Qiviuq (ki-vee-uk) is the downy soft undercoat of the musk-ox. It is the warmest and lightest natural fibre. For thousands of years musk-oxen, or umingmak, have survived in the Canadian arctic. Qiviuq is their protection from the harsh winters.
Qiviuq is harvested from wild musk-oxen by the Inuvialuit living in Canada’s remote western arctic and processed into rare and luxurious yarns. It is a uniquely Canadian yarn known for its softness.
The qiviuq workshop will be held in the conference room of the Yukon Wildlife Preserve. www.yukonwildlife.ca The preserve is a 750 acres sanctuary for Yukon animals, including a herd of musk-oxen.
The windows in the conference room give a panoramic view of the musk-ox paddock. We will be able to watch the animals while we knit.
As well as providing instruction on handling and knitting with qiviuq, Wendy Chambers will share her experiences with the Inuvialuit, the harvesters of this fibre. She will also talk about how the fibre is spun and how it has grown in popularity.
The weekend project is knitting qiviuq hand warmers. The project is small enough that you will probably be able to complete them during the weekend; they are delicate enough to be a special gift and challenging enough to show-off the unique characteristics of qiviuq. The hand warmers are made from 100% 3-ply natural yarn and have an entwined cable pattern.
Please bring your own needles – 3 & 3.5mm straight; 3mm dp.