Term | Definition |
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Alcantara |
A tradename given to a composite material used as an artificial substitute for suede leather.
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Alpaca |
Alpaca - al-pak-a - Cloth made from the long silken wool of the Peruvian llama. Its texture is fluffy, almost teddy bear like. Normally used to make coats.
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Angora |
Angora - an-gora - Hair of the Angora rabbit. It is extremely soft and warm. Your mum probably had a jumper made from this in the eighties with cats or something just as tacky or grotesque on the front.
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Aran |
Aran - A style of jumper that takes its name from the Aran Islands off the west coast of Ireland. It is has prominent cable patterns on the chest and is often cream-coloured. The sweaters are distinguished by their use of complex textured stitch patterns, several of which are combined in the creation of a single garment. It was primarily the wives of island fishermen who knitted the jumpers. Some stitch patterns have a traditional interpretation, often of religious significance. The honeycomb is a symbol of the hard-working bee. The cable, an integral part of the fisherman's daily life, is said to be a wish for safety and good luck when fishing. The diamond is a wish of success, wealth and treasure. The basket stitch represents the fisherman's basket, a hope for a plentiful catch.
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Astrakhan |