On a Sweater, a Passage -- by Alex Ranieri

Why is an Aran sweater so satisfying? By this I mean a traditional, cream Aran, made from a wool that does not pill easily, and by hand. Its intricate patterns are very beautiful, of course—but beyond this, I believe nothing can be to the eye more pleasing, than warm light, contrasted with deep shadow. It is fundamentally pleasing, that light should be augmented by its opposite—made more heroic, and more brilliant, as life is made more brilliant by contemplation of its being cut off from eternity by a beginning and an end.