If you’ve ever been in Close Knit, you know it’s packed with a jaw-dropping variety of yarn and knitting samples. It can be pretty overwhelming. I went in a few days ago for my weekly visit and the first thing I saw were scarves, hats and wrist warmers the likes of which I have never seen before. The yarn was soft as cashmere, less fuzzy and had more backbone to it. The patterns were subtle, beautiful and unique. Yet these amazing patterns seemed like something this newbie could do with out winding up at the state mental hospital.
As I gushed, Sally, who owns Close Knit, told me that the author of the book the patterns came from, Artic Lace: Knitting Projects and Stories Inspired by Alaska’s Native Knitters, would be speaking this weekend. Artic Lace tells the tale of the Oomingmak Musk Ox Producer’s Co-operative, the knit artwork they produce and the cultures behind the symbols in their work.
While I was in the store, Sally and her staff hovered over 12 balls of yarn as if each one was a three carat diamond. This was the yarn described in the book. It’s called Qiviut and comes from the under-coat of musk ox. It’s one of the rarest yarns in the world and costs about $80 for enough yarn to make a scarf out of. Normally, 80 bucks for something I could hold in the palm of my hand is easy to walk away from but I had to have a stern talk with myself not to buy it. (I’m still having that stern talk.) Fortunately, you don’t have to use Qiviut to do the patterns in the book.
Listening to Donna speak, you could feel the love and respect she has for her subject. I bought her book, came home and found it to be a good read. What I really appreciate about Artic Lace is the example of how Native American culture is vital and producing beautiful and functional artwork. Like the knit scarves Donna writes about, Artic Lace weaves together tales of the Eskimo cultures that inspire the artwork behind the patterns and provides the directions for creating the artwork yourself.
As a knitter, I am thrilled to have a guide that will show me how to create meaning in my work; ultimately taking it from novelty to artwork.
As I gushed, Sally, who owns Close Knit, told me that the author of the book the patterns came from, Artic Lace: Knitting Projects and Stories Inspired by Alaska’s Native Knitters, would be speaking this weekend. Artic Lace tells the tale of the Oomingmak Musk Ox Producer’s Co-operative, the knit artwork they produce and the cultures behind the symbols in their work.
While I was in the store, Sally and her staff hovered over 12 balls of yarn as if each one was a three carat diamond. This was the yarn described in the book. It’s called Qiviut and comes from the under-coat of musk ox. It’s one of the rarest yarns in the world and costs about $80 for enough yarn to make a scarf out of. Normally, 80 bucks for something I could hold in the palm of my hand is easy to walk away from but I had to have a stern talk with myself not to buy it. (I’m still having that stern talk.) Fortunately, you don’t have to use Qiviut to do the patterns in the book.
Listening to Donna speak, you could feel the love and respect she has for her subject. I bought her book, came home and found it to be a good read. What I really appreciate about Artic Lace is the example of how Native American culture is vital and producing beautiful and functional artwork. Like the knit scarves Donna writes about, Artic Lace weaves together tales of the Eskimo cultures that inspire the artwork behind the patterns and provides the directions for creating the artwork yourself.
As a knitter, I am thrilled to have a guide that will show me how to create meaning in my work; ultimately taking it from novelty to artwork.
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