I was fortunate enough to acquire some of this rare and luxurious fiber while visiting our son and his family in Alaska. It is only available from their native/indigenous peoples, and is always sustainably harvested and not farmed. Qiviut is the inner down-wool of the muskox. In Inuinnaqtun the same word can be used to refer any down such as the down feathers of birds. The muskox has a two-layered coat, and qiviut refers specifically to the soft underwool beneath the longer outer wool.
Qiviut is one of the rarest and finest natural fibers in existence. The fiber is naturally harvested from Arctic muskoxen during the early spring, in partnership with indigenous groups in the Alaskan and Canadian high arctic. We were able to see some Musk Ox grazing in the Brooks Mountain Range and these giant beasts are something to behold! It is typically harvested from the wild, where the Musk Ox rubs against a tree or shrub to naturally shed his down. Indigenous people are careful to harvest this fiber, in concert with their core values, traditions and stories of their people. Qiviut is warmer than cashmere and MUCH softer than sheep’s wool, more along the lines of yak and camel down. The lightweight fiber and insulating warmth of qiviut will keep you warm in arctic winters while also comfortable in warmer weather.
It is a truly exquisite natural fiber that is also exceedingly rare. This downy lux fiber has been carefully picked, but left in its raw and natural state. Because of the rarity of this fiber, it is typically made into warm winter accessories that can be light, yet still remarkably warm, like the knitted "Wristers" (fingerless gloves) or mixed with lustrous silk for a unique and stunning fiber!
Watch this video produced by Schacht Spindle Co for spinning yak, as the Qiviut is very similar in its fiber characteristics:
Listing is for 1 gram or 1 oz. A gram = 0.03527396 ounce - This is a way to see what this fabulous fiber actually feels like before investing in a project. More available on request.
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