# Alaskan Yarn?



## nankat (Oct 17, 2012)

I leave next week for a two week trip to Alaska. It is getting very exciting. I was wondering if there are good yarn stores up there? and any special yarn? Just thinking. I will be in the major sites along the shore, Anchorage, Denali and Fairbanks.


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## BBatten17 (Dec 15, 2012)

I just Googled Anchorage yarn stores, and came up with quite a few. Perhaps you could do that with each city you'll be visiting.


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## joycevv (Oct 13, 2011)

Wouldn't it be great to find some local qiviat (spelling?? musk ox yarn)


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## Bod (Nov 11, 2014)

joycevv said:


> Wouldn't it be great to find some local qiviat (spelling?? musk ox yarn)


It is the softest warmest yarn you can imagine.


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## marilyngf (Nov 5, 2011)

joycevv said:


> Wouldn't it be great to find some local qiviat (spelling?? musk ox yarn)


Very expensive but OH so lovely


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## Bonnie7591 (Nov 15, 2011)

joycevv said:


> Wouldn't it be great to find some local qiviat (spelling?? musk ox yarn)


It is wonderful yarn but I wouldn't buy it in those " touristy" stores. I saw some in Banff & thought I would like some, at $90/ ounce or 28 grams that didn't happen! I came home & looked on eBay, there is a place in Quebec that sold it for $28 for the exact same skein.( that's about 5 yrs ago, the price has gone up some)


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## immunurse (May 2, 2011)

In Fairbanks, a couple of years ago, I never had a chance to look for a LYS. We had a great time on the Riverboat ride etc. The town is pretty spread out and we didn't try walking anywhere.

Denali didn't have any yarn shops. The entire village empties out COMPLETELY every fall.

The big deal is the Quivit yarn, made from the combed out underwool of the Musk Ox. They aren't sheered and the 100% Quivit is about $300 for a skein of sock-weight yarn. You can get a Quivit-wool blend for $200 or so.

My DIL has a 100% Quivit headband and says that it is too hot to wear even when it was well below freezing in St. Louis. I saw it in two shops within walking distance of our hotel, which was owned by Holland America Lines. If your trip is with them that is where you will stay. I wish I could remember the name of the hotel.

One shop I found is the "Quilted <Crow?>" or something like that and the other is more a Chinese souvenir shop but also carries the Quivit blend.

Our 2 weeks seeing Alaska were absolutely fantastic. I'm sure you will love it, too.

Kathryn


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## OccasionallyKnotty (Jan 30, 2013)

Can't help you with stores as I moved from there over 15 years ago, but the geography hasn't changed: All three of those locations are in-land. If you are taking a cruise, you will like be getting to Anchorage via Cook Inlet then taking a bus or train to Denali National Park and Fairbanks. Fairbanks is about dead center of the state, though most folks think it is much farther north. (Oops, on second read I saw a comma. Still, most folks think Anchorage is in the middle of the state.)

Yes, a road does connect those three locations, which is not true for most Alaskan locations. 

There are some great specialty yarns, but be prepared to spend a lot of money. Quiviut (miskox)comes to mind. There are several. Do a Google check. There are a few stores in Fairbanks and Anchorage, butyour best bet is to talk to folks at coffee shops or somewhere other than the hotels or restaurants planned by the cruise. Look for locals: we always knew the traps from the places we would shop. If you knitting needles are obvious, someone may just come up and talk to you.

Have a great time!


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## PapillonThreads (Mar 23, 2012)

joycevv said:


> Wouldn't it be great to find some local qiviat (spelling?? musk ox yarn)


We went Alaska two years ago and I bought one hank $90 :shock: 
I made a hat with....beautiful yarn!

Have a great time on your trip! We loved it!


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## nankat (Oct 17, 2012)

Thanks to you all. I guess I have some research to do. I will start. I am glad I asked. thanks so much.


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## ajrowland (Nov 6, 2013)

There is a qivat co-op shop in Anchorage. The yarn is actually 7 times warmer than wool and you can buy a hat kit there for about $90. The women that knit for the shop are above the Arctic circle and they need the warmth there. we went to the muskox farm while in Palmer and they had a cow that had just lost her calf and was calling for it. The people had put her in with some older cows and when she called for her calf the older cows went over to her and rubbed up against her and she calmed down. It brought tears to my eyes. Dumb animals? I don't think so. The fleece is gather from the fence and where ever they can pluck it from the underbelly that is why it is so dear but worth it. If you go to the co-op then you buy from the spinners not the tourist trap.


