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QIVIUT Qiviut—this strange word (which is pronounced KI-VEE-UTE) means "down" or "underwool" in the Yupik language. It refers to the soft, greyish-brown wool of that rare Arctic animal, the domesticated musk ox. Qiviut is one of the rarest, finest and warmest fibers on earth—it is eight times warmer than sheep's wool, and it will not felt or shrink. Musk ox are large, hairy, hoofed animals that are survivors of the Ice Age. They were hunted out in Alaska in the late 1800's and were reintroduced in the 1930's from herds in Greenland. Today there are over 2000 wild musk oxen in Alaska. An adult musk ox weighs 400 to 700 lbs and stands about four feet at the shoulder. Qiviut is the musk oxen's protection against the harsh Arctic winters. It grows all over the body and close to the skin, covered by a long outer coat of coarse hair. Every spring, the musk oxen shed their qiviut, and it gradually works thorough the outer hair until it hangs on them in clumps. On a farm, a herder combs off the loose qiviut. The yarn is sent to Yupik villages, where it is hand knitted into scarves, caps and other garments by Yupik knitters. There are approximately 200 knitters who live in small isolated costal and tundra villages. Each village has its own distinctive pattern, taken from traditional Yupik Eskimo art. |
