I went to see this movie opening week with my family. It was a sweet story with a heartfelt message. Ryan Gosling wore a few outfits in the film, but when the fox sweater made its screen debut, I gasped audibly. Good thing the theatre was almost empty, good old Tinseltown.  The story going around like wildfire is a really cool tale of worlds colliding.

The costume designer, Glyn Dillon, had picked up a vintage Mary Maxim wolf sweater at a market in London. He wore the sweater to the initial costume fitting for Project Hail Mary and when Ryan Gosling saw it, he was smitten. And who wouldn’t be? The wolves are playful and fierce at the same time. Ryan proposed the idea to Glyn to make the wolves into foxes and Mary Maxim agreed that this would be a good thing. That is how an icon is born, simply and with a stroke of spontaneous creativity. The foxes as a friendlier vibe and the orange dominant colour is on point for this year’s neutral, sophisticated palate.

Mary Maxim has been around since 1954 and is well known for chunky zip up sweaters with bold graphics for knitting. Its Canadian roots forge its identity as a go to for vintage patterns steeped in unique nature inspired motifs. You can purchase the wolf patten on their site as well as a kit that includes the pattern’s fox iteration, created just for the movie.

The Mary Maxim kit is only available in acrylic yarn, and the pattern on it’s own only includes the wolf variation. But we really wanted to recreate the movie’s fox in 100% wool, so the staff at Baaad Anna’s made a new pattern chart, did all the yarn math, found the perfect wool, and knit up this amazing sweater! It’s now at Baaad Anna’s so come down and have a look, have a feel. You can purchase the yarn I used, Cascades Eco+, held double. It’s a soft yarn that doesn’t scratch and has a drape that makes it not too warm, but perfect for these spring days and cosy winter nights.

If you want to knit your own Fox Cardigan, here are the colours and total amounts of Cascade Eco+ I used to make the sample. If you are using a single-strand yarn then you need half the yards listed here:

• MC – background = 4x skeins 1912yd (8014 Vanilla, 004 Ecru Beige Twist, OR 8016 Beige)
• CC1 – fox fur = 87g 166yd (9654 Campfire)
• CC2 – tongue = 28g 54yd (8511 Valentine)
• CC3 – outlines =  = 35g 67yd  (0050 Black)
• CC4 – paw prints = 35g 67yd (8400 Charcoal)

Our kits include smaller amounts of the fox-motif colours, so you don’t need to buy a whole skein of each colour. They are made to order, so please call, email or come on into the shop to get started on this project. Purchase the wolf pattern from Mary Maxim directly and talk to the Baaad Anna’s staff about how we made the changes to transform it into the fox.

This pattern is fairly versatile, and our skilled staff will be more than happy to accommodate yarn choices to match your aesthetic. A few substitutions we can recommend:

• Cascade Anthem – a kid-friendly and cost-effective acrylic
• Estelle Chunky – a wool-acrylic blend for a more drapey fabric
• Estelle Bulky. – same yarn as the Chunky, but thicker. Great option for a larger fit than the pattern

I worked as a knitter for Granted Sweater Company for a year before they closed their doors for good. It was a good experience and I learned so much from the designers there about structure, colour and design. The Mary Maxim sweater is similar, but with a few structural differences. I felt is was like knitting an old friend. Now, as a Baaad Anna’s staff member I am excited to see where the subject of arts and crafts intersect.