Why Everyone Is Suddenly Obsessed With Mary Maxim Sweaters—Yes, Those Sweaters

Sure, Ryan Gosling may be a box-office superstar, but the breakout star of his latest movie, Project Hail Mary, is the chunky, hand-knit zip-front cardigan he wears throughout the film.

The fox-embellished sweater has become an online sensation with social media filled with questions about where to find one—or how to make your own. When we spotted all the chatter, we knew exactly what all the fuss was about. For collectors, crafters, and vintage enthusiasts, these chunky hand-knit sweaters have been beloved for decades.

Ryan Gosling as Dr. Ryland Grace in Project Hail Mary, wearing his now-iconic fox cardigan.

Here’s the scoop: The sweater Ryan Gosling wears as Dr. Ryland Grace throughout Project Hail Mary features a custom fox design, adapted from the vintage 1950s-era Mary Maxim Wolf Cardigan pattern. For the film, the original wolves were reworked into foxes to better suit the character—and the modified design has been so popular that Mary Maxim now offers a special Project Hail Mary version of the pattern, complete with all the yarn needed to knit your own.

Now the back story on the iconic sweater brand. In 1935, Willard and Olive McPhedrain acquired Canada-based Spinwell Mfg. Co., a maker of spinning wheels and wool yarns. The company’s path changed forever in 1951 with the introduction of its “graph-style” knitting pattern for a Cowichan-style cardigan sweater. Originating with the Coast Salish (Cowichan) peoples of British Columbia, Cowichan sweaters (and those, like Mary Maxims, designed in a similar style) are recognized by their bulky weight, shawl collars, and zipper fronts.

Two of Mary Maxim’s most iconic vintage patterns, “Thunderbird,” left, and “Reindeer,” right.

A few years later, the company expanded into the United States, rebranded to become Mary Maxim (a shortened name of an employee), and launched a crafting craze. Along with their sweater patterns, they offered yarn and knitting needles, but never completed sweaters—adding to their nostalgic appeal. While the cardigans lost their cool factor beginning in the 1970s, the popularity of vintage Mary Maxim sweaters is now on the rise again, thanks, in part, to their latest turn on the big screen. And the still-family-owned company continues to thrive with new—and vintage!—patterns.

So while you can’t buy a new Mary Maxim sweater directly from the company (although we’re partial to the vintage ones you may be lucky to come across in a thrift or vintage store!), you can knit your own. And, if the Wolf pattern isn’t for you, no fear—from wildlife to sports, if you can name it, Mary Maxim probably had a sweater pattern for it. Here are a few of the most popular—including one you might have spotted on another iconic character, this time on the small screen.