Top sweater is my dad's from the 70s. It's seen better days but still holding together. Bottom is a sweater I thrifted, I'm taking a guess and saying it's 20+ years old.

I'm sure these are called something else depending on where you live but depending on where you get them, they can cost upwards of $300-400+ new.

True BIFL quality though and perfect for almost any type of weather.

I’m looking at buying a similar type of sweater online. Are these itchy? I can’t tell from photos.

I could see how they could be itchy but I’ve gotten used to it - I’ll often just wear a t-shirt underneath.

They get softer and softer over time - the more you wear one, the nicer it feels

Good to know

Do you wash these? We absolutely destroyed a $300 wool comforter by washing and now I’m hesitant on getting any wool

You have to use detergent specifically made for wool because regular detergents have ingredients that attack proteins.

That said, wool needs washing less frequently than other fabrics. Simply airing it out on a nice day is usually sufficient.

handwash woolite in the bathtub. I maybe give them a wash every 3-4 years.

I wear wool every day during winter. Thin, woven wool inside regular work clothes and thick, knitted wool as 2nd layer. You can machine wash wool on 30 C with wool detergent, air dry lying flat. Be even more careful with home knitted wool, I only hand wash. I basically never wash my wool. Only the thin, woven ones because it gets sweaty since I wear it every day directly on my skin. But only like once a month. I have more pairs of trousers and jumpers that I rotate between and air out. Socks on the other hand is washed after use on wool program. They don’t last so long, but stinky, pretty cheap, woven wool socks can be replaced. My home knitted, thick ones used outside of another pair on the other hand…

Interesting thanks

Interesting thanks

Thanks

Might actually be the real deal. Even the ones produced in the 70s were not officially cowichan and didn't use raw wool in a single knit. But that tag is possible it's a REAL one.

These are handspun as well as hand knit which is why they are so expensive. I believe the yarns are also naturally colored (no dyes used). From what I’ve seen of these sweaters the yarn is not tightly plied as it’s spun, so it would be more likely to felt if washed. I would very gently wash by hand in room temp water and a gentle soap. If you can’t find wool wash, which is frequently found in yarn shops, a little bit of hair conditioner can work as well.