Qiviut for Under Quilt?

[Dublinlin]

Sounds like it is better as a blanket then trying to use it as a lofty insulation. Similar to polartec 300 . So do a windproof outer shell and then a blanket of the QUIVIUT.
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Truthfully, I'm flying blind in this. I'm eager to see what it looks like when Lisa ships it down here to me to have made into UQ's. From all I've heard, qiviut is incredibly lofty and gets loftier with successive washings. Honestly, Lisa has me convinced it will be an incredible insulation material in the UQ's. And it's super durable. Things made from the qiviut yarn last to be passed down generation to generation. I'm thinking it ISN'T that it wouldn't work well as insulation, it's just that it is such a soft, hypoallergenic, rare fiber that no one (but Lisa!) would ever consider hiding it away as stuffing in something.

I am suspecting, though, that the UQ will need to be designed more like the ones that utilize synthetic insulation.

[Ramblinrev]

I have a quivet hat... about $100 knit by a native cooperative. It is heavenly. If it was up to me.... and it is not.... I would sell the quivet fiber and buy three down quilts with the money relaized. But if batting it is,,, then a quilt seems like a reasonable project.

[Dublinlin]

I have a quivet hat... about $100 knit by a native cooperative. It is heavenly. If it was up to me.... and it is not.... I would sell the quivet fiber and buy three down quilts with the money relaized. But if batting it is,,, then a quilt seems like a reasonable project.

I think it will make an incredibly warm, incredibly light UQ. The way I see it, we could always buy a down UQ any time...but when else will Lisa and I ever have the opportunity to acquire at any price a qiviut UQ? It's a once in a life-time chance. I'd rather have the one qiviut UQ then however many down UQ's the qiviut could pay for!

[Bladerunner]

Bladerunner, I had totally forgotten about the "stuff your own" quilt kits! I remember seeing those offered, too, a while back. That is a great thought! I'm not sure, though, that the qiviut will be "loose" once it returns from the mill. Lisa is having them make it into batting, so I'm guessing it would need to be handled more like batted Climashield than like loose down.

(I live in Southern Missouri...so Arkansas is in my back yard! My daughter nor I have ever made it to any group hangs, but if you ever hear of one in Arkansas you'll have to give me a holler! I'm suspecting I won't have my qiviut UQ before next winter. The musk ox fiber is presently at a mill in Conneticut. Originally they had told Lisa to allow up to six months for them to process it, but it sounds like they are already starting to work on hers. They reported to her a few days ago that the shipment of musk ox fiber she sent them was of excellent quality. The mill folks are also baffled that she's insisting they make it into batting. What a wonderful world...where we have the freedom to do things so ridiculously impractical!!!)

Theres actually an arkansas group hang at the redding campground next weekend. Smokehouse sets one up in march every year but it was pushed back due to weather this year to the first of april. Look in the southeast section of the hangouts subforum and you should see the post.

[Dublinlin]

Theres actually an arkansas group hang at the redding campground next weekend. Smokehouse sets one up in march every year but it was pushed back due to weather this year to the first of april. Look in the southeast section of the hangouts subforum and you should see the post.

Wow! Thanks for the info!!! Not sure I can swing it on short notice, but I'll see!

[Dublinlin]

Wow! Thanks for the info!!! Not sure I can swing it on short notice, but I'll see!

Oh rats!!! I can't. Totally forgot I'm signed up for a women's retreat down at Windermere this coming weekend.
I'd bail on the retreat except I have a couple of friends coming who won't know anyone else there and they'd hang me by my toes if I ditched.

[Scotty Von Porkchop]

I say build that quilt, even if it isn't amazing just pull out the insulation and reuse it and only a $60 shell ruined. If it works you'll have a one of a kind super musk quilt, which everyone will be jealous of.

