Hand-Knit Cowichan Sweater Classic Car

The starting point for this sweater is a hand-knit Cowichan sweater that Hiroaki Morishima ordered from the United States when he was in high school. Inspired by that piece, BONCOURA has created a new Hand Knit Cowichan Sweater of its own.

What remained in his memory even after many years was the powerful texture created by its thick yarn and the subtle irregularities and warmth that could only come from hand knitting. BONCOURA has reinterpreted those qualities through its own approach to materials and craftsmanship.

Rather than using an existing yarn, we developed and spun a new yarn specifically to achieve the thickness and texture required for hand knitting.

The goal was not simply to make a thick yarn. We focused on the tactile quality BONCOURA looks for in wool—the feeling of the material itself the moment it is touched—while carefully adjusting the yarn so that it would have a strong presence once knitted.

Using a generous amount of this thick yarn, each sweater is knitted entirely by hand by a skilled craftsman, creating a dense and substantial fabric.

There is a reassuring weight when the sweater is held in the hands, yet it is not simply heavy. The natural loft and softness of the thick wool yarn give the knit a distinctive feel that gently envelops the body when worn.

Because every stitch is formed by hand, the surface is never perfectly uniform in the way a machine-knit fabric would be.

Subtle variations created by the knitter’s tension and by the character of the yarn itself give the fabric a slight irregularity and three-dimensional quality. Rather than eliminating these differences, we embrace them as part of the unique character that only hand knitting can produce.

To create the pattern, multiple yarns are individually dyed in different colors, with classic cars chosen as the central motif.

Different cars are boldly positioned on the left and right sides, while a variety of colors and patterns extend across the sleeves and hem. The result combines the strong visual character traditionally associated with Cowichan sweaters with a sense of playfulness that is distinctly BONCOURA.

Beyond the appeal of the classic-car motif itself, knitting the design with such thick yarn gives the pattern a physical depth and presence that cannot be achieved through printing or a lightweight knit.

From a distance, the sweater reads almost like a bold graphic image. Up close, the texture of each strand of yarn and the relief of every stitch become visible. That difference in how the sweater reveals itself depending on the viewing distance is another part of its appeal.

Beginning with a sweater encountered during Morishima’s high school years, BONCOURA developed the yarn from the ground up, dyed the individual colors, and entrusted the final construction to skilled hands, stitch by stitch.

A substantial, weighty texture created by the generous amount of yarn, the rich tactile character of the wool itself, and the subtle irregularity and warmth that can only come from hand knitting.

The Hand Knit Cowichan Sweater brings a piece that remained in memory for decades into the present through BONCOURA’s approach to craftsmanship.

Size1 S~M, Size 2 L~XL
As this sweater is hand-knit, it has natural stretch and slight variations in measurements may occur.