Qiviut Nachaq
Original Design @Roberta Murray 2004, 2005
Qiviut is the down of musk-ox. It is one of the finest natural fibres in the world. Nachaq is the Inuit word for hood. This garment can also be called a wimple or smoke ring. It is meant to keep the neck and head warm. You can wear it around the neck like a cowl or pull it up over the back of your head like a hood. One of the characteristics of qiviut is its lightness. Nachaq's can be made so light that a person will barely know they are wearing it, yet it will provide as much warmth as a heavier wool scarf.
Materials: 50 grams of fine 2 ply qiviut yarn (apprx. 600 yards). I used the yarn sold by Mini-Mills in PEI, Canada. It weighs 5044 yard per pound, 28 wraps per inch. Any fine lace weight yarn can be used. For handspinners, use the wraps per inch gauge to get an appropriate yarn. Needles: 3mm 50 cm circular needles Gauge: 12 stitches and 15 rows equal 2 inches. Unblocked. Cast on 144 stitches, placing a marker after every $16^{\mathrm{th}}$ stitch, and join into circle. You should have 9 sections which represent the pattern repeat below - so the chart will be repeated 9 times each round. This makes it easier to keep track of where you are in the pattern. 1. knit one purl one 2. purl one knit one Repeat these 2 rows for 8 rows. Follow chart until piece measures 18 inches. Repeat the 2 rows above for another 8 rows. Bind off loosely.
SSK K2T YO Care: Please hand wash in warm to hot water with ordinary dish soap or shampoo. Rinse. Roll up in a towel to absorb excess water and lay flat to dry. You can block the nachaq by pinning if desired, but it isn't essential.
