My U.S. Thanksgiving found me at the farm. There I spent time with my own family of origin. One of my sons made a quick trip down from Minneapolis and the other will go in a couple of weeks. As families often do when they gather there was lots of reminiscing as well as making of new memories. One of the events that took me back was triggered by this:
It is a hand knit nachaq (Eskimo for hood) which looks in many ways very much like a balaclava. This nachaq is knit with qiviut (ki-vee-ute), the down or under wool of the domesticated musk oxen. (It is one of the most expensive yarns available.) Indulge me by letting me share the memories associated with this item.
In 1987 my family of four travelled with my parents to Alaska. The six of us spent 16 days together driving north from Anchorage to Fairbanks then east to Whitehorse in the Yukon and back around to Skagway, Valdez and finally round trip back to Anchorage, all in a 33-foot motor home. That means there were six of us, three generations living in a relatively small space. My oldest son was 7 years old and the younger 4 at the time. Although spending that much time with young boys might have been trying for my folks, it did not show. We seemed to find joy in being together in a very different environment.
My memories include eating freshly caught fish (salmon and halibut), visiting glaciers, having long days because the sun didn't set but for a couple of hours per day and seeing a whole lot of the wild that makes up Alaska. The nachaq partially shown above was a souvenir Dad purchased for Mom from the Oomingmak Cooperative near Anchorage as our trip ended. The receipt was still in the bag; it came at a price of $95 knit up as you see it. (At the time that seemed like a lot of money for such a small thing.)
The brochure with the nachaq says:
Musk Oxen were domesticated by selective breeding, starting with 33 young animals captured in 1964 and 1965. Every spring Musk Oxen shed their soft underwool, Qiviut. It grows close to the skin, protected by the long guardhairs which swing like hula skirts when the Musk Oxen run. In winter the Qiviut protects the animal against wind and bitter Arctic temperatures, but in the spring it is no longer needed. At the farm the herder plucks the Qiviut off while the animal stands in a stall. A bull gives up about 6 lbs of Qivuit per year, cows and younger animals produce less.
There is a video, you can find it here, which is worth watching to see what is being described above. I know we had stopped hoping to see the animals, but they were not kept at that location; perhaps that was best for our safety. The nachaq was knit by Maria Inakak from Nelson Island Tununak in a traditional design. Should you go to the website you will see the nachaq is now called a Smokering and sells for $195. The exact design is still being used today.
During the long weekend Mom had taken the nachaq out to give to me. She knows how much I like exotic wool items and this one is so soft, so warm and so beautiful she knew I would want it. She also knew it would bring back memories of that trip taken nearly 30 years ago, and she was right it did. Mom, Dad and I had quite a talk about that vacation and our different memories from it. It was wonderful one small item could do all that.
Here's a couple of photos taken during that trip of my folks.
This is what being able to go home should be, a time to look back and remember all the good things that have taken place. And also a time to create new memories for the next generation. The guy in the background reading in the picture below is my son, who was 7 way back when. The 9 year old playing checkers with my Dad is one of several great grandsons. And so the cycle continues. Memories are made each time the family gets together.
Mom, Dad, thanks for reminding me of that trip. You can be sure I will remember it each time I wear my nachaq. That small cowl-like knitwear carries a lot of responsibility because it will remind me to look back and think about all the great things we've done together.
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| Go to the website to see the entire nachaq. I wanted you to see the lovely design so I took a closeup. |
In 1987 my family of four travelled with my parents to Alaska. The six of us spent 16 days together driving north from Anchorage to Fairbanks then east to Whitehorse in the Yukon and back around to Skagway, Valdez and finally round trip back to Anchorage, all in a 33-foot motor home. That means there were six of us, three generations living in a relatively small space. My oldest son was 7 years old and the younger 4 at the time. Although spending that much time with young boys might have been trying for my folks, it did not show. We seemed to find joy in being together in a very different environment.
My memories include eating freshly caught fish (salmon and halibut), visiting glaciers, having long days because the sun didn't set but for a couple of hours per day and seeing a whole lot of the wild that makes up Alaska. The nachaq partially shown above was a souvenir Dad purchased for Mom from the Oomingmak Cooperative near Anchorage as our trip ended. The receipt was still in the bag; it came at a price of $95 knit up as you see it. (At the time that seemed like a lot of money for such a small thing.)
The brochure with the nachaq says:
Musk Oxen were domesticated by selective breeding, starting with 33 young animals captured in 1964 and 1965. Every spring Musk Oxen shed their soft underwool, Qiviut. It grows close to the skin, protected by the long guardhairs which swing like hula skirts when the Musk Oxen run. In winter the Qiviut protects the animal against wind and bitter Arctic temperatures, but in the spring it is no longer needed. At the farm the herder plucks the Qiviut off while the animal stands in a stall. A bull gives up about 6 lbs of Qivuit per year, cows and younger animals produce less.
There is a video, you can find it here, which is worth watching to see what is being described above. I know we had stopped hoping to see the animals, but they were not kept at that location; perhaps that was best for our safety. The nachaq was knit by Maria Inakak from Nelson Island Tununak in a traditional design. Should you go to the website you will see the nachaq is now called a Smokering and sells for $195. The exact design is still being used today.
During the long weekend Mom had taken the nachaq out to give to me. She knows how much I like exotic wool items and this one is so soft, so warm and so beautiful she knew I would want it. She also knew it would bring back memories of that trip taken nearly 30 years ago, and she was right it did. Mom, Dad and I had quite a talk about that vacation and our different memories from it. It was wonderful one small item could do all that.
Here's a couple of photos taken during that trip of my folks.
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| My Dad with the 4-year old sunbathing next to a glacier. I love the juxtaposition shown in this photo |
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| Mom acting as if she is mushing a dog sled; there were no dogs attached to that sled. |
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| So far the game has only begun. In the end Great Grandpa won one and Great Grandson the other. |
Mom, Dad, thanks for reminding me of that trip. You can be sure I will remember it each time I wear my nachaq. That small cowl-like knitwear carries a lot of responsibility because it will remind me to look back and think about all the great things we've done together.
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