There are many so called 'new' yarns on the market today butwithout doubt, the most unusual, luxurious and beautiful has to be Qiviut yarn.Until recently, this rare and expensive yarn was only available if you went tothe Artic and purchased it there but now you can get this exquisite yarnon-line from many specialist manufacturers like Oomingmak Musk Ox Producer'sCooperative and Windy Valley Musk Ox Yarn.
Qiviut, (even its name sounds exotic) is pronounced ki - vee - ute. It is an Inuit word meaning down or underwool and refers to the softgreyish-brown underwool of the rare Arctic animal, the musk ox (calledOomingmak in Inuit).
Musk oxen are large animals that are found in artic regionslike Alaska, Canada and Greenland. They look a lot like bison or buffalos, butare significantly smaller than cows and provide wool like sheep. But unlikesheep, their coat is never shawn, rather, it sheds naturally or is combed offin great swaths during Spring, which is a much kinder way of collecting fiber.
Qiviut yarn is eight times warmer than wool and isincredibly lightweight and soft to the touch. It's been said that if a smallamount of qiviut fibers were placed in your hand with your eyes closed, youwould not feel the fiber touch your hand. It's also been said that putting yourhand into a ball of qiviut is like putting your hands into a cloud.
Qiviut, apart from being incredibly soft, also has otherunique qualities. Muskox yarn is hypoallergenic. Unlike wool, it doesn't shrinkand can be hand washed in mild soapy water and qiviut yarn actually gets softerthe more it's washed. It's odourless and retains heat even when wet.
Qiviut yarn takes on color beautifully. Manufacturers likeWindy Valley Muskox Yarn produce traditional and custom-dyed qiviut yarn inbeautiful colors.
There are some characteristics of musk ox yarn you should beaware of. Muskox yarn doesn't have the same elasticity of sheep's wool and socan sag. If you don't like sagging, you can buy qiviut/wool blends but theseyarns won't be as soft as 100% qiviut. As well as producing 100% qiviut yarn,Windy Valley Muskox Yarn produces two exceptional blends: Qiviut Luxury Blend,which comprises 45% qiviut, 45% merino, 10% silk and Qiviut Royal Blend, whichis 50% qiviut, 50% mulberry silk and is hand-spun in Peru.
Also, there is the price tag. Qiviut is one of the world'srarest yarns and you can pay upwards of $60 per ounce for fingering-weight muskox yarn.
Muskox yarn is a very versatile fiber. You can create warmand soft hats, gloves or mittens for the winter and, if you can afford it,qiviut yarn makes an elegant shawl to place about your shoulders and yourevening dress.
More and more fashion designers are taking notice of thisunusual fiber. Qiviut yarn is no longer labelled something that is used inmaking folk art and now, thanks to people like the Oomingmak Musk Ox Producer'sCooperative and Windy Valley Musk Ox Yarn, the popularity of this trulyremarkable yarn is spreading far beyond the frozen North.
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