I have been promising folks who are interested in knitting Ruth for our KAL, that I would offer suggestions and insight to creating Ruth out of a lighter weight yarn than Everyday.
Let's take a look...
Here are the ground rules:
Ruth Finished Chest Measurement
35.75 (40.5, 44.25, 48)(51.75, 55.5, 60.25)(64, 67.75, 71.5)”
The gauge for Ruth is 17 sts and 25 rows = 4”.
In order for your completed Ruth's dimensions to match those listed in the pattern, we must match the above gauge.
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Today, I am focusing on Wild Bloom, our blend of alpaca, silk, merino, and yak.
Using Wild Bloom on its own...
At Ruth's gauge, I think this yarn is too open.
An inspiring customer has used Wild Bloom multiple times to create Ruth. She has gone down a needle size and creates a fabric that is 20 st over 4" And she knits her Ruth a size larger than what she would normally wear, to account for the tighter gauge.
~
In general, I prefer a slightly more substantial fabric, so I paired Wild Bloom with Reliquary, our lace-weight merino silk blend, and am loving the results. (To the point where I have considered setting my current Everyday Ruth aside to do this instead.) The hand is soft and silky with a lovely drape that would lend itself wonderfully to Ruth's shawl color.
On a US 6 needle, this is the gauge shown:
17.5 sts and 28 rows over 4"
If I were to choose this combination, though my swatch is a little bit tighter and smaller than the Ruth gauge, I would still choose the size 6 needle, knowing that the fabric will grow slightly due to the size of the piece, and that my gauge tends to loosen when I knit large pieces like a sweater.
To knit Ruth using this combination, you will need:
Wild Bloom 2 (2 3 3)(3 4 4)(4 4 4) skeins
Reliquary 1 (1 2 2)(2 2 2)(2 2 2) skeins
(I will continue with my current heavier Ruth, knowing that I need and will deeply enjoy a heavier sweater, but am definitely keeping this combination in mind for my next project.)
~
Now for those of us who love farm yarns and to support U.S. wool...
I combined Wild Bloom with Flock. This also made a lovely fabric, that softened even more once blocked. This is heavier than the Reliquary / Wild Bloom swatch. It has more body and less drape. So I would choose this if I wanted a warmer sweater that will still be much lighter than the Everyday version.
On a US 6 needle, this is the gauge shown:
17.75 sts and 29 rows over 4"
To knit Ruth using this combination, you will need:
Wild Bloom 2 (2 3 3)(3 4 4)(4 4 4) skeins
Flock 3 (4 4 4)(5 5 6)(6 6 7) skeins
If I were to choose this combination, I would go up one needle size for a slightly more open fabric that would be closer to the Ruth gauge.
Not only is combining yarns fun because you are creating new fabrics, you can also create unique color combinations. Let's take a peek at a few options...
Katie, Sarah, and I each chose the above combinations, dreaming of the Ruth's we would make.
Left to Right:
Katie chose the vibrant flecks of Reliquary Sun-Dappled, printed with our home-grown marigold petals, paired with soft foggy grey Quartz Wild Bloom.
As the Cocoknits samples of Ruth are subdued neutrals, I am craving seeing it knit in a pop of color, so chose Reliquary in Vermillion and Wild Bloom in Lady Extravaganza.
And Sarah, subtle and serene as always, chose the combination of Reliquary in Barnacle and Wild Bloom in Rose Quartz.
TIP: When interviewing yarns to pair together, to see how well the colors go, we take a bit of each skein, and wrap them together around a white piece of paper.
Keep scrolling to see our results...
And hop over to the store to select your combination of yarns and colors of Wild Bloom, Reliquary, and Flock.
- Kristine
Join us for our first knit-a-long (KAL) of 2024: Ruth by Cocoknits!
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PATTERN
Ruth strikes the balance between sophistication and comfort. It’s a straightforward Cocoknits method pattern with an incorporated collar, but the magic happens when you cross the front collar stitches, transforming it into a streamlined shawl collar pullover. Side vents add to the ease and wearability of the sweater. Ruth is available in 10 sizes.
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YARN
The Ruth pictured is knit out of Bread & Butter Everyday in the colorway Elote. There are many colors to choose from so take a peek! Everyday is made of soft U.S. Merino wool. each color is blended prior to spinning creating a heathered, gorgeous yarn.
Click here to learn more about the timeline and prizes.
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ABOUT MY RUTH
One of the things I enjoy most about KALs is sharing my process of making a piece. When deciding to participate or host in a KAL, I do so with the intention of learning a new skill in-community, hoping that it may inspire folks to take the plunge and do the same.
Instead of engaging in my perfectionist tendencies of thinking I need to know everything before I begin a project, I enter the process with what I call a Beginner's Mindset. I ask curiosity and possibility to take center stage with the trust that I will be able to find help via the plethora of online videos and forums available at this time. When I KAL in community, I invite you to this process and to this mindset.
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Let's start with discussing gauge and swatching.
Always, the first thing I do when starting a sweater knitting project is to swatch. Always. I designed Everyday, I know it really well. I have swatched with it multiple times. And still, in this case, I knit a swatch. I measure and record how many stitches and rows I achieve over 4". And I block it the same way I plan to wash my sweater once it is done. And I measure the stitches and rows again to compare how the fabric changed before and after blocking.
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Why swatch when I know this yarn so well?
+ Yarns can change ever so subtly at the mill.
+ My hands and body change.
+ I want to be aware of potential loopholes as I knit the sweater.
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Here are my results over 4" on US 6 needles:
Pre-block
19 st and 28 rows
Post-block
17.25 st and 26 rows
What the pattern calls for:
17 sts and 25 rows / rnds = 4” / 10 cm square in St st with US 7
My thoughts about the gauge I am achieving:
The fabric is a touch too tight. However, in knitting a large piece like Ruth, I want to keep my hands and shoulders relaxed, so I believe as I knit, my fabric will become looser not tighter. And having this wiggle room will allow me to relax in the process. If I were to go up to a size 7 needle, I fear that I would be worried that my fabric will be much too loose and that I will end up holding my hands and shoulders too tight and that I will injure myself. (This is the potential loophole I was referring to above.)
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TIP: Create a YO and K2tog for the size of needle used to create the swatch. If you look closely at my swatch, you can count 6 holes created by YO/K2tog combinations.
~~~
Once you begin knitting your sweater, it is good to check your gauge as you knit.
Remember your gauge swatch is blocked and your sweater is not. So make sure to compare your sweater to the unblocked gauge swatch measurements.
If your gauge is off, it is not the end of the world. It happens. And there are a few ways to handle it that do not include ripping out your sweater. If your gauge is too tight (too many stitches per inch), switch to a bigger needle. If your gauge is too loose, vice versa. One of the reasons I love my Addi Clicks, is that I can easily switch the tips in this case. Moreover, I can switch one tip, so to gently start making a fabric that is closer to the gauge I would like to achieve.
Ok! Now that my swatch is complete, I am off to start knitting!
- Kristine
To celebrate we are offering a number of fun events and exclusive products!
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We will be open on the following days for in-store shopping and hosting these events:
Friday, March 15, 11-5pm
Saturday, March 16, 11-5pm // 11-noon Meet & Greet with Romi Hill
Sunday, March 17, 11-5pm // 11-noon Book-Signing with Cecelia Campochiaro
Friday, March 22, 11-5pm // 11-noon Book-Signing with Cocoknits
Saturday, March 23, 11-5pm // 11-12:30 Designer Showcase with Ksenia Naidyon, Chin Matthews, Denise Bayron, Zoë Scheffy, Maral Mokri, and Tiffany Chen
Sunday, March 24, 11-5pm
Subscribe to our newsletter for more details about the above events.
We are treating the Bay Area Yarn Crawl as our Stitches West booth, so will have lots of special samples, yarns, and surprises. We hope you will come!
Please let us know if there is anything we can do to help facilitate your trip and plans. We love to eat, drink, hike, etc and know the region well!
Verb's 2024 Bay Area Yarn Crawl Bundle is now available for preorder.
The bundle includes:
+ Yarn in a new colorway inspired by the photo above of the Berkeley Marina, naturally-dyed in our Oakland studio.
+ 1 organic cotton project bag printed with an illustration by our co-worker Shawn, inspired by Sarah's photograph.
+ 3-4 additional goodies inspired by the Bay - we have some cute ideas up our sleeve that you will not want to miss!
Reserve your bundle now! And see you at the Crawl!
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Say hello to Jesse!
A new pattern by Cocoknits knit using Bread & Butter Everyday.
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Jesse is inspired by the classic Irish fisherman's sweater and uses the Cocoknits Method. The cables are worked over the front, back, and sleeves, with moss stitch on the sides and underarms. The cozy ribbed shawl collar crosses and joins at the base of the neck. The sleeves are worked straight with no decreases until the cuff, for fullness, but instructions for how to decrease are included if you prefer a tapered fit. A fun and challenging knit for cozy winter evenings, Jesse is a stunning sweater that will bring you joy (and compliments) for years to come.
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Do y'all remember Cocoknits Nieve - that gorgeous cable-knit pullover knit out of Horizon? Well, Nieve was designed before Julie had released her Cocoknits Method book and Jesse is her updated version of Nieve using the Cocoknits Method as it creates such a great fit. (You can always tell the Cocoknits Method has been used when that lovely seam runs just along the back of the shoulder. Turns homemade into handmade.)
We love the addition of the cowl collar and how much those cables pop using Everyday. Just look at that honeycomb panel! Whew!
~~~
So let's talk about the nuts and bolts...
Jesse comes in nine sizes:
Finished Chest: (33, 36, 40)(44, 48, 51.75)(56, 60, 64)”
Length: (19, 19.25, 20)(21, 21.25, 22.25)(23, 24.5, 27.25)”
And needs this much Everyday:
(7, 7, 7)(8, 9, 10)(11, 12, 12) skeins
You will need:
6 stitch markers in different colors
Stitch holders or scrap yarn to hold sleeve stitches
Row counter (recommended)
You do not have to own the Cocoknits Method book - as they have video tutorials on their site. However, it is a great resource and for those of you who like to learn from books, it may be helpful.
You can find Jesse at Cocoknits.com
~~~
As you may know, Bread & Butter is our sister yarn company that we created in the thick of the pandemic. Made of U.S. Merino wool, and milled in the U.S., it carries values in alignment with Verb's yarns but at a lower price point. There are 17 colors to choose from. (Julie used Day Moon for her sample.)
In addition to finding this yarn at Verb, you can now find it at:
Cast Away, Santa Rosa, California
Atelier Truckee, Truckee, California
Walnut - Kyoto and Tokyo, Japan
Brooklyn General, New York
So stop by and squish it yourself! And if you know of a shop you think would be interested in offering BB, let us and them know!
A big thank you to Julie of Cocoknits for knitting this gorgeous sample and including BB in her patterns.
-Kristine
]]>The first time I laid eyes on the Scout Shawl I fell madly in love. This is when I first became acquainted with Florence Spurling's work and have dreamed ever since of working with her. So I and the Verb Team are thrilled to have her on board for this upcoming year of Pro-Verbial.
As you can see from the images above, Florence draws upon a wide range of techniques to create her pieces. In addition to be a great designer, she is a calm, steady teacher. And she has consistently continued to release patterns that are high on my to-knit list (Hello, Liko.)
~~~
Florence is the fourth and final interview in this series.
