About the Co-Op: The members of the Co-Op are Alaskan Native men and women, who live in the remote villages of Alaska. The opportunity to knit the beautiful Qiviut items by hand allows them to earn a supplementary income to enhance their mostly subsistence lifestyle. The location of the remote villages makes it extremely expensive to start businesses and maintain a profit margin. Because of this, there is a lack of available jobs for most local people, and many people end up leaving the villages to get a job that provides an income sufficient to sustain a family. For a yearly, nominal membership fee, the qiviut yarn is sent to them from the Co-Op headquarters in Anchorage. The members knit at their own pace, in their own homes; with no pressure from quotas or time limits for completion. Payment is per piece, paid out to the knitter the next day and a profit sharing at the years end. They are also free to select what they knit and are very good at helping supply the items most in need.