Praise for Arctic Lace
I have been involved with the Co-Op since 1969 and have longed to see the history and story of this unusual Co-Operative written down. I think that this book "The Arctic Lace" will help to introduce more people to a truly luxurious fiber, some of Alaska's peoples, and to these remnants of the last Ice Age, the Musk Ox. I am pleased to see that Donna has helped to capture the spirit of the Co-Op and is honoring the resilient knitting members of the Co-Op.
-- Sigrun Robertson, Executive Director of the Oomingmak Co-operative
You know that fluffy spot behind a cat's ear? Where the fur is so soft you can hardly tell you're touching it? That is the closest I can come to describing the feel of Qiviut; the down from an unlikely source: Musk Oxen. This beautiful new book, Arctic Lace, fills a large space in our lace-and-fiber history category and the author, Donna Druchunas, gives us a thorough history of Alaska's knitters - with dozens of wonderful, historic photographs - plus the founding of Oomingmak Co-op.
Everything you ever wanted to know about qiviut but were afraid to ask. There's a wealth of information about qiviut and its history, along with lace projects to knit. There are also "templates" for people who would like to design their own projects, and lots of lace charts to put together with the samples. It reminds me, in a way, of Poems of Color, another book I loved. I think this book is to qiviut as Poems of Color is to Bohus.
Beautiful Inuit designs and easy to follow tutorials for both New and Established knitters make Arctic Lace a celebration of our collective knitting heritage! A must-have for all knitters who want to better understand lace - and the diverse knitting world!
-- Annie Modesitt, author of Twist and Loop (Potter Craft) and Men Who Knit and the Dogs Who Love Them (Lark)
Donna is at it again, doing what she does best--giving us a hands on in depth look at historical knitting and modernizing it for the knitter who needs to know. Her combination of Native Alaskan lace designs and soft qiviut down from musk oxen will have us all getting out our lace needles once again.
-- Cheryl Potter, author of Lavish Lace (Martingale & Company)
Arctic Lace is most comprehensive, highly creative, and wonderfully detailed. The lace designs inspired by Native Alaskan art are unique treasures certain to appeal to any knitter!
-- Ann McCauley, author of The Pleasures of Knitting (Martingale & Company)
From the rich, historic background of the indigenous Alaskan-American peoples comes the art form of beautiful lace fashioned from the wool of the musk ox. Their traditional patterns were lovingly researched and recorded by Donna Druchunas in Arctic Lace. The wealth of patterns included in the book make it equally valuable to the beginner, intermediate and advanced lace knitters. The easy 1-2-3 tutorials, detailed stitch library, and handy templates aid us in indulging in our knitting passion and design our own lace projects.
-- Marcia Lewandowski, Author of Folk Mittens (Interweave Press) and Andean Folk Knits (Lark)
