Global InformationCowichan knitting information
Cowichan knitting is a form of knitting characteristic of the Cowichan people of southeastern Vancouver Island, British Columbia. The distinctively patterned, heavy-knit Cowichan sweaters, popular among British Columbians and tourists, are produced using this method. Cowichan knitting is an acculturated art form, a combination of European textile techniques and Salish spinning and weaving methods. From this union, new tools, techniques and designs developed over the years.
Cowichan sweaters are also called Siwash sweaters,[1] Indian sweaters, curling sweaters or sometimes Mary Maxim sweaters. While Cowichan is the name of a specific First Nations group, the word Siwash is borrowed from Chinook jargon, the historic trade language of the Pacific Northwest. It is derived from sauvage (French for 'wild') and is felt by some to carry derisive connotations.[2]
- ^ "Siwash Sweater Definition". Archived from the original on 2010-03-04. Retrieved 2010-02-26.
- ^ "Siwash, n." OED Online – via Oxford University Press.