increase the softness of this wool which is not as soft to the touch as Merino wool can be.

Rinse out by hand be careful not to ring out to hard and damage the stitches. We then lay out our Arans flat on a table over a towel and let the garment dry naturally.

The best way to care for your Aran is really not to wash at all, baby wipes can be used to clean away small stains. Wool Lite can be used in place of Shampoo and Conditioner.

We hope this is of some help any questions just email us info@donegalshop.ie !

We’ve been selling Aran Dog Coats in our Dublin store for a number of years now. Hand knitted by Joan our very talented Knitter based in Longford Joan knits at home and makes the most incredible wool blended dog coats. Hugely popular for tea cup chihuahua  breeds or Yorkshire Terriers who feel the cold.

This is one of Joan’s creation on Jojo our little pet who went to doggy heaven we still miss her!

Our hand made dog coats can be made to measure if you measure your dog’s tummy, back and neck and email them to us at orders@donegalshop.ie each coat will be knitted by hand and feature original Aran Stitches throughout. They are made using a 25% Wool Mix yarn so suitable for machine washing, we know what a pain hand washing can be.

A customer sent us in this picture of her own handy work ! By the very talented @Beretlanticyarns

Introducing our machine made Aran Dog Coats now online at http://www.thedonegalshop.com available in three sizes, dimensions on our website just email us at orders@donegalshop.com if any questions. Have a great weekend!