Many apologies for the long time since our last post. Our time has been unglamorously filled with the trials of travel--where to eat, where to sleep, etc...
The rest is butter and in that category falls visiting a Musk Ox farm. Musk Ox are more closely related to sheep and goats than cattle or buffalo, but they have a very rugged look. Outside of Palmer, Alaska (near Anchorage) there is a farm where these creatures are raised for their wool, named qiviut (pronounced ki-vee-yute), which is 8-times warmer than sheep's wool and softer than cashmere (and pricier, too!).
Little Man the Musk Ox (not our name for him)
The rest is butter and in that category falls visiting a Musk Ox farm. Musk Ox are more closely related to sheep and goats than cattle or buffalo, but they have a very rugged look. Outside of Palmer, Alaska (near Anchorage) there is a farm where these creatures are raised for their wool, named qiviut (pronounced ki-vee-yute), which is 8-times warmer than sheep's wool and softer than cashmere (and pricier, too!).
Little Man the Musk Ox (not our name for him)
The male pictured above, Little Man, is twelve years old, about 4-feet tall at the shoulder, and weighs ~500 pounds. The little guy pictured next to Rich is a year old.Musk Ox have been raised in captivity/domesticated for qiviut production only since the 1960s, so the level of tameness between individuals. Being well behaved is an important trait for these captive Musk Ox because these animals are not sheared for their qiviut; instead it is combed out manually by a human while the animal (hopefully) stands quietly in a chute. This can take many hours depending on the animal or region from which the qiviut is being combed.
Once collected a Native Alaskan cooperative, Oomingmak, knits the qiviut into hats, scarves and other garments, so they can augment their livelihoods in some very remote parts of Alaska.
Did you buy qiviut souvenirs for everyone at home?
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