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One
of the most original gifts you can
find in Alaska is a piece of clothing
made solely of the undercoat of the
musk ox, or
“Qivuit”. What’s
so special about this fabric?
It’s finer than cashmere,
8 times warmer than wool (and
not scratchy like wool), and light.
Pick up some items made from this
lustrous, rare fiber downtown at
the co-op and you’ll
have a rare treasure that can be
found nowhere else in the world.
“Oomingmak”,
Musk Ox Producer's Co-op
started back in 1969, and today some
200 members own it. Working from
remote villages along Alaska’s
coastline, they are sent the luxurious
Qiviut yarn by mail to knit into
hats, scarves, stoles, headbands
and what Native Alaskans call “Nachaq” (smoke
rings), The traditional line is
made from 100% Qiviut in the natural
color. Scarves and nachaqs come
in a unique signature pattern derived
from traditional aspects of village
life and culture in the areas
where co-op members live. The Tundra
and Snow line is made from 80%
Qiviut and 20% silk with patterns
shown in the natural and off-white
bleached color.
Qiviut is easy to maintain: it
can be hand washed, it will not
shrink like wool, and it will last
for years.
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