Sweater with Totemic Designs

Natural coloured wool pullover sweater with totemic and geometric designs. Commonly referred to as 'Cowichan', these bulky wool knit sweaters developed during the 1920s/30s by Cowichan women who were copying Fair Isle patterns in heavier wools. The designs were simplified for the bulkier grade of wool, and by the 1940s traditional totemic designs began to be worked into the patterns. The style peaked in popularity in the 1970s when it was much copied and imitated by various knitting pattern and sweater manufacturers.