Oomingmak
Oomingmak are musk ox. I've decided that I really like the Yu'pik word for musk ox way better than musk ox, since they have no musk glands and are more closely related to a goat or a sheep than a cow. Oomingmak is also the name of the cooperative that knit goods from the quviut (ki'vee'oot; the under coat of the musk ox.) Oomingmak gets their fiber from the Musk Ox Farm They do not sell yarn there because it all goes to the cooperative. In fact, at the cooperative they are pretty hostile about the idea of non-native people knitting with the yarn. It is their tradition, after all. They have absolutely beautiful lace patterns that I would love to knit, but they don't sell patterns because it really has a lot of meaning to the Yu'pik people still. Anyway, here's a photo of me with some oomingmak, and more photos can be found at my flickr.
