Unique Gift from My Husband

SCROLL DOWN TO SEE WHO WON MY JUNE BIRTHDAY GIVEAWAY!

I have to brag on my husband for a bit. Greg has always been a great gift giver. He always chooses unique and totally wonderful gifts for me. Yet again, he has succeeded in giving me another birthday gift that is one of a kind and something that I might never have purchased for myself.

In order to appreciate my gift, you must remember that Greg is an outdoorsman and loves to hunt and so most of the television programs he watches are hunting related. Not long ago he was watching a hunting program where the hunters were in Alaska hunting musk ox. My question to him was, “What is a musk ox?” I had never heard of the creatures. Here is the description of a musk ox:

Musk oxen or ‘oomingmak’ (which means ‘bearded one’) are large, hairy, hoofed animals that are survivors of the Ice Age. Today there are over 2000 wild musk oxen in Alaska. An adult musk ox weighs from 400 to 700 pounds and stands about 4 feet at the shoulder.

The musk oxen have a underlying coat called ‘QIVIUT’ that protects them agains the harsh Artic winters. Qiviut grows all over the body and close to the skin and is covered by a long outer coat of course hair. It is one of the rarest, finest and warmest fibers on earth–it is 8 times warmer by weight than sheep’s wool, and it will not felt or shrink. Every spring the musk oxen shed their qiviut and it gradually works through the outer hair until it hangs on them in clumps.

Qiviut is gathered by villagers and used to make yarn. The yarn is sent to Eskimo villages in Southwest and Western Alaska where it is hand knit into scarves, caps, and other garments by Eskimo knitters who earn money to support their families through the sale of these items.

So, you guessed it!! Greg bought me two pieces of hand knit Qiviut. He bought me a cap and a scarf and I am sharing pictures of them with you. You would not believe how incredibly soft these pieces are and they are the most beautiful taupe color. My cap was handknitted by Minnie Fischer and my scarf was handknitted by Gloria Whitman.

Although today is my birthday, Greg gave me these pieces a couple of weeks ago. I just cannot wait until cold weather so I can wear them!!! You see two pictures of me wearing both pieces as well as a picture of my scarf. I adore the pattern on the scarf: It is called Sea Otter and it depicts sea otters at play!! How fun is that!!