Do it. Doooo iiitt. And if you do please post the results ☺

[qiviutandco]

I found this discussion thread via a Google alert. I am not a quilter nor a do it yourselfer. What I am is a serial entrepreneur whose latest project involves using qiviut for the first time as an insulator in a manufactured product. That product happens to be a quilted jacket but I don't think the process and result is all that different from making a normal quilt. Having tested all sorts of different combinations or materials for insulation performance, we came up with a combination of synthetic along with qiviut and guard hair from the same animal that provides qiviut (musk ox). If warmth of the quilt is the main purpose to be achieved my strong recommendation would be to use guard hair for some or all of the underquilt. Without getting too technical, the hollow fiber structure of musk ox hair - the downy, ultra-soft inner qiviut as well as the sturdier, thicker and longer outer guard hair - is what provides it with its amazing thermal performance. Because of the larger dimensions of the guard hair, it surpassess qiviut in this regard. However, it does not possess the fabulous qiviut hand feel and, therefore, is regarded as a waste product by qiviut processors (and, therefore, much more economical). However, for an application where hand feel does not matter, e.g., an underquilt, it is perfect as long as you use an inner down proof lining to encapsulate the insulation material and prevent percolation (guard hair fibres poking through the shell). Accordingly, I would echo the sentiments of a number of others on this thread and say save the qiviut for something that can take advantage of its handfeel and use guard hair for insulation. Guard hair is not typically advertised for sale by qiviut processors but I can provide a source if anyone is interested. Further details about this type of insulation can be found at <www.qiviutandco.com>.

[Bladerunner]

Oh rats!!! I can't. Totally forgot I'm signed up for a women's retreat down at Windermere this coming weekend.
I'd bail on the retreat except I have a couple of friends coming who won't know anyone else there and they'd hang me by my toes if I ditched.

no worries. now you'll know for next year. I know that Im still working on a few things getting ready for the weekend and because of the extremely mild winter we had I have to get my bugnet finished this week. definitely let us know how this is coming along. im looking forward to seeing the final product

[Dublinlin]

I found this discussion thread via a Google alert. I am not a quilter nor a do it yourselfer. What I am is a serial entrepreneur whose latest project involves using qiviut for the first time as an insulator in a manufactured product. That product happens to be a quilted jacket but I don't think the process and result is all that different from making a normal quilt. Having tested all sorts of different combinations or materials for insulation performance, we came up with a combination of synthetic along with qiviut and guard hair from the same animal that provides qiviut (musk ox). If warmth of the quilt is the main purpose to be achieved my strong recommendation would be to use guard hair for some or all of the underquilt. Without getting too technical, the hollow fiber structure of musk ox hair - the downy, ultra-soft inner qiviut as well as the sturdier, thicker and longer outer guard hair - is what provides it with its amazing thermal performance. Because of the larger dimensions of the guard hair, it surpassess qiviut in this regard. However, it does not possess the fabulous qiviut hand feel and, therefore, is regarded as a waste product by qiviut processors (and, therefore, much more economical). However, for an application where hand feel does not matter, e.g., an underquilt, it is perfect as long as you use an inner down proof lining to encapsulate the insulation material and prevent percolation (guard hair fibres poking through the shell). Accordingly, I would echo the sentiments of a number of others on this thread and say save the qiviut for something that can take advantage of its handfeel and use guard hair for insulation. Guard hair is not typically advertised for sale by qiviut processors but I can provide a source if anyone is interested. Further details about this type of insulation can be found at <www.qiviutandco.com>.

Wow! I'm so glad you took time to respond even though you aren't a hammocker! Actually, I SAW your web site about a week ago and linked to it in some correspondence I've had with a professional underquilt maker that I was discussing this project with. I had seen in your site that you sandwich the guard hairs and qiviut between layers of synthetic insulation. Since then, I've been thinking of using Climashield...though the thinnest I can find is 2.5 ounces per square yard...which would be 5 ounces (double layered) without even counting in the fabric shell and qiviut and guard hair. In making a hammock underquilt, warmth isn't the only consideration...HUGE considerations are how heavy and bulky the end quilt is. The quilt needs to be light and highly compressible, yet reloft well after having been compressed.

I am SO GLAD you took time to weigh in on this topic! After reading your remark that you use the guard hair for the jacket's insulation and save the qiviut for the outside trimming, I immediately called my friend in Alaska and told her NOT to make ANY of the qiviut into batting...have it all made into yarn but have the mill save the hair they remove from the qiviut for use in our future under quilts! THAT'S when she told me that actually she has a third hide that the villagers had hand combed the qiviut from but left the guard hairs. She is going to shave all the guard hairs off and send it to me this week!

I'm so excited to try this! I would covet any guidance you can offer me from your experience working with the guard hairs! If this underquilt turns out as awesome as I think it might, you may have a whole new market for your musk ox guard hairs! We have a bazillion DIYers here on the hammock forums and everyone is always keen to try out the next new innovation for themselves!