A few weeks ago I talked with one of my coworkers over dinner and told him that I love to knit. To which he asked: "If I buy the yarn, will you knit me a hat with muskox wool?" And, duh, the answer was yes. Actually the answer was at first: "With whatttt?!?" but I was immediately intrigued. I researched muskox yarn and eventually settled on a muskox/merino/silk blend from Nunavut Qiviut, and we excitedly ordered the yarn. The customer service was great and the yarn came within a week, which was very impressive considering the yarn comes from a small village in Nunavut that's only accessible by plane.
Pattern: Nirumiktuq by Nunavut Qiviut
Yarn: Muskox Blend, natural by Nunavut Qiviut
Weight: Lace
Yards used ~ 175
Cost of yarn: CAD$115 {one skein, includes partial shipping}
We ordered one skein for Mike's hat and I ordered one skein for myself, and I'm not sure what I'm going to do with this cozy string of gold yet. Possibly work it into another project for added warmth? Talking about warmth ~ it's amazing how warm this lace-weight yarn is! One skein weighs one ounce {!} and when you hold it in your hand it's warm immediately. Plus, it does not take up much room in my yarn stash, so it's really a minimalist's dream 😉
The pattern I received from Nunavut Qiviut with my order called for US3 needles, and the yarn swatched to specs with those.
I have never knit with lace weight yarn before and it takes some getting used to. I definitely prefer DK weight, but a small project like that still knits up fairly quick, even with lace weight. I took out the needles and put in a piece of string for a fitting about 4" into the project, and it fit just fine. Mike wanted the hat a bit longer than the pattern called for, so more of a slouchy hat than a regular beanie. The pattern called for the decrease for crown shaping at about 6.5" from the cast-on edge, but I went to 8" and then started decreasing. I tried the magic loop technique for the first time and I don't think I'll ever go back to DPN if I don't have to!
I used up almost all of the one skein or yarn, the hat is in a size medium. It does not have much of a drape, but I don't think it's meant so much as a fashion accessory. It's more to keep one's head warm when it's -35 outside, and I have no doubt it will do that. It's amazingly warm. And light as a feather! I'm completely fascinated with this yarn.
What's next? When my husband saw The Shift Cowl I knit he thought a cowl is exactly what he needs when driving his quad in the winter, so I've ordered some yarn for that and it's one of my next projects. Plus a hat, fingerless gloves, and a scarf for me. What are you working on right now? Let me know in the comments, I'd love to check it out!
P.S. This post is not sponsored or endorsed in any way by the pattern designer or yarn company.