What's a Crios?

In the Aran Isles, the weaving of belts from spare lengths of wool survived as time-honored craft which originally extended back into the earliest era as a way to secure robes or trousers. The classic traditional “crios" (pronounced kris) was often nine feet long! The handwoven crios became popular as a craft once again in the Ireland of the 1960’s, and was featured in the classic “Traditional Crafts of Ireland” (1984).

Criosanna are popular for “handfasting” as part of a wedding ceremony, where the intended couples’ hands are gently joined with a crios wrapped around.

Criosanna make a lovely, personal gift for men or women who are interested in Irish heritage; they can be adaptable for width and length to suit any age or size. I also offer a shorter, wider version which makes a narrower, distinctive scarf or may be worn as a wider sash. Either of these types may be custom ordered and can be delivered in under two weeks. Contact me directly, or head over to my Etsy shop for more information!