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## nankat (Oct 17, 2012)

ajrowland said:


> There is a qivat co-op shop in Anchorage. The yarn is actually 7 times warmer than wool and you can buy a hat kit there for about $90. The women that knit for the shop are above the Arctic circle and they need the warmth there. we went to the muskox farm while in Palmer and they had a cow that had just lost her calf and was calling for it. The people had put her in with some older cows and when she called for her calf the older cows went over to her and rubbed up against her and she calmed down. It brought tears to my eyes. Dumb animals? I don't think so. The fleece is gather from the fence and where ever they can pluck it from the underbelly that is why it is so dear but worth it. If you go to the co-op then you buy from the spinners not the tourist trap.


TERRIFIC I will do a search. thank you


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## JUDYEH (Feb 19, 2014)

There is a musk ox farm in Palmer, Alaska. We toured it when we went on our cruise last year. It was the highlight of my trip. We even got to pet a musk ox.


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## nankat (Oct 17, 2012)

I am searching Google now


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## nankat (Oct 17, 2012)

http://www.muskoxfarm.org/shop/

Although this is half the fun..it is interesting.

We have a full day in Anchorage so a real visit may be possible.


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## deenashoemaker (Nov 9, 2014)

I'm from Anchorage. On 4th Ave. (Just north of PENNY'S) is a Mary maxim store! Has lots of supplies, MARY MAXIM yarn and local yarns like yak. Enjoy, I sure miss it there.


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## cevers (Jul 8, 2011)

Ask at the desk at your hotel. There was a nice yarn shop next door to our hotel at one place, probably Fairbanks. They had quiviut in a glass case and lots of other yarn. Have fun!


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## LenaS (Jan 1, 2012)

When you get to Fairbanks you will find several yarn stores and a fine selection of yarn and some finished articles. Most are listed in phone book, but there in Northern Threads, A Weaver's Yarn, Alaska Furs, Arctic Traveler's gifts, Joann's, Michael's, Inua, just to name a few. Good luck and enjoy your vacation.


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## Granana48 (May 5, 2014)

There is a quilt shop in Anchorage that sells some lovely yarn.
Much of the yarn is typical of any yarn store, but there is some that is locally done. I made my son take me to the Muskox farm and saw the animals and bought some yarn but it the quivet was not made there. I also bought some roving and I think that was actually from there. 

Anchorage also has another yarn shop. I think it is called Far North. 

Enjoy your trip - I am going up the end of May for my son's wedding.


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## andreah (Apr 27, 2011)

Qiviut yarn can be bought at the Qviout Shop in kit form only last time I checked. There is a nice quilting/knitting shop midtown on Benson Ave. across from Walmart on A street. There is a wonderful yarn shop in the Spenard area called Far North and worth tha taxi trip in my opinion. 
Have a good time, we are having wonderful weather so far this year.


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## jberg (Mar 23, 2011)

Hello. Having our daughter living in Alaska with our grandbabies, I have been there every year for the last 5 years. Definitely check out The Quilted Raven in Anchorage. They have mostly quilting items but also a very nice selection of hand dyed yarns. I get a skein almost each time I am there, to remember my visit. And the Quiviet museum is right in downtown Anchorage. It's a tiny little building that you could easily miss. There you will see some beautiful items made with "quiviet" as well as much information about the women who make the items, the speciality of the patterns they use etc. It is very interesting. The yarn is expensive as others have said but definitely not something you will find in a local yarn shop. Enjoy the trip. It is a most unbelievably beautiful place. Wave to my daughter while you are there!! jberg


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## arlenen (Feb 11, 2012)

We moved to Alaska way back, before it was a state, 1957. Raised our family and relocated to Arizona when we retired 40 years later, the son is still there. Quiviet yarn became known, can't remember just when, but one could not buy it. Only the native people were allowed to knit with it, then you could buy the finished item and that was really expensive. It is so soft one can't hardly feel it. 
Have a great trip and enjoy the long days of summer.


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