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4 Questions with Florence
1. You have a textile design degree and have been involved in the fashion industry, how does fashion influence your knit wear designs?
I learnt a huge amount during my Textile Design graduate and postgraduate degrees, as well as my time working in the fashion industry. I think it mostly taught me about the balance of technical ability and creative thinking - in my opinion the two are essential factors within knitwear design. I don't look at trends when designing, but I do think it's important to be curious and aware of what people enjoy wearing and how they style their clothes. I design things that I would wear myself and can imagine fitting into a variety of wardrobes. Because of my textile background, I also want the fabric to be exciting and ultimately enjoyable to make for the knitter.
2. What are 3 words that encapsulate your style?
Decorative, feminine, vintage.
3. Do you listen to music/podcasts/etc. when you design/knit? If so, what are you currently listening to?
I listen to everything! Music is usually my background noise when I'm working on my computer, but when knitting I love listening to podcasts and audiobooks. I'm currently listening to the 'Changes with Annie Macmanus' podcast and enjoying the episode where she chats to Zadie Smith. My last audiobook was 'Tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow'.
4. When did you first learn to knit/who taught you to knit? If you taught yourself, how did you get inspired to learn?
I learnt to knit from my mum, who learnt to knit from her mum. We always had lots of lovely yarn, fabrics and haberdashery around the house and I found it all really fascinating from a young age. It wasn't until I was at university though, that I took the time to really focus and learn both knitting and crochet properly. Once I had the basics, I would challenge myself with more complicated stitches and the obsession grew from there!
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I hope you will join us for Year 14 of the Pro-Verbial Club.
- Kristine
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So one night at Verb's virtual Maker's Meetup, a fellow Maker held up what she was knitting: a stunning piece of fabric where each side was a different pattern. It resembled the type of fabric made with slipped stitches but not...I had never seen anything like it. All of us in the group were at first silent, taking it in and trying to understand, and then began peppering the Maker with questions as to how and what and where and who. We were in awe!
~~~
This is how I first became acquainted with Mary W. Martin and her work called Fission Knitting. Immediately I thought Mary would be a great addition to the Pro-Verbial Club. As I always like to add someone who is doing work outside of my wheelhouse. And who I assume may be out of yours too. So we can make an adventure of it together!
So, today, I continue my series of interviews with this upcoming year's Pro-Verbial designers. Let's learn more from Mary about this unique and intriguing technique.
- klv
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5 Questions with Mary
Can you describe what fission knitting is?
Fission Knitting is a reversible colourwork technique where the fabric is worked with yarns held in a marl. The design elements are slipped stitches placed on both sides of the fabric. The marl is broken apart to work these stitches. The resultant fabric has a marled middle layer and an overlaid design on each side. It is possible to create a different cabled design on each side of the fabric.
How did you come to practice this technique?
I have another reversible technique called Fusion Knitting. I was experimenting to see if I could incorporate more colours with this technique. I tried holding 2 yarns in a marl to double the number of colours of the knit. To practice the cables, I knit a little swatch and left it lying around. My husband picked it up and commented that the cables couldn’t be seen on the other side. It was like a lightbulb went off — I knew then that it would be possible to have different designs on each side of the fabric.
What inspires you about it?
Because this technique is new, there remains a lot to be explored. I had previously avoided colourwork because I didn’t like the pixelated look of the motifs. The colourwork in Fission Knitting is created with flowing cables — I love the look.
What is your favorite way to try out your designs? Pen and paper? Knitting a sample?
For Fission Knitting, I usually design and chart (on the computer) each side of the fabric separately. Then I knit them together onto one piece of fabric.
In many of your designs, there is an element of nature. Where in nature / the world do you draw inspiration for your motifs?
I love graceful curves and symmetry. I find this on leaves, petals of flowers, and waves in the water.
~~~
We are so excited to work with Mary and have her as part of the club.
Please join us for Year 14 of the Pro-Verbial Club.
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I love hearing people talk about why they make. When there is so much tugging at our attention, demanding our time, and still, people choose to make textiles by hand. This is such a testament to the joy and happiness making can bring.
Today, I continue my series of interviews with this upcoming year's Pro-Verbial designers...
We always try to choose one designer who is local to us as we like to support fellow Californians working in knitwear - and this year that is Ksenia. We love her bold, clean lines coupled with intriguing combinations of stitches. Her designs are elegant and wearable - the perfect combination.
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5 Questions with Ksenia
1. You design under the name Life is Cozy. As fellow lovers of keeping warm and coziness, we are curious as to how you incorporate coziness into your designs. And how coziness makes you feel.
For me, coziness is a feeling of comfort, of a warm hug, of being bundled up in a soft blanket in front of the fire. It embodies safety and a true feeling of home. I try to translate this sensation into knits. My sweater designs often play with volume - think balloon and bishop sleeves, straight silhouettes, and a generous amount of positive ease. Shawls mostly feature just one or two colors and center on texture, drape, and generous size. I hope these pieces can provide the comfort and coziness of a handknit hug to their wearers.
2. What are your favorite colors to knit with/wear? Why?
I love to knit with lighter colors, especially creams and shades of pink and yellow. I feel like they show the textures best, and my designs are known to be texture-centered. These colors also comprise a good 80% of my wardrobe :) But sometimes I can't say no to a gorgeous saturated forest green or a dark garnet red.
3. How do you like to style your handknits?
My most worn handknit pieces are cardigans, and they easily play together with flowy midi dresses and high-waisted pants I wear a lot. And because a lot of my designs are completed in a very structured color palette, I am not shy combining several of them in one outfit. I just try to balance the textures so that they highlight each other instead of playing tug of war. For example, you can see me wearing a stockinette stitch top with a cardigan embellished with cables and bobbles on top, and a quiet texture scarf (think simple lace or travelling stitches) for extra coziness.
4. What motivated or inspired you to begin designing your own knitwear?
I was born and raised in Ukraine, where I received a degree in mathematics and worked in the field for many years. During that time, I used to knit and crochet to relax & express my creativity. I even had a small Etsy shop with handknits, mostly scarves and cowls. We moved to San Francisco in 2015, and our life changed drastically. It only felt natural to finally give my lifelong passion for fiber arts a proper chance. Designing comes instinctively to me. Also, numbers and spreadsheets are my friends and I’m not afraid of grading patterns to numerous sizes thanks to my mathematical background. So it was decided, and I switched to designing and writing patterns full time.
Knitting to me is a perfect pairing of pure creativity with solid math. It is a magical tool for translating ethereal inspiration into physical objects, and I don’t think it will ever stop to amaze me.
5. You are local to the Bay Area, how does living here inspire your work?
You've probably already heard everything I can say about the beauty of our nature and architecture. I live in San Mateo and drive up to San Francisco weekly for a knitting meeting with my friends. This means I always need to wear a few layers to be ready for a whole spectrum of microclimates our area is famous for. Surprisingly, this has been one of the main drivers for my design inspiration! Because of such a need I'm in constant search of new layering ideas, so shawls, cardigans, scarves, vests, and ruanas make up the parliament of my designing queendom.
~~~
We've had a sneak peek of her Pro-Verbial design and we promise you it is gorgeous.
Please join us for Year 14 of the Pro-Verbial Club.
Warmly,
Kristine
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Join us for a very special event! Aimée Gille of La Bien Aimée will be traveling from France to share with us knit samples from her latest book Neons and Neutrals.
There will be a stunning trunk show of each pattern knit in two different sizes. In addition, we are excited to showcase our new samples knit with La Bien Aimée and AVFKW yarn. Yarn bundles will be available to purchase!
Aimée will be available to sign your book at this time, so make sure you bring your copy or purchase ahead of time!
Click the links below to reserve your copy, limited quantities available!
Worsted: A Knitwear Collection
* * * EVENT DETAILS * * *
DATE: Saturday, September 9, 2023
TIME: 11:00am - 12:30pm
LOCATION: A Verb for Keeping Warm 6328 San Pablo Avenue Oakland, CA 94608
COST: Free
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Join us in knitting a Peach Pit shawl by Mary Jane Mucklestone using A Verb for Keeping Warm Annapurna.
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To enter: Participants use Verb's Annapurna yarn to knit Peach Pit and post photos of their progress in either our Ravelry group and / or on Instagram. (When posting on Instagram use #VerbPeachPit.)
Prizes:
1st prize: $100 gift card to A Verb for Keeping Warm
2nd prize: $50 gift card
3rd prize: $25 gift card
When: 5/5/23-5/27/23
Where: A Verb for Keeping Warm Ravelry Group & Instagram
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Scout is available in two sizes on Ravlery: Full and Mini.
Our yarn recommendation is to use Verb's Flock for the following reasons: it is available in a wide range of colors, soft yet durable, and made of non-superwash wool, it knits up beautifully in colorwork. Also, there are quite a few yards in a single skein!
To knit either the Scout Mini or Full size you will need 5 colors, 1 skein each.
Here are our recommendations for colors:
Plum Blossom, Red Pear Marble, Weathered Wood, Bay Sailor Marble, Labyrinth
Leaves of Grass, Labyrinth, Lighthouse, Lavender Latte Marble, Mollusk
Vermillion Marble, Fleur, Sunflower Seed, Succulent Marble, Serpentine Marble
Bonfire, Sunrise Marble, Granite, Bay Sailor Marble, Deep Sea Marble
Click here to see in-stock skeins of Flock.
If the colors you are looking for are currently out of stock, we can dye them for you.
Warmly,
Kristine + Team Verb
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Announcing our first KAL of 2023:
Mabel by Cocoknits using Bread & Butter Bun
Prizes:
1st prize: $100 gift card to A Verb for Keeping Warm
2nd prize: $50 gift card
3rd prize: $25 gift card
When: 1/20/23-3/31/23
Where: A Verb for Keeping Warm Ravelry Group & Instagram
To enter: Participants use Bread & Butter Bun to knit Mabel and post photos of their progress in either our Ravelry group and / or on Instagram.
When posting on Instagram use #BunMabel.
To get a free copy of Mabel:
1. Purchase a sweater quantity of Bread & Butter Bun
2. Add the Mabel KAL to your cart.
Later today, you will receive an email with a coupon code where you can download the pattern on Ravelry.
If you have previously purchased Bun and would like to join us, simply add the Mabel KAL to your cart and checkout (it will be free.)
Mabel is a loose-fitting, comfortable pullover. The pattern is also infinitely adaptable - try knitting the neck ribbing into a cowl or extra long fold-over turtleneck. Add cables, split the hem, knit it knee length, add stripes - the sky’s the limit. It is written in 10 sizes from 36 to 72” bust, so you have lots of options for fit, as well!
Finished Bust
36 (40, 44, 48)(52, 56, 60)(64, 68, 72)”
91.5 (104.5, 112, 122) (132, 142, 152.5)(162.5, 172.5, 183) cm
Yarn
Bread & Butter Bun, 100% Merino; 130 yds / 118 m per 100 g / 3.5 oz skein
5 (5, 6, 6)(7, 7, 8)(9, 9, 10) skeins in color Soft Serve [ivory]
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To select your size:
1. The model is wearing size 3 / 44" finished bust circumference. I do not know the model's exact bust measurement, but I am guessing there is about 8" of ease. So if you like that look, plan to knit the size about 8" bigger than your actual bust measurement.
2. Look to your closet. Is there a similar sweater or sweatshirt that you love to wear? Measure it and plan to knit the same size Mabel.
3. Check out the recording of Julie of Cocoknits and I discussing sizing, yarn options, and sweater modifications.
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Would you like additional support and helpful tips on knitting your Mabel, sign-up for this free series of emails. Each week, you will receive an email, where Julie, the founder of Cocoknits, will guide you through the process of knitting Mabel.
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Join us!
- Kristine
]]>On today's episode, listen to a beautiful essay written and read by author, writer, and wool advocate, Clara Parkes, recorded in Maine, where she lives. Clara reflects on the dynamic celestial phenomenon of the Winter Solstice.
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Adrienne: You’re listening to Reverberate, a podcast exploring our wide world of textiles and the people who grow, make, design, and wear them. Produced by A Verb for Keeping Warm in Oakland, California.
Hello and welcome back to another episode of Reverberate! Happy Solstice. My name is Adrienne Rodriguez and I’m here with…
Kristine: Kristine Vejar
Adrienne: In this episode we have a special audible treat for you. We asked our friend Clara Parkes, whom we consider the Godmother of wool, to write and read a piece reflecting upon the winter solstice and its role in our lives as makers.
Clara is a “New York Times-bestselling author, speaker, and wool advocate. She has dedicated her life to exploring the stories behind, and qualities of, all the fibers that we wear on our bodies—and taking readers along for the journey. Through her wool advocacy, writings, workshops, books, and television and radio appearances, Clara champions the notion of paying closer attention to what we put on our bodies and where it came from.
Without further ado, here is Clara Parkes reading an original essay just for you and especially for today, Winter Solstice 2022.
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Reading by Clara Parkes
Hello everyone. This is Clara Parkes, and I am currently speaking to you from my farmhouse in Maine where it is 3:41 PM and the light is already starting to fade. Ah, December. I love when we approach this darkest day of the year. I love that nature gives us this celestial mile post and sort of magical reset button every year. Solstice is that blinking of the lights in the theater telling us that intermission is almost over, that the second act is about to begin, or maybe it's the first act in a new play? Solstice was not at all on my radar when I was growing up. Arizona couldn't even bother with daylight savings time. How was I supposed to keep track of the length of daylight myself? I continued not to care at all through college when all daylight did was tell me how many hours I had left before my paper was due, and I remained blissfully ignorant all the time I lived in San Francisco where the weather pattern is basically the same 365 days a year, foggy in the morning, bright midday, foggy again in the evening, rinse and repeat. Oh, is it darker on today's commute? I just thought that was because I was working 12 hour days so I could afford my apartment. But once we escaped to Maine and to a very rural Maine at that, the position of the sun in the sky began to matter. I began to pay attention to how the sun's light impacted my own internal light. Now, nature rules everything in Maine. I mean, I know it does it everywhere, but especially in Maine, nature is a dominant force. We are just guests. Every time I step outside, I'm reminded of this, and in this world ruled by nature, the sun reigns supreme. She is the pendulum by which our days and weeks and seasons swing.
The easiest illustration of the sun's impact would be, of course, outside in the natural world, take tomatoes. If I put a tomato plant outside in the field right now in December, and even if I stood there with a space heater and put a tent around us to keep it warm, that plant would survive, but it wouldn't really grow or thrive. For that it needs a quality of sunlight we just don't have right now and for at least eight hours a day. No, the sun does not have that to offer right now. This is dark time. Right now, the sun gets up around seven and she spends a long time yawning herself awake. Then she makes a low sweep along the horizon, casting these long spindly shadows across the landscape before tiring out after two, and spending the next hour and a half preparing for bed, by 3:45 PM it's lights out. For years and years I used to fight this darkness by staying as busy as I could. I kept the lights on. I cranked up the music. I stacked up the deadlines. I intentionally disconnected from what was happening outside for fear of what I don't really know. The darkness itself? It wasn't until that first pandemic winter when things had become truly dark. I couldn't keep myself busy anymore because everything had stopped. The only thing we could do was leap right into the darkness, embrace it, spend as much time as I could outside, and then stock up on candles and twinkle lights and cozy woolens and just go for it. Let my mind drift from that bright unblinking task-oriented world of daylight and into the slower, more mysterious, contemplative place of dimmed lights and deep shadows and the unknown.
We've been trained to believe that it's virtuous to sit under sun lamps for 18 hours a day, 12 months a year, dousing ourselves with higher and higher amounts of miracle grow and feeling really bad about ourselves when we don't produce endless bushels of fruit. It's impossible. You can't grow anything on soil that hasn't been given some time to rest and replenish. That's what winter is about. That's what this time of darkness is about. This is when nature sends her cue to rest, to join the plants and go into hibernation, to let ourselves be quiet, maybe tidy up any mess that the last year has left. Put all that to bed and rearrange our mental furniture to better reflect who we are now and how we want the next 12 months to unfold. Now, as much as I love wool the rest of the year, and I suspect you have an idea of how much I love it, it becomes my dearest and truest companion during these cold winter months. I love having an excuse to wrap myself up in layer upon layer upon layer of wool. In fact, while I'm out walking, one of my favorite games is to count how many objects I'm wearing that contain some amount of wool. 1, 2, 3. I usually lose count. Have to start again. The highest I've ever gotten was 14.
Now it was below zero out and my boots had a wool lining. So that was two bonus points right there, right? But I was completely cozy, comfy. I could have stayed out there for hours. Imagine that must be what it feels like to be a sheep. Wool does so much to ease the scary parts of being human, the bangs and flashes and thumps and bumps and fumes and flames and storms. It does all that. But there's one thing wool doesn't do. It won't generate light for us. Have you ever heard of a wool lamp? No. So the fact that wool eases so many of our worries and fears, but it intrinsically and actively will not generate light tells me that perhaps darkness is not something to be feared at all. If nature sets the pendulum by which we all swing, and if she has set her world into hibernation, aren't we part of that world?
Does she not expect us too? To go into hibernation? This is our time to go slow and go inward. We are not meant to bear fruit right now, so I invite you to join me in savoring these last few fallow days before the light really starts to return. Take the time to bundle yourself in wool and regroup. Take a mental inventory. Think about how you want that next pendulum swing to be. What you would like to do, who you'd like to become, and who you'd like to see bundled up in wool the same time next year. Enjoy this soft and secret bonus time. Be not afraid. Embrace the gentle darkness and know that soon enough the sun will return. Happy solstice, everyone.
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Kristine: To hear more from Clara, join her newsletter, The Daily Respite. And if you love wool like we do, follow Clara on The Wool Channel, A member-supported platform, publication, and community dedicated to giving wool a voice in the world.
A big thank you to Clara Parkes for bringing us closer to what solstice can mean. Until next time. Keep warm.
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SHOW NOTES
Clara Parkes is an accomplished writer with books sharing her experiences and journeys through a wooly universe. Her books include: Vanishing Fleece, Knitlandia, A Stash of One’s Own, The Yarn Whisperer, The Knitter’s Book of Socks, The Knitter’s Book of Yarn, or maybe The Knitter’s Book of Wool.
Check out: The Wool Channel: A member-supported platform, publication, and community dedicated to giving wool a voice in the world.
Website: claraparkes.com
Newsletter: The Daily Respite
Podcast: Voices in Wool
Follow: @woolchannel and @claraparkes
We’re releasing a new yarn named Graze! Coming Solstice December 21, 2022.
On today's episode, listen to an interview with Jenya Schneider, the co-owner and operator of Cuyama Lamb. She and her team raised the sheep whose wool is used to make Graze. Located in Santa Barbara, California, her sheep graze along the hillside to help with wildfire mitigation - an effort we are very happy to support.
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INTERVIEW
Jenya: My name is Jenya Schneider. I live in Santa Barbara County, and I am a co-owner and operator of Cuyama Lamb.
Kristine Vejar: So we have two new yarns coming out this winter named Nibble and Graze that you reared the sheep that produced the wool in those yarns. And we want to first just stop and take a moment to say thank you for raising the sheep for caring about the earth and for inviting us to collaborate with you. So Jenya had reached out to us in Spring 2021 to work together on having yarn milled using wool she has helped rear. And Jenya, one of the things that really caught our attention when you reached out to us, uh, was that the organization that you're working with really focuses on fire mitigation. The wildfires are deeply troubling to us, and it feels really hopeful to know that you're all out there and you have this focus, and we're hoping that you could tell us a little bit more about what that work entails.
Jenya: Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. Absolutely. First I wanna say that I'm so glad that you accepted the invitation to collaborate and, uh, I used to live in the Bay Area and was familiar with your store, so it's very exciting, for us to be able to be part of this collaboration. When we started, I think we didn't know exactly which niche was going to become the bulk of our work. Which aspect of the many aspects we tried to do, was going to really catch. And it definitely has become clear in the last few years that targeted grazing for fire fuel mitigation is an incredibly effective and increasingly desired, strategy for California to live safely alongside wildfire. To me that's such an important part of it, is that we don't want to have to either suppress fires or fear for our homes and our lives when fires come.
We really need to learn how to engage all the different strategies to live alongside wildfires, since we live in a natural fire ecology, where these lands are so used to being tended by fires. I've seen, you know, in our work how effective it is to graze in areas we call "WUI zones" that are the wildland urban interface which is any area in between where people live and where people don't live. We actually had the opportunity to see a wildfire come through our own neighborhood last year, and we got to watch the flames, burn across areas that we had grazed and areas we had not grazed, which was the best learning experience I could have asked for, to understand the impact of the work that we do. And it was just night and day, between the two areas.
This was all in grassland and kind of dead mustard stands, weedy areas, not forested areas, and not chaparral, but the fires that came through the ungrazed weedy areas just had huge, erratic flames and were big enough to kind of create their own wind patterns. And it was totally unapproachable. You know, you would need to wait for that fire to reach some kind of a break before any firefighter was able to approach it. When the fire reached areas that we had grazed, literally we could stand there and take a video, and if you wanted to step over the flames at any time, you could <laugh>, it was so slow. So if you wanted to put it out, you absolutely could. So anyhow, that experience gave me a big appreciation for understanding the way wildfires move and seeing that by using our grazing, it's both reducing intensity of the fires.
It can be so much that the fire just stops or it creates an incredibly safe space where the firefighters know that they can position themselves and approach or stop that fire when they need to or allow it to burn up until the break. What that work looks like is we currently have five people on our team, and we're adding another two in the next few months. And that's the human component. We have about a thousand sheep and five guardian dogs and three herding dogs. So that's our team roster there. We are out all year long putting up electric fence in, you know, sometimes just grassy public parks with trails that's as easy as it gets to crazy slopes of chaparral in the hot sun, poison oak, you name it, any kind of terrain, every kind of weather. And we're building that fence so we can keep the sheep in a very well managed, well timed rotation. And they do their work, which is a little cycle of eat, drink water, ruminate, eat, drink water, ruminate, sleep. So sounds like a great life. I'd like more of all of those things in my day. So they love what they do and, yeah, they have an incredibly wide variety of ecosystems and, you know, wild plants they eat.
And we work with a lot of different entities. Increasingly it's directly with fire departments but a lot of private entities also. The fire departments can have such an eagle eye view and the deep understanding of how fires behave across the landscape. So they can really use us very strategically, understanding the wind patterns and of how a wildfire are going to approach an area.
Kristine: So we have read that previously you have done outreach and restoring ecosystems and supporting nature-based mentorship programs for girls. Why and how did you pivot to working with sheep, and what about working with them caught and kept your attention?
Jenya: Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. So, yeah, I had been in the educational space for a handful of of years, and I came into that after doing some ecological restoration work on the plant end and really missed the human ecosystem, living in rural spaces, and working with plants. I love teaching these things encouraging certain ways of life, but I actually want to be living deeper into them myself.
It was through finding a little rural permaculture farm in the high desert of the Cuyama Valley called Quail Springs. That place was so full of magic and unknown possibilities that very much caught my attention and my now business and life partner caught my heartstrings. And I was delightedly pulled into that place. And that place was very much seeking how to embody all the different ways to live harmoniously in an ecosystem and to restore the parts that had been damaged.
That is the first time that I thought about working with sheep was very much through Jack's process of thinking of how to tend to the broader rangeland around quail springs and which, and after deciding that livestock would be the way to do it, deciding that sheep were the most attuned to that landscape. I had certainly felt pings of desire to work closely with animals and also like I had already felt the call, you know, to work on these like, broader ecosystems and had explored that through plant restoration. I really thought working with animals was just something you were born into or not. I'm grateful to find out now there really are pathways other than falling in love to do that kind of work. I took the deep dive of just jumping on board and us starting this business together. And it was very much then, you know, the realization of the desire to be doing the thing on the ground rather than teaching about hypothetical things. Now I have a whole lot of just doing the thing on the ground, <laugh> in my life, <laugh>.
One of the things that I love so much about working with the sheep is that there are so many facets to it, and I'm definitely somebody who has had a hard time picking one thing, because I love so many things at once, and I think that's really natural. I think sometimes in our society, there can be messaging that you need to specialize in one thing and really just go with one thing in your life. And I think it's so natural when I think about our histories and all the different spaces and skills that a human can and oughtta.
This work really keeps my attention. Yeah, So one facet is, breeding, nutrition, all the veterinary care. And then there's the ecological side of things, understanding our local ecologies and how grazing is interacting with those ecologies. Then there's the meat side, which intersects with so many different cultures. Muslim holidays, you know, different communities in our area who have different relationships with lamb and different ways of preparing the meat, butchering and all of that skillset. And then the wool of course, and that also has so many different cultural intersections for all the different ways that people throughout the world use wool and the natural dyeing of it. And, and so much I think, you know, sheep have been living alongside humans for more than 10,000 years. And so there's just an endless array of different cultural relationships with sheep and their meat and their wool. And so that's just endlessly compelling to me.
Kristine: So y'all raise Targhee sheep, right?
Jenya: They are Rambouillet, Merino, Targhee, Coriedale, cross, depending on which individual sheep <laugh>.
Kristine: I love it. So fine wool... <Laugh>
Jenya: Fine wool.
Kristine: Okay. So I was going to ask you, cuz I thought it was a little bit more breed specific, which no problem that it isn't. But I was gonna ask you about how the breed relates to the work that you're doing, but maybe that's, I don't know. Is it...
Jenya: I can just say something about the breed. Cuz I think it's really interesting that our breeds, you know, they all come from the Merino family tree and there's so much history, Spanish history on the land here. And I think to have more conversations around the ways that, you know, what we do and, and just the fact of working with sheep is an inheritance of the, of a colonial past, or a colonial present, a colonial legacy here in this area is just a really rich place for conversations and to think about how we reimagine and utilize, you know, these inheritances in different ways.
It makes me think about, you know, different people from the Navajo in Arizona to the Zapotec in Oaxaca. You know, one Zapotec weaver (Porfirio Gutierrez) who lives in Ventura we're also in a collaboration with, and those are all cultures who, you know, received sheep and started raising sheep under colonialism from the Spanish. But sheep became and the wool became such a quintessentially indigenous part of their work and identities.
So to have the Merino sheep in this area, I think that, having that breed, [and] we have so many plants that come directly from Spain. We live in a Mediterranean climate, and so a lot of the plants that were brought by the Spanish just thrive here. And so there's something very interesting about how our sheep might be eating the same kinds of grasses that some Merino sheep out in Spain are eating.
Adrienne Rodriguez: So Jenya, would, would it be possible to describe the land where the sheep are grazing, what, what that consists of and what you would see when they're walking around there?
Jenya: Sure. Well I will start by describing where we are now. Right now we're working on a big fire fuel contract in Tepusquet Canyon, which is just inland from Santa Maria. And the sheep are largely working in this big golden grasslands, a lot of Avena fatua or milky oats under these big beautiful live and blue oak trees. And we're at some elevation here, so you can really feel the fall coming on the blue Oaks. Oaks are deciduous, so they mostly already turned brown and the winds took their leaves away by and large. So yeah, the sheep are looking really beautiful out in those grasslands. There's definitely been some more challenging terrain in the mix also that has a lot of poison oak and a lot of Toyon, um, different sages, mountain mahogany, you know, other shrub plants on, on these hillside. And they'll also go in and thin those out, create some space in between the shrubs and remove all the fine fuels in between. So those are the lands that we're on at the moment.
Kristine: What is your typical day like?
Jenya: Well, first thing is there's really no typical <laugh> be prepared for the unexpected <laugh>. But I will describe some of our days. A lot of our days look like rising more or less with the sun and going out and just checking on the animals, seeing what they're up to. Are they inside the fence or are they outside the fence? <laugh> would be the first thing to look for <laugh>. Usually if they're outside, we've already heard about it, so let's say they're inside the fence, so we're feeling happy, then and check on their water. We, you know, haul water a lot since we're working in spaces that don't have the typical infrastructure for live livestock. So check their water, you know, check on how well, how does this area, this paddock that they're in, look, and, and when do we think we're gonna move them to the next?
So with that in mind, what needs to happen in their next area? Do we need to build the fence or just walk the line and, and see how it looking? Are we moving them on that day? Then maybe we'd, you know, go ahead and let the animals into their next paddock and take down their prior ones. There's a lot of just building the next paddock and taking down the prior, moving water, moving minerals and all of, whatever kind of supplement we might have with them. And just about doing that on until the sun goes down, depending on what season we're in.
So that's a very typical kind of day. And, you know, other days like tomorrow we're gonna be vaccinating everyone and sorting our breds from our unbred and getting ready to ship our bread ewes down to some lambing grounds. So, you know, there's a lot of other things that happen, but when we're just in the flow, just fence up, fence down and do the sheep have everything they need, and then of course, feed some dogs in the evening and give them some good little scratches. Because our guardian dogs, they, they work 24 hours a day, well, mostly just at night, but <laugh>, they sleep a lot in the day, but they're out there making what we do possible.
Kristine: Okay. So Jenya was, was there a pivotal moment in your past, could even be maybe your childhood or as a teenager that you can recall that you feel really impacted you and has influenced what you were doing today?
Jenya: I'm trying to think of, of like a really particular moment. I think for me as a young person learning about climate change, learning about this way we have set up our world that relies on endless growth and endless exploitation of the earth. You know, all accumulated to a, a landfall that just felt like how could, how could any of us be living in the status quo? How could we just keep doing this when obviously, um, that's genuinely not an option. Um, and I think that like a lot of people that learning really resonates, you know, when you look around, there's just an understanding somewhere in this that things have gotten really off course in a lot of ways. There's a recognition that we've really misplaced, uh, our, our loyalties and, our sense of what's most important in our loyalties and our priorities. And fortunately, you know, I think as I digested and internalized that and sought other ways, there's so many people out there who are trying to make those radical changes and there's so many people out there who are, who have been trying this whole time to help people, you know, remember the ways of being that are in right relationship.
Kristine: What keeps you motivated and inspired to keep working with sheep and continuing in this line of work? Is there a particular person's writing that you turn to or maybe something that happens during your day or?
Jenya: I would say one of the biggest things is because it's so easy to lose perspective on, you know, anything that we're doing 24 hours a day. You just forget what else is out there and maybe how unique what you're doing is or what it's like to be doing something else. So I definitely think that the new people who get involved with us bring that fresh energy, They bring a reminder of right, how unique it is to be working outside on the land and these intimate ways to be working with the animals, to be present with something that's so raw and real.
You know, we're just getting into our lambing season and being present with the things that happens at that time is so universal. The life that happens, the death that happens, you know, how makes you see how precious every life that is able to come into this world and how everything needs to line up just so for any life to exist. There's so much that's just so raw and undeniably real in a world where that can be hard to access cuz there's so much else going on too.
So I think, yeah, the, the new people, members from our community that we're able to bring in and the way that, you know, most culture I think, or so much culture really comes from an agricultural setting, a livestock setting where you have a certain thing you need to do and so you bring the people together to do the thing and it becomes a kind of holiday or celebration.
So like shearing day for example, you know, we just call on our community to come help us skirt these fleeces and we hire a friend to cook a big meals to feed everybody, and it's become just this kind of celebration. And the shearers love it because that's not often the case for them. So when we bring people in from the community and we all get to really rejoice around our work, that's very motivating and inspiring.
And, and then, yeah, thinking about how this goal of living safely alongside wildfires is an incredibly motivating possibility to me because I see how effective our grazing is and achieving that and how possible it feels to, if we had targeted grazing and prescribed burns on the scale that we need, like we could just really feasibly feel safe in our homes and have a certain relationship with the fires where we welcome them and are ready for them.
And it's such a radically different feeling that kind of fills me when I think about that possible future. And it feels so far from where we are right now. And yet being immersed in the work I am, it feels so possible. Like it also feels so near at hand. So those are a few things that motivate me. And then the last thing that's like a daily dose is I get to just work alongside dogs as my coworkers, which is just one of the greatest things. And when you just, you know, you just need a little encouragement, a little unconditional love, like you've got eight members of the team plus the humans, you know, but sometimes you just really need a dog. So eight members of the team were a hundred percent there to give you that. So that's a good daily dose.
Kristine: We're huge fans of dogs <laugh>.
Jenya: Yeah. Nice. Nice.
Kristine: I was just thinking today, my goodness, I'm so grateful for my dog energy that I get. Like there's just times where I just need like dog interaction.
Jenya: So I feel you. Yeah, I feel you. And the same way.
Kristine: <laugh>. Okay. So I think I have one last question. Jen, how does it make you feel when people make things with your yarn?
Jenya: Oh, I love that question. Cause I feel like literally ecstatic, like I feel so, um, it elevates me so much because the work we do is so - it's just so on the ground level <laugh>, and it's dusty and dirty. Like our sheep, who knew they had white wool, they don't look white out there, you know, <laugh>. So, it's dusty, dirty, sweaty, you know, it's, there's moments of getting to step back or you're out there at golden hour and it's romantic and beautiful, but mostly like, you're really in the weeds, like in the most literal sense, you're in the weeds <laugh>.
And so, when people make something with the wool or when they cook like a beautiful meal to feed a big group of people, it's just so elevating. It really just like fills my heart and, and lifts it up and it's exquisite. It's totally exquisite. And I think it feels like such an honor, such an honor, like on behalf of our sheep, I feel honored on behalf of our sheep <laugh> for what they are growing, which is such a mind bending miracle that they can grow wool. And wool itself is such a mind bending miracle. So then to go through the whole process that it takes to get it in somebody's hands and for them to make something so useful and beautiful out of it, yeah, I hardly have words, but it feels incredible. It's one of my favorite things.
Kristine: Well, we feel incredibly honored to work with the wool that y'all have raised and, um, all the intention and effort that you put into it and are very grateful to this sheep so thank you.
Jenya: Thank you.
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SHOW NOTES
Cuyama Lamb is a six member team including Jenya, Jack, Anthony, Cristian, Alex, and Dani. They currently have a 1000 head of sheep, 3 herding dogs Willie, Rocco, and Tres, and 5 guardian dogs Lucy, Yoreh, Bruno, Aya and Lutu. Follow Cuyama Lamb on Instagram to learn more about their daily activities.
Emily Tzeng of Local Color Farm and Fiber Studio is the person who contacted us to be part of this collaboration. She has a wonderful farm.
We asked Jenya for a few recommendations…
For literature that has shaped her current ecological and agricultural thinking:
+ Tending the Wild by M. Kat Anderson–integral in decolonizing my perceptions of "conservation" and ecological stewardship
+ The Unlikely Peace at Cuchumaquic by Martín Prechtel
+ A Growing Culture - a website which publishes essays about food sovereignty.
Places / programs about how people can learn to care for animals:
+ Quivira Coalition – find an apprenticeship with a holistic livestock operation aligned with your interests
+ New Cowgirl Camp – hosted by Beth Robinette and Alex Machado. An excellent entry point for aspiring cowgirls and gender nonconforming cow-wranglers (and sheep and goat herders too).
+ Aldersprings Ranch – summer apprenticeships working cattle on horseback
The name of the family she works with in Ventura:
“We are working in collaboration with Porfirio Gutierrez, and incredible Zapotec weaver based in Ventura. His website is https://porfiriogutierrez.com/ and IG handle is @porfirio_gutierrez_studio. He is working with our wool (the same yarn that you are working with) to make blankets and ponchos. His work is rooted in his family and culture's textile traditions while also utilizing novel techniques to explore ideas of migration, indigeneity, and so much more.”
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We hope you will knit with Graze! Thank you so much for following along.
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Marigolds are one of my favorite flowers and dyes -- the warm golden hue found on their petals and transferred to yarn and cloth light up the room -- the color is like a warm embrace. We grow them almost all year long -- and they take a special significance at this time of year when we celebrate Dia de los Muertos.
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Every year, during the last week of October, I assemble a small altar called an ofrenda - which means "offering" in Spanish.
I make this in honor of Day of the Dead also known as Dias de los Muertos, celebrated on November 1 and 2 across Mexico, the U.S., and all places where those of Mexican descent live. The purpose of the alter is to remember and celebrate the lives of our loved ones who have passed.
On our altar, I place photos of Kristine and my relatives, friends, as well as our beloved pets. To please the spirits that visit during this time, we decorate with candles, marigolds, incense burner, framed pictures, paper decorations, food, and drink. Every night this week, through November 2nd, we light the candles and incense on the altar.
We place our ofrenda in the center of our living room on the fireplace mantle. It is the first thing you see when you walk in the front door of our house. Death is something we all experience and share, though it also can be incredibly difficult to process. When we see the bright, beautiful marigolds, the feeling of happiness emanates from the altar throughout the room; we do not think of our loved ones in their death rather in their most cherished moments of life spent with them. The altar and this time presents a special space for Kristine and I to be together to share stories, to remember, and to connect. Our altar provides a space to process.
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I have a particular fondness for ephemera such as postage stamps and postcards, and I find textiles combined with natural dyeing as a medium particularly receptive towards stamping and imprinting time. Last year we saved our marigolds from our altar to dye a piece of cloth. Throughout the year, when seeing this cloth, I remember our altar, our loved ones, and time spent together around the altar. It keeps me close to them and I feel connected. And then when the time comes again to create our altar, I use this cloth to decorate, building upon the memories.
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I would like to invite you to:
+ Create an alter of your own - click here to learn about the history and culturally-sensitive ways to celebrate.
+ Visit the Oakland Museum of California's Honoring El Dia De Los Muertos exhibit and attend their virtual community celebration.
+ Come to Verb tomorrow, at noon, and contribute to our community altar. Bring a photo or drawing of a loved one you would like to remember, marigolds if you have them, a sweet (pan dulce) or another treat your loved one enjoyed. Once the alter is complete we will include it in a future email for all to enjoy.
+ Attend our presentation on dyeing with marigolds.
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- Adrienne
]]>As we say goodbye to Summer, and ease into Fall, it seems that a cycle has been completed, so Adrienne and I thought we would give a garden update.
Five years ago, Adrienne and I removed the juniper in our front yard to make the most of the only space in our tiny yard that has full sun. We had begun to research and experiment with the type of indigo-dyeing practiced at BUAISOU, where one grows their own indigo-bearing plants (Persicaria tinctoria), composts the leaves, and then ferments the leaves to create a dyebath. Typically, the minimum amount of dried leaves composted is 300 pounds (requiring 2000 pounds of fresh plants) - which I am sure as you can imagine is quite resource and labor intensive. So we embarked on experimenting with ways to use this sunny patch of Earth (only 100 square feet) to replicate the process on a much smaller scale making it more accessible to the home dyer. And indeed we did crack the code, and now a recipe using 40 pounds of dry leaves to create 2 ten gallon fermentation vats is published in Journeys in Natural Dyeing, freeing us and our tiny farm to grow vegetables!
Adrienne and I are very interested in companion planting - and all symbiotic relationships. We started 2021, as we have done in prior years, where on January 1st, we clear out any old roots, prepare the furrows, plant fava beans. P. tinctoria and all indigo-bearing plants thrive on nitrogen. Fava beans, as well as other legumes, help to add nitrogen to the soil. We harvest the young fava leaves to eat as the plants grow. Once the plants reach 3-4 feet tall, we harvest them, cut them into pieces, and the sun dries them, so that they can be used as green manure. Once dry, we combine the fava plants with the soil. Meanwhile in the house, we start the P. tinctoria seeds.
We decided to grow a Three Sisters Garden; the pinnacle of companion style growing of vegetables practiced by indigenous communities in the US, Mexico, Central and South America. The three sisters are corn, winter squash, and climbing beans. The corn grows tall, providing a trellis for the climbing beans. The beans add nitrogen to the soil benefitting the corn and squash. The leaves of the squash plant cover the ground, helping to keep weeds at bay.
Our climate here in Oakland provides a unique challenge; the fog rolls in nearly every night and the temperature can drop as much as 15 degrees. With those changes in temperature, we can experience downy mildew and larger heat-loving vegetables can struggle to ripen. So we steer clear of large heirloom tomatoes, and we hone in on cherry tomatoes. (This is also why we grow P. tinctoria and not indigofera or the other legume-based indigo-bearing plants.)
So when it came to choosing our corn, squash, and beans, we selected varieties that are said to thrive, um, maybe more like withstand, our climate. This included Glass Gem, Painted Hill, and Oaxacan Green Corn, Scarlet Runner beans, and Sweetmeat and Kabocha squash. We also planted two tomatillo plants and two hot pepper plants.
Last year, when everything was closed down, it became easier to park in our neighborhood, and dying to see scenery beyond the 4 walls of our house, we turned our driveway into a hangout zone. While walking last Summer, we stumbled across an 80s outdoor lounge set (with cushions, yes, most likely the one you just imagined). We went home and got our 1989 Toyota truck (Lil' Red) and picked up this incredible find. This year, not knowing where we would be with the vaccine, we planned our garden so that it was oriented towards the lounge, similar to a TV facing a couch. Except our TV has been the garden (heart emoji!). Marigolds framed the front of the garden, a wonderful companion plant that keeps bugs at bay, attracts pollinators, and an amazing dye plant. We planted the P. tinctoria with the help of our friends Shiree, Yuko, and Sarah, in semi-circles hugging the centrally-located Three Sisters.
All Summer our family was bombarded with daily photos of new garden discoveries - a new bloom or fruit or leaf. Look at the pink tassels of the corn! Taking turns unwrapping a cob of corn, revealing the most exquisite, divine, uneven rows of blue-green kernels. A ladybug - hundreds of them actually - busily climbing across leaves and nibbling on the dreadful aphids. Butterflies. Oh look - the bean tendril is hugging the cob of corn (and yes, that cob was the last one to be harvested, not wanting to disturb the embrace). The color turquoise created from the leaves of fresh P. tinctoria leaves never ceases to amaze. Our garden became our constant, guiding companion.
With our gains, came losses. Our first, one and only, squash that was so promising, large, round, and perfect - seemingly out of nowhere, a small indent, similar looking to if someone gently pressed their fingernail into the skin, turned into a hole. We kept the squash on the vine to watch and learn. And just yesterday, the vine withered and released the squash. We sliced it open to try and see what happened. Without answers, we said goodbye and composted it. We do have another small one on the vine, though will it ripen in time as the temperatures begin to fall? A similar story with our beans, we had lots of flowers, but few beans. Though the ones we do have are cherished, bright pink and purple, we wonder if these are actually the original inspiration for jelly beans. And there were challenges with extracting indigo (more on that to come).
I feel so uncomfortably tender. If it were up to Adrienne and I to feed ourselves from our garden, we would famish. This experience reminded me to take care and note the skill and hard work to grow a humble squash or pod of beans. Though I don't have to literally walk in another's shoes to have empathy and compassion for them, every time I practice experiential learning, it brings forth immense gratitude - in this case, thanks and recognition for those who raise our food, many of whom are undocumented and of Latinx heritage. We allow this emotion and gratitude to guide us into action - to supporting via voting pathways to citizenship, fair pay, and labor protections.
We really wanted to squeeze in one more virtual dyeing session in our garden, but the team here have been tending to family stuff, and the P. tinctoria has its own ideas - it's been flowering! Moving into the next stage of its life. Every night, I was plucking the flowers off, trying to guide the energy back into the leaves, where the indigo resides. And every morning, new flowers emerged. Finally, I received the message, it is time to transition into the next phase, Autumn.
As we gently close the door to Summer, we embrace this new phase, when the P. tinctoria will create seeds for next year's crop and its dried leaves will be removed from their stems to be composted. The corn dried from the strong Summer-sun's rays will be nixtamalized and turned into masa to make tamales and tortillas. We will purchase a winter squash to roast and share. And we will begin to plan next year's garden as well as virtual and maybe even live workshops.
Happy Autumn,
Kristine and Adrienne
]]>Hi All,
Starting Sunday, July 17th, Team Verb is on a much needed Summer Break. We will be back in the studio on Tuesday, July 27th. Shipping will resume at this time. Curbside pickup will resume Wednesday, July 28th.
Thank you for your support! We look forward to seeing you when we return.
Stay safe,
Team Verb!
P.S. We are deciding our in-store shopping hours on a weekly basis. Please sign up for our newsletter to get updates.
]]>Reverberate Episode 10: 11 Questions with Chinua "Chin" Matthews
On today's episode we are visiting with Oakland-based designer, Chin Matthews. We hope you enjoy this episode!
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Adrienne: Question 1 -- What is your definition of craftivism?
Chin: So I was thinking about this a lot. Because I don't know if there is such a succinct answer for this, because I think that all craft is really like craftivism and especially in a society like ours, that is so based on consumerism -- any act where you're creating is definitely like a radical and rebellious kind of act. But for me, I've been really inspired by the Seam Allowance meetings at Verb and also just like, being more intentional about your fashion choices and prioritizing slow fashion over fast fashion has definitely been a big part in my craftivism journey. That's only been for what, two years now. So I'm still learning about it more and trying to be more mindful in my practice of it.
Also I just started being a part of the fiber community about two years ago. I started knitting when I was 10 or 11. But due to issues with my sexuality and not wanting people to think that I was gay, I guess while I was younger, I didn't knit as much in public, so I'm still trying to get used to everything and I think that my time at Verb has definitely shaped me a lot into thinking how craftivism can really just be all crafting that you're doing. And eschewing fast fashion by taking more slow counterparts and also how slow fashion can end up lasting longer than fast fashion, especially if you're doing mending yourself or the visual mending practices. I think you all have a book about Japanese visual mending which I think is important because I know a lot of my clothes do break down pretty fast that are fast fashion.
So I think that craftivism for me is mainly just being present and intentional with your crafting and making pieces that you're aware of and sustain for a while which is really important in these times, especially, and in our country. That is so focused on consumerism I think.
Adrienne: Question 2: How do you practice craftivism?
Chin: So one thing that I think I do. That was the most important in my craftivism is teaching a class at my job. I work at La Clínica de la Raza. It's a free health clinic in Oakland actually in three counties in the Bay area, Alameda, Solano, and Contra Costa County. And so at my job, I teach a beginning knitting class as part of our wellness initiatives with the HR department. And I think it's really valuable for not only me, but the students as well, because they get a chance to learn how to knit and get all the great benefits that knitting has to offer including health benefits, like lowering your blood pressure and decreasing arthritis and delaying onset mental issues which are related to aging, such as dementia and Alzheimer's as well. And this has been -- there's evidence-based science showing that the effects (of knitting) are generated by knitting or doing bimodal by neuro-crafting or other activities. So I think it's a very good practice for me and all of our staff who are very committed to social justice and they're on the front lines, providing health care to underserved communities that are not prioritized a lot of times in America. And so I just feel really grateful to be able to give back something to them that they can use for fighting compassion fatigue and just improving their health outcomes in general.
Adrienne: Question Three -- Why do you knit and what does it mean to you?
Chin: So the funny thing is when I first learned to knit I was going to this kind of like progressive middle school. It was a private school and it's actually not too far away from where I live now actually. But one Friday, I remember they said so we're about to go into English class, but if you want, we also have this teacher who can teach you how to knit. So you can either stay in English or you can go and learn how to knit. And I was like, okay, I'm definitely going to learn how to knit. So, I left my English class. And then I just started knitting a bookmark -- was a project that we're working on. And also where I learned that chopsticks can be a good and cost-effective method of learning how to knit. And so I started knitting there, but basically it was just a way to escape and also do my problem solving and thinking.
I had always been drawn to string arts and crafts in general. I used to make a million of both little boondoggle lanyards, like all the time and all these different shapes and arrangements. So I was really into that and then maybe it was like a natural extension from that. So I started knitting all the time pretty much after that. Even though it was more private and not in public especially as I got older and went into high school it was less of a public thing and more for me to do, to get through my, or to work through my feelings and also be able to solve my problems that I'm having in daily life.
But as I grew older, too and like became more comfortable with my identity. I also started knitting more for other people and making a lot of gifts and whatnot. I just made the first knit that item for myself, I think like a year ago. It was a hat and then I've since made a all for myself as well.
But I feel like knitting for me is a stress reliever and then also a way to give meaningful gifts to my friends and people in my life who I value. And especially in the last few years, I'm working on La Clinica. I've been making a lot of baby garments and whatnot. A lot of baby hats too, which I love because it was so quick and satisfying. And I can tell that they're going to be treasured and valued by the people that I give them to you. And that really makes me feel like maybe it's magic or making like, well magic because they'll have this item that they've coveted and used and will possibly give back to their children as they grow older. Like my mom had a knitted sweater that one of her friends made and when I was born and she gave it to me last year, I think, or year before that. And it was just cool seeing how someone had made this and then it was preserved so greatly throughout the years. And so I just want to impart that or a little bit of that onto the people that I make gifts for.
Adrienne: Question Four -- you just released your first knitting pattern, The Sloop Beanie. What compelled you to begin designing?
Chin: So I've always had an inclination towards fashion and how I present myself and how fashion is an extension of your identity. In high school, it wasn't as much knitting related, but I was always reading like GQ magazine and different menswear blogs, trying to make the latest trends and fashion concepts work for me in my body and also what I'm comfortable with presenting out to the world. And so I think that was a big driving force behind wanting to design. And especially when I started getting into more modern knitting patterns two years ago, I was realizing that there was a big gap and like male presenting fashion that could definitely be filled with some of my work I believe. And I don't think that clothes really have a gender. Any clue or any item can be worn by anybody. But I do think that there is a call for like male presenting bodies or female presenting bodies. And it's good to be clear about that because it'll affect the fit on the person themselves. So when I saw a lack of these male presenting bodies patterns I definitely thought I could help fill the void by bringing some of my own designs and thinking and patterns into the world. And yeah, I think it's just important that there are more basics in the male presenting patterns and naming spaces because it'll help people transition from fast fashion to slow fashion and making their own clothes that they feel comfortable and stylish and having when wearing. So I think that is a lot of what I think is driving me to design.
Adrienne: Question Five -- When approaching the designing process, what do you find inspirational?
Chin: So. Since I've only released my first design. This is a little bit harder for me. I guess one thing that I would say is definitely like menswear I don't really like the term as much now as it's like excludes different gender identities, I feel like, but that kind of styles what inspires me a lot and I like streetwear and the like, so I think that those are a big driving force behind my designs moving forward too. And also with the Sloop Beanie, because it was heavily inspired by different menswear trends with fishermen’s beanies and whatnot. But I also try to make something that is sustainable. And that could be worn for a long time and as a versatile accessory. I know that will be different for garments, but I want things that you can really wear and mix and match with your wardrobe. So it's actually a part of your rotation and the different clothes that you wear. So I think that's very important. And then also one of the biggest things that I think is a barrier for people transitioning from fast fashion to slow fashion is the amount of money that it can cost because we know slow fashion fabric and yarn, a lot of the times can be more expensive, but you have to think about it as in how much you're going to be wearing it and the value that it will bring. Through being able to wear it for a much longer time period of time than fast fashion, and also trying to make sure that it is not as harmful to the environment as fast-fashion is and the different production methods associated with it. So I think yeah, mostly menswear and then trying to make items that you will actually wear on a daily basis, so you can just grab and throw on without too much thought and then feel good and comfortable in the clothes that you're wearing
Adrienne: Question Six -- When choosing yarn, what characteristics speak to you?
Chin: So one thing that's a little interesting is I don't really have that much of a stash. I'm looking over here now and excuse me. My stash is only about like a tote’s bag worth of stash. Since I only really started buying yarn. To fill my stash about two years ago. And most of the time it's for yarn intended for project. So most of my stash, like half used skeins and balls right now. So just just an FYI into my yarn, that’s the situation. But a lot of times I always go for plied over single strand. I don't know why, but a lot of the times I'm going for plied yarn, which I love high plied yarns, such as like three or four are honestly my favorite. But I have been working with a lot of two ply yarns recently, which I'm starting to get more into, especially Even Tinier Annapurna, which I'm looking at now. I just started my Sloop Beanie with the Resplendent skein which is gonna turn out great.
But another thing I look for is softness versus hardness. I'm always more partial to soft yarn, honestly. But I'm starting to look into getting used to some more hard yarns, just like Lett Lopi, which is kind of infamous for that. But it does look so good in color work, which I do like. Also this is probably gonna make people scoff or think that I'm out of it, but I do like tonally dyed yarns a lot more than variegated depending on the pattern, especially I think that...yeah, I'm always going to reach for a tonal over variegated yarn most of the time. But if the pattern is like pretty vanilla or meant to show off the color of the yarn, I think that it could work, but for me, I'm mostly more of a tonally based yarn person. Also one other thing that's important for me is the strength, the tensile strength of the yarn. I'm a really hard wearer of clothes. So the tensile strength, that's really important for me. I don't want things that are going to break down very easily because of creating more waste and whatnot. And also while I'm knitting is hard too, because I'm a very tight knitter and I normally size up two needle sizes every time I make a project. And so if the yarn isn't that tight, tensile, strong, I'll end up breaking it myself, just through my knitting process. So I want to make sure that it has a good amount of strength in the yarn. And then other than that I like, I prefer to work with wool obviously. I use most of my Merino wool, or just some kind of form of wool for most of my yarn patterns.
But also getting into MCN (merino-cashmere-nylon) bases a little bit. I know that the nylon is bad. But I feel like in the future, that you can find more sustainable options for it. Maybe some plant-based like tencel or more environmentally sustainable ways of making that yarn. But I do kind of like the workhorse nature of MCN yards. One of my friends sent me a skein that they were using for designing and it was a sample from the yarn company. And I made a simple shawl with that and I was like, I do love this workhorse nature about it, but the nylon inclusion has gotten me a little wary of using it too much, but we'll see how science progresses and if we can find more sustainable alternatives for it. But yes, I think plied over non plied tonal over variegated and high tensile strength with softness. It's like my yarn dream list.
Adrienne: Question Seven -- What is your favorite color -- how does it make you feel -- and what does it represent for you?
Chin: Okay. So whenever people ask me this question, it makes me think of Elf when he says, “Oh, your dress is very purple-y today.” Because purple is my favorite color. And one thing I've noticed when. I've been living if not, most adults don't really have a favorite color, which I do not understand. And I think that everyone should have a favorite color regardless of your age. But for me, purple is definitely reminiscent of royalty. Back in the early days, I'm sure you all know purple dye matter was a lot more sensitive. So the only people that could afford purple fabric were the rich and like rulers of different nations and whatnot. So it definitely brings me back to my heritage and reclaiming my blackness as an American and also just feeling more powerful in myself. And then a lot of purple dyed fabric was indigo based and indigo has a long history in the slave trade and also how it was cultivated and practiced. So I like using purple yarns to kind of reclaim that part of our history and make it something new for ourselves. So purple is definitely like one of my power colors. I don't have that many purple items in my wardrobe now, which I need to change. But it definitely makes me feel more powerful and secure in myself when I'm wearing or working with purple. So yes, I'll definitely have to make some changes and get some more pieces of my rotation that are purple.
Adrienne: Question Eight -- What are you reading?
Chin: I'm a pretty avid reader. I haven't been in the last couple of years, but before that, and when I was a kid, I always used to go to the library with my mom and get different books picked out for me. And sadly, my local library that I used to go to was just torn down which makes me a little bit sad but yeah, I spent many a days there reading books and just getting lost in the world of fiction. When I read most of the time it's -- Oh God, I always get this confused about which one is the real one about real life and which one is made up stories, I think fiction is the made up one. So I always read fiction books as an escape. Right now I'm reading The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson. It's a pretty geeky like fantasy novel. That's very thick. It's like almost 2000 pages. And it's the first in the series of the Stormlight archives. I think he just released his fifth book. And the series, which I'm a long ways out from, but I really like it. It's about like magic and like these big storms that happened in this world that hold a magical energy that can be harnessed and used for different spells and supernatural abilities kind of. It reminds me of the Game of Thrones, somewhat in that the world is more of the main character then the character's themselves. So it goes between I think three to five different character's stories and showcasing how they get along in the world and what their past and present is bringing them. And there's a big kind of mystery part that I haven't gotten to figure out yet. I'm sure it'll happen by the end of the book, but it's very intriguing and keeps pulling me back for more. And I am reading it physically in a paperback. I don't know. I haven't got that into audio books yet. I should try it probably because I can listen to it while multitasking and doing something else, but I still have to break that barrier. So paper books are the way for me now and I also have a nice collection of books that I like to keep around the house. But yeah The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson, I would definitely recommend it. I am a Stormlight archive series in general.
Adrienne: Question Nine -- you live in Oakland, you like living here and why?
Chin: Yes. About a year ago, I moved to the Fruitvale district of Oakland and I really love it here. It's honestly great. Most of my qualms will come with coronavirus pandemic, but besides that I really love this neighborhood. It's mainly (composed of an) immigrant population and working class neighborhood. So it feels more like a living, breathing neighborhood than where my parents live in suburban kind of track home developments. It's like everybody knows their neighbors and they're always checking up on you. And they're always getting together and talking or just like bringing over a meal or doing something together, which I think is really nice and it makes me feel more connected to where I live. So I love that aspect. And I feel like that's the same with a lot of places in Oakland. It's just very rich culturally diverse with vibrant neighborhoods.
The only thing that is somewhat worrying me about Oakland is the rise of gentrification with the tech boom that has started a couple of years, or, well, at least five years ago, you could see the real differences starting. As I said earlier, I went to middle school very close to where I am now. I could actually walk there if I wanted to. And so a lot of the places that I go now are from or places that used to frequent in my childhood, but there's still a lot of change and movement culturally in this area. So a lot of houses are being sold and or flipped because people can't afford the prices as much or getting big buyouts from like the tech companies and people who are working for them. So I'm a little worried about the gentrification of these like working class families had to have been stationed or have been living here for years are getting pushed out by the rise of housing prices and demand. So I'm trying to find ways to help with that and like my activism and whatnot. But yeah, there's a lot of work to do with that. And also unfortunately the homeless or unhoused population, I should say. I live right next to Bart's Fruitvale Station actually. And there's just a lot of unhoused encampments around here, which I feel really bad about and wish I could be more to help them. But working at La Clínica we do offer health care to a lot of those people so I feel like I'm connected to my job in serving the population in that sorts, but I'm always looking for more to do.
There are some good programs like the East Oakland Collective, which I need to officially reach out to and see if I can do some volunteer work for them. And also the People's Programs of Oakland, which just changed from the People's Breakfast. They were spawned or inspired by the free lunch programs that the Black Panthers pioneered in the seventies, eighties when they were active. And also I feel a rich tradition from the Black Panthers because my mom was actually a doctor for the Black Panthers and gave free health care during their free clinics and whatnot supporting the communities. So Oakland definitely has a very special place in my heart. And I hope that I'll be able to live here throughout my adulthood and make it a warm and welcoming place for all that want to live here.
Adrienne: Question Ten -- If you had to give one piece of advice to a new knitter, a tip or a tool that you think would really help them in the long run, what would it be?
Chin: Hm, I think that if I had to give a new knitter advice or a tip, it would be that if you're not getting it right away, it's okay. Because it is a new skill that you haven't learned before, and so as an adult or maybe like an older person we don't do as many new things as we did when we were a child. And so a lot of times people can get really frustrated easily by not getting something so quickly. But you have to think back to when your child, like when you're riding a bike for the first time without turning wheels or doing art or learning how to read and write. These things didn't happen overnight. You definitely had to start slow and then build up your progress, but you can't discredit the progress that you're making, even if it is small. So I would definitely say to new knitters -- Don't give up and keep persisting and keep practicing and you'll see development. You just can't give up at the first sight of an obstacle or a difficult session that you feel like you can't get a hold of.
Also another thing that I would say -- To be open-minded and critical or use critical thinking in your learning because a lot of the times people will be super afraid or terrified by a new knitting technique. But realistically, they already have the tools in their tool sets to learn or apply and perform those techniques. So when I find teaching knitting to a new knitter, I try to have them think critically about what they're doing and not just give them exactly what they want to hear. Which is a side note, why I'm kind of skeptical about how education is set up in the US right now it's focused more on memorization then actually understanding the material and working with it critically. So I try to impart that little bit of wisdom on my students as well, and thinking that they already have the tools to understand it but they're just discrediting themselves from the beginning. And so they won't make any progress if they continue to do that, but I'm teaching them to think more critically using things like the Socratic method and whatnot. They can come to an answer of what a knitting technique is even from just hearing the name.
So my two pieces of advice would be to don't give up early. Small progress is good progress, and also to think critically its most likely that you have the tool sets and skill sets already to perform any knitting technique, but you just haven't thought critically about how to perform it.
Adrienne: Question Eleven -- What is the one food you love? And you think everyone should try at least once.
Chin: Okay, of course, I'm thinking about this. And I was like, there's no way I can just choose one. So I'm going to give a couple. I'm an avid cook and have been since I was a child, I always used to watch -- what is it the Food Network -- all the time. Just like learning new recipes and then different techniques that I could use while I'm cooking. So my first food is going to be oxtail. I know it sounds a little weird probably. And it is that early cow tail, but it is really so good. Most of the time it's cooked in a -- Do you like a curry? It's very tough at first. So you have to cook it overnight for about like 12 hours for it to really be tender and like fall off the bone, but it is so good. It's a staple in Jamaican food, I believe. And there used to be a Jamaican restaurant at the Public Market, which has now kind of gentrified, but there used to be a Jamaican restaurant there. And I had great oxtail and I will get it like all the time when I went there and with like some plantains on the side -- was so good. But yeah, oxtail is definitely a must.
And the other one I would say is Ethiopian food in general. It's so good. They have a great selection of meat and vegetarian options. I am a vegetarian now -- I'm a recently converted one. So I love the vegetable combinations at Ethiopian restaurants. A lot of the time they'll have like lentils and spinach. And also some like potato curries and things like that, which are really good.
And there is also a very good dish, which I used to get back when I ate meat, (called) doro wat and yebeg tibs and some others, I can't remember. Doro wat I used to love. I'm pretty sure its the one with the hard-boiled egg in it and chicken - it is very good. And then yebeg tibs. If I think, lamb? That is like submerged in some spicy sauce is really good. And of course the star of the show when you're eating Ethiopian is definitely the injera -- the special bread that they make. It's like very spongy and has like ferment-y kind of the vinegar-y taste to it, might not appeal to everyone, but it's honestly so good. And you should try it at least once. If you're open for this it is also served family style most of at the time, and they don't use utensils, they use the injera to pick up the food and then just eat it kind of as an added carb and also utensil. So I love that as well. So, yeah, my two favorite foods or foods that everyone should try at one point in their life is oxtail stew or curry and Ethiopian food, whatever kind.
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Thank you, Chin for chatting with us.
We invite you to follow Chin's Instagram account so you can stay up-to-date with Chin and his newest designs.
You can purchase Chin's Sloop Beanie pattern here and yarn here.
And thank you for listening!
]]>You know when so much time has gone by, you don't know where to begin...well, that is exactly what has happened here on our blog! That being said, there are so many things to tell you. So putting aside perfectionism and the idea that there is a right way to start, I will dive into the center of it all and tell you about a little jaunt Adrienne and I went on a few weeks back.
January is the prime time to go mushroom hunting here in the Bay Area because every now and then we get some rain (thank god) and the weather cools. Normally, January marks one of Adrienne's absolutely favorite outings - the Sonoma County Mycological Association's (SOMA) annual weekend get-together. She spends an entire weekend completely geeking out over mushrooms with other fungi lovers. There are lectures, classes, and forays to pick mushrooms. She normally teaches a mushroom dyeing class. Though this year, due to the pandemic, the event was postponed to 2022. So instead, Adrienne and I decided to have our own mini-SOMA camp. We packed up the car. Handed Callie, our little black and tan doxie, off to Sarah. And headed to a remote area on the Sonoma County coast named Timber Cove where we rented a house that looked out over the ocean. A winter storm was on its way in, causing the waves to crash so hard against the coast, the glass in the windows rattled. It was really something!
The reason we chose Timber Cove is because just up the road is Salt Point State Park, considered a hub for mushroom hunters, as there are many varieties to see, and also because without a permit, each person is allowed to harvest three pounds of mushrooms. While we enjoy looking at mushrooms in general, and practicing identifying them, one of the biggest reasons we enjoy hunting for mushrooms is the possibility of finding dye mushrooms!
Adrienne and I want to give you a few tips and tricks if you feel intrigued by the idea of foraging for mushrooms, particularly ones that may have the ability to dye cloth!
There is a fine balance in maintaining a healthy forest and fungi are an important part of maintaining this symmetry. They provide nutrients. They aid in decomposing trees, adding to layers of soil and moisture. So keep in mind the following 10 tips:
1. Make sure to ask and receive permission before removing mushrooms.
2. Only take what you need. And work on projects that require only small amounts of mushrooms. There are many amazing textile techniques that can stretch a small amount of yarn and fabric - such as colorwork knitting and quilting.
3. When harvesting mushrooms, use a mushroom knife to cut the stem about 1/2" above the ground, leaving the mycelium (roots) intact and in the ground. This will aid in the growth of more mushrooms.
4. Be mindful of your surroundings - it is very easy to get excited, wander off, and get lost! Also, many times, we find that we are traversing hillsides, so be careful to not fall.
5. Stay hydrated and bring snacks.
6. After handling mushrooms, always wash your hands. Do NOT ever eat a wild mushroom unless you are 110% sure you know that it is edible.
7. If the gills of the mushrooms are colorful (not white), there is a good chance they may dye cloth!
8. Use the app Inaturalist and the book All that the Rain Promises and More to identify mushrooms.
9. Bring along a basket with paper bags and / or wax bags to store your mushrooms and keep them separated by type.
10. Refer to our book, Journeys in Natural Dyeing, for photos of commonly found dye mushrooms, instructions for how-to dye with them, and swatches of color exhibiting the wide array of colors that are possible!
Stay safe! Have fun! And keep warm! Hunting for mushrooms is an amazing way to connect with the forest, with one another, and to create color!
- Kristine and Adrienne
P.S. Adrienne is teaching a class on mushroom dyeing in a couple weeks - it is a ton of fun and you will learn a lot!
]]>6 years ago, we created our first batch of our Pioneer line of yarn. This was a momentous occasion for us as it was our first farm yarn - and it was the beginning of our collaboration with textile-farmer Sally Fox. We named this yarn Pioneer due to Sally’s innovative and progressive farming practices as she practices organic and bio-dynamic farming, and her commitment to raising naturally colored wool and cotton in alignment with the health of the Earth.
Today, we are changing the name of Pioneer to Horizon. Unfortunately, the name Pioneer is problematic and has negative colonialistic connotations that we would like to avoid and not associate with such an amazing yarn. Though originally trying to convey the innovative spirit of the farmer, the name Pioneer can be seen as a glorification of the atrocities white settlers afflicted against Native Americans.
We hold ourselves accountable for the name existing for the last six years and take full responsibility for any harm this has caused our beautiful community. We are grateful to be called in to make this name change. We believe it is a good change that was overdue. Our action of changing the name of the yarn to Horizon literally overnight, we hope reflects our commitment to marginalized communities affected by systemic racism.
We are part of an incredible community at Verb and want to be respectful of the indigenous populations within our community and beyond. We feel this is more in line with our mission statement. We hope you understand and join us in the commitment to make a more equitable industry.
We want to humbly say that we are prone to make mistakes as any human and we are open to listening to constructive and productive criticism from marginalized communities regarding our work without anger and defensiveness. As members of marginalized communities we understand the full impact this can have and we will make every effort to be mindful and proactive to making our work as full of love and compassion as possible.
Our yarn Horizon will maintain the original integrity and quality of Pioneer with a name that embodies a more complete story illustrating our aspiration as a company to making the world better for everyone through textiles.
We hope you will support us through this transition and update and use the hashtag #avfkwhorizon for your past and future projects.
-- Kristine, Adrienne, and Sarah
]]>I am here today to tell you the story of how Gather came to be because I love to explore the intricacies of how things come to be, and how they are made. I mean, I love yarn, so yeah, that could be enough, right there and then, but there is so much more, why not share it? Especially because it is full of knots! And why are knots exciting, I don't know - ask any number of twisted knitters who enjoy untangling skeins of yarn.
I like things that fit nicely into neat boxes. Is that my Midwestern upbringing? Perhaps a genetic disposition - following in line with the women in my families disposition of cataloguing and organizing anything; cookbooks to bank statements (for fun). I look around the internet and see others' lives of well-organized, structured intentions, design, their products executed beautifully, and want to cry wishing that I could do the same. Well, my story of making yarn is anything but neat and tidy. It's actually quite messy. And at some point, isn't it just better to embrace the chaos? Maybe? With the hope in the future, things will get ironed out. That with each experience we learn more, and we adapt, grow, and design.
Perhaps one day my mind's eye will land here on planet Earth. If so, here is what it would look like: a collection of yarns made from local wool, local dyes, and milled locally. To have a yarn which supports local farms, has a low carbon footprint, and is a yarn people want to knit with.
Instead let's look at our current reality:
Horizon, our first farm yarn is made from organic Merino wool raised by Sally Fox, about 90 miles away. Flock is sometimes made of Sally's wool. And sometimes it is made of wool grown about 100 miles away from here in Boonville. All of this wool is shipped to Green Mountain Spinnery in Vermont where it is milled organically into yarn, and then shipped back to us to be sold in either its natural state or naturally-dyed in our studio, and then placed on the sale floor where you buy it, and then make it into beautiful blankets, sweaters, scarves, and so forth. We buy wool locally to support local farmers, so they can keep farming, but also wanting to keep our carbon footprint low...except the wool is traveling across the country. And back. But. Sally grows organic cotton on the same land which supports her sheep. And there she is sequestering a great amount of carbon due to the deep roots of the cotton. So does that make up for the transportation? And we love Green Mountain Spinnery, and want to continue to support that. Oy! So in this case, we can check off the box of sourcing locally-grown wool and supporting our local farmers, we can definitely check the box of people liking to knit with it (thank goodness!), but the carbon footprint....eeeeh, kinda sorta but not ideal.
I am always poking around exploring possibilities of other mills who could make out yarn, and who are closer to us. My friend Mary, who is the owner of Twirl yarn, suggested I meet with the Rob and Donna who own Mystic Pines Mill in Northern Arizona. Last June, I was headed to Flagstaff to give a keynote speech at their wool festival. I flew in a couple days early so I could visit the mill.
Rob and Donna gave Adrienne and I a tour of the mill. As we walked around the property, Rob explained that when they decided to live in this rural, high-desert area, it was cost-prohibitive to drill a well. So they decided to install a large water tank in the ground, to build their house on top of it, and to make their house a large water catchment. Off of their roof, they collect the water which heats their house, is used in their bathrooms, etc. From there, the water goes into another storage tank, and is then used at the mill to wash wool. I was (and still am) so impressed with the way they cohabitate with the environment. Part of our tour included visiting their alpaca, I always love hearing their sweet cooing purrs. Walking into the mill, it was filled with vintage equipment Rob has collected and sourced from around the US. We had a lovely time and begin thinking about how to incorporate Mystic Pines into our work at Verb.
About 4 months later, we purchased a very large amount of Rambouillet wool from Lani Estill and had it sent to Mystic Pines for milling into yarn. Our intention was to create a new batch of our farm yarn, Range. However, there was a hiccup in the marketplace, and we decided to forgo creating this yarn again, and discontinued it instead. We also at this time had the idea to create a new version of our yarns Even Tinier Annapurna and Annapurna. Currently, these yarns are made from imported materials and milled in Canada. The samples we received of these yarns are beautiful, though, the hand is very different, and I have a hard time believing the customer who is drawn to knit with Annapurna would want to knit with this new yarn instead. Ok, back to the drawing board.
One day, I was sitting here in the studio - and it dawned on me - what if we were to create a yarn combining the Rambouillet wool with Rob and Donna's alpaca. I sent over an email to them, and sure enough they were into the idea. So we set out on creating 4 natural colors. And today, we can now offer you our newest yarn, Gather.
So back to my mind's eye. How does this yarn fit within my framework of goals. The wool comes from the border of California and Nevada. I like Lani's wool because it has a beautiful hand, it is available in large quantities, it is consistent, and affordable. Also, Lani is committed to farming carbon. Lani's wool is more affordable because she raises wool on a very large scale. She sends about 10,000 pounds of wool to be processed in the South. So darn, here we are, we have California wool, are supporting a California rancher, but are sending the wool across the country. Though at least the alpaca comes from the mill, is washed and processed at the mill, and then comes here. So that's good!
Once I had Gather in my hot little hands, I couldn't wait to cast-on. A gauge swatch is the first thing I made. Starting with a size 3 needle, I knit about 4 inches, and then moved to a size 4 needle, I kept going all the way to a size 7 needle and still the fabric looked great! The Rambouillet wool creates a round yarn, with lots of bounce, and the alpaca adds softness, the range of natural colors, and a blooming halo. This yarn is incredibly versatile and can be knit at 6.5 stitches per inch for a denser fabric and up to 5 stitches per inch for a fabric with drape and flow.
Once my gauge swatch was knit, blocked, and catalogued, I moved onto looking for knitting patterns. I always try to focus on those who are currently designing for our Pro-Verbial Yarn, Fiber, & Shawl Club - so when I came across Caitlin Hunter's Glacier Park Cowl design, it seemed like a perfect fit. I used two skeins: one in lighthouse, and one in smoke. The pattern was easy to knit, and I love the finished cowl. It only took about a week of evening-time knitting to complete making it a great option as a gift for a loved one.
So this is your update as to one person's reality of processing US-based yarn in 2018. Thank you for going on this journey with all of us at Verb! You can find Gather on our website and in our Oakland shop.
-- Kristine
P.S. We are releasing our first every Fall Look-book November 1st - stay tuned for new patterns!
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If so, today, you are receiving your first of four shipments!
Our first design collaboration is with Nancy Marchant, largely considered The Queen of Brioche Knitting, has taken this style of knitting, experimented, and has created her own stitch patterns. This style of knitting, similar to knitting cables, is made up of a unique combination of stitches. Though the culmination of learning the technique and the vocabulary, you too can create fabric which is reversible, and very cozy, due to its squish-factor. Others who imbibe in the richness of brioche knitting include Stephen West and Andrea Mowry.
You can knit with one color while knitting brioche, however, we felt the need to take the opportunity to really stretch into brioche, so created two colors. We used madder root to create a deep orange, always one of my favorites and reminiscent of Autumn leaves. (You might recall Thai Iced Tea, a vintage Verb colorway.) The second color is a natural creamy white named Weathered Wood.
The yarn for this shipment is Annapurna, a perennial favorite at Verb because it is soft as a bunny's ear. Well, this Summer we made it even softer. Annapurna used to have 10% nylon. We took this out (yay for plastic-free yarn!) and replaced it with 10% more cashmere.
Nancy took these two colors and created Deep Swell. Please check your in-boxes for your pattern. Yarn and fiber is shipping today. So check your mailboxes in the next day or so!
This is our 9th year having the club! We are so excited to be on this journey with you - and hope you like today's design collaboration.
-- Kristine
]]>There's less than a week to go before the first AVFKW Dye Day and today's blog post has a bit of a different spin to it. As we developed the idea of gathering your friends and hosting a dye day, we thought - how fun would it be if we asked our dear friend Thea Colman of Baby Cocktails to create a special cocktail recipe for people to make at their parties?!
Thea is a talented knitwear designer with a flair for designing cocktail recipes. Her patterns are all named after cocktail names, ingredients, and locales. She is known for her intricate cables and gorgeous sweaters, as well as her mouthwatering drink recipes!
We decided pomegranate would be a good starting point (as it's a natural dye as well as delicious fruit!) and let Thea take it from there. I love this recipe because with pomegranates, you dye with the rind - so using the juice for your cocktails is perfect! I can't think of anything more refreshing than a glass of this alongside a warm mid-summer dye party.
Here's what Thea says about her recipe:
Pomegranate is amazing because it goes with so many things. As I was developing this recipe, I considered... pomegranate with tea, and gin? or with bourbon? or with my new favorite thing - tea infused bourbon? Since black tea is a dye as well, it's a perfect pairing. This cocktail is pretty, tasty, easy to make, and good for a group - so don't be intimidated! Since it's been 100000000 degrees out I highly recommend pouring it over crushed ice.
To make tea infused bourbon (3-4 days ahead of serving):
+ 2 Tbsp loose Chinese black tea (Thea used Golden Sail tea from her local Asian market, in a red metal tin)
+ 1.5 cups bourbon (Thea used Four Roses Yellow Label for basic mixing bourbon)
+ jar with lid
Combine bourbon and tea in jar. Let sit on counter for 3-4 days. It's ready when you taste the bourbon and there is an essence of sweet, dark tea in there.
To make the cocktail:
+ 1 part tea infused bourbon
+ 1 part pomegranate juice (Pom is easy to find in most shops)
+ 1.5 parts lemonade (fresh, not from a sugary mix)
+ 2-3 dashes Angostura Bitters
+ ginger ale
+ crushed ice
+ lemon wheels
+ mint sprigs
If making 1-2 drinks, shake the tea infused bourbon, pom juice, lemonade and bitters in a jigger and strain into a glass filled about 2/3 with crushed ice. Stir. Top with ginger ale and garnish with a lemon wheel and mint sprig.
If making for a group, place bourbon, pom juice, lemonade, and bitters in a pitcher and stir vigorously. Bring pitcher out with a tray of prepared glasses - each filled 2/3 with crushed ice, and topped with a lemon wheel and mint sprig. Pour the bourbon mixture over ice at table when ready, and then top each glass with ginger ale and briefly stir before serving.
Tip: Bring an ice bucket of crushed ice out to the table as well, so people can refill their glasses with ice before pouring again.
You can use the hashtag #AVFKWDyeDay on photos of your Dye Day Cocktail as well. We'd love to see your drinks and your dyeing together! We also have a brand new hashtag for IG photos of in process and finished objects using materials you have purchased at AVFKW. Tag your photos with #Verbalong, and be eligible to win a gift in our monthly drawing!
Thanks again Thea - so delicious!
--Sarah
]]>Yesterday we spent the morning helping with the second harvest of indigo for our #avfkwindigoproject! It's so refreshing being out in the field, in this case with the fog rolling by and the birds overhead. It was a lot of work, and we have a lot of processing to do now, but it's fun to have new scenery for a day!
Today I wanted to share one of our "big" kits that work alongside The Modern Natural Dyer. We have three: the Dye Kit for Knitters, the Dye Kit for Sