Home
History
Publications of LARS
Research at LARS
Muskox Husbandry
Calving Update 2008
Public Tours
Qiviut

Order Form    Products    Preparing qiviut for spinning   Contact Us
Reading material and Internet links

The University of Alaska Fairbanks has qiviut, or muskox wool, for sale. All our qiviut is combed by hand from live muskoxen. Proceeds directly support the animals and facility.

Qiviut  (pronounced kiv-ee-ut)  is the Inuit word for the extremely fine underwool of the muskox, prized for its softness and warmth. Each year, muskoxen grow a dense layer of qiviut over their entire body, protected from wind and precipitation by an outer coat of dark brown guard hair. Their winter coats are unparalleled in insulative value, and keep the animals warm and comfortable when the temperature drops below –50 degrees F.

Every spring, muskoxen rapidly shed their qiviut in anticipation of warmer summer days. At the R.G. White Large Animal Research Station (LARS), this downy wool is combed from the animals as it works its way through the long guard hairs (see picture at left). No shearing or clipping is necessary. Because shedding is fairly synchronous, large fleecy sheets of qiviut can be combed from the shoulder and flank areas of animals.

Qiviut has been described as “the cashmere of the north,” and is considered by experienced spinners to combine several of the best fiber properties, such as fineness, length, strength and warmth. Qiviut lacks scales and crimp found in sheep wool, so it is very soft and non-irritating and it will not shrink or felt. These same qualities means care must be taken when selecting a project using qiviut. 100% qiviut tends to sag; it will not retain its shape as well as sheep wool. It is better suited for scarves and shawls. Blending in a small amount of fine sheep wool, such as merino, will add “memory” to a hat or sweater and yet will retain the wonderful softness and warmth of qiviut. Qiviut also blends well with other fibers such as alpaca, cashmere and silk.

LARS is pleased to offer limited quantities of this high-quality unprocessed wool for private sale. If you would like to enjoy the luxury of qiviut without spinning it, we also offer lace-weight and fingering-weight yarns. Try it for yourself and see why qiviut is a favorite of northern spinners and knitters!

Qiviut is also sometimes referred to as "qiviuk", "qiveut", "qiviuq", "kiviuk" or "qiviute".

(Click on thumbnail image for larger view. Use your browser's Back button to return to this page.)

Our highest quality, unprocessed muskox down. Combed from the side and shoulder areas, this fiber has minimal guard hair. This is an opportunity for the hand-spinner to obtain some of the rarest and finest fiber in the world $25 per ounce OUT OF STOCK
This superb qiviut roving is ready for the spindle or spinning wheel. De-haired and carded, it will spin like a dream. Natural color. $50 per ounce OUT OF STOCK

Most of our yarn is processed by a small, family-operated mill. They strive to be as earth-friendly as possible, following organic wool processing practices and using non-metallic dyes. This philosophy compliments our process of hand combing the qiviut from live animals. Our qiviut is processed into yarn in relatively small batches throughout the year. This means that product availability may become limited. Since each animal and each spin or dye lot will have its own unique character, please make sure to order enough yarn to complete your project.
This elegant yarn is a blend of our lightest-colored natural qiviut with fine white cashmere and superfine (15 micron) merino wool. The result is a light, cream-colored yarn without the fiber damage caused by bleach.
	75% Qiviut ● 25% Cashmere / Merino
	Naturally light color 1 oz. skein, 2-ply, 270 yards/oz. $60
The bamboo in this yarn adds a beautiful silky luster while maintaining the softness and drape of qiviut.
	60% Qiviut ● 40% Bamboo
	Natural color 1 oz. skein, 2-ply, 280 yards/oz. $50 Spruce Green & Tarn Blue colors 1 oz. skein, 2-ply, 250 yards/oz. $50
	70% Qiviut ● 30% Merino Wool	Cranberry color OUT OF STOCK
	Natural & Earth Tone colors 1 oz. skein, 3-ply, 135 yards/oz. $50
	60% Qiviut ● 40% Merino Wool
	Natural color 1 oz. skein, 2-ply, 215 yards/oz. $45

Click here for a printable, mail-in or fax order form

Requires Adobe Reader

To be contacted by email when new products become available, or if you have any questions, call or send us an email. Tell us what product you're interested in.

To contact us
E-mail     qiviut@uaf.edu
Phone     (907) 474-7945

Fiber preparation for spinning:

To de-hair the fiber before spinning, grasp a handful of fiber and pull out the long, coarse guard hairs.

Next, remove the intermediate fibers, those that are fine, but straighter than the underlying qiviut. The more intermediate fibers removed, the softer your spun yarn will be. The intermediate fibers can be saved and blended with other fibers or spun alone for a somewhat heavier, fuzzier yarn.

Any dandruff on the base of the fiber can be carefully snipped off with small, curved scissors. Carding is not required, however, if you choose to card the fiber, cotton cards are recommended. Care should be taken or the fiber will pill. Qiviut yarn will not felt like wool, but should be washed gently in warm water.

Reading material of interest

Arctic Lace: Knitting Projects and Stories Inspired by Alaska's Native Knitters. Donna Druchunas. Nomad Press, Ft. Collins, Colorado. 2006.

Knitting with Arctic Gold. Linda Cortwright. Interweave Knits. Vol. 11, Number 4, Winter 2006.

The Miracle of the Muskox. Linda Cortwright. Wild Fibers Magazine, Vol. 3, Issue 3, Summer 2006.

Knitting Under the Arctic Sun: Women of Wool. Linda Cortwright. Wild Fibers Magazine, Summer 2005.

Knitting Under the Arctic Sun, Part 2: Oomingmak, The Musk Ox Producers Cooperative. Linda Cortwright. Wild Fibers Magazine, Fall 2005.

Handspun Gallery of Throws for your inspiration. Spin-Off Magazine, Fall 2005.

Alaskan Pastures. Linda N. Cortwright. Wild Fibers Magazine. Winter 2004.

Qiviuq. Wendy Chambers. Spin-Off Magazine, Summer 1993.

That curious "Q" word. Bobbie Irwin.  Spin-Off Magazine, Summer 1993.

Spinning musk ox hair. Diane Olthuis. Spin-Off Magazine, Summer 1993.

Guard hair to garment. Helen von Ammon. Spin-Off Magazine, Summer 1993.

Domesticating the musk ox. Bobbie Irwin. Spin-Off Magazine, Summer 1993.

Montana qiviut. Bobbie Irwin. Spin-Off Magazine, Summer 1993.

Musk ox madness. Joanna Wons. Spin-Off Magazine, Summer 1993.

Dorothy Reade: A woman ahead of her time. Kathy Sparks. Spin-Off Magazine, Summer 1993.

A brave return from the brink for an Ice Age relic. Charles Bergman. Smithsonian, vol. 16, number 11, February 1986.

Some Hints on Spinning Musk Ox Wool. E. Marguerite Cornwall. Spin-Off Magazine, March 1983.

Links to relevant Internet sites

Oomingmak, Musk Ox Producers' Co-operative
www.qiviut.com

The Musk Ox Farm
http://www.muskoxfarm.org

Wild FIBERS Magazine
http://www.wildfibersmagazine.com

Last updated 04/09/2009