Oomingmak Qiviut Knitting
Interested in how the qiviut fur of the Oomingmak, or Musk Ox, is knit? Here are photos of the starting qiviut fur, along with photos of how the fur is turned into the end product!
Here's a map illustrating where the knitters live, and where the musk ox herds are located. See the white little shapes along the left coast of Alaska? Those are musk ox herds. The other flags mark the villages that hold knitters.
Below is a collection of the actual qiviut fur from the musk ox. It is extremely soft and light! This fur is collected in a very gentle manner. The musk ox builds up the fur for the long, dark arctic winters. Then, in the spring, it sheds the fur before the all-day-long sun appears. The herdsmen then simply collect that fur!
Here's the bowl of fur sitting next to the fur in spun form. Again, the light brown fur is very soft, light, and extremely warm. It is up to 8 times warmer than wool! Even a very open, light knit fabric can keep the wearer extremely warm.
Once the knitted item comes in from the village to the main shop, it is washed and then laid out on a long form. The item is stretched and pinned into shape.
The finished product is then made available for sale to all of the visitors and locals in Anchorage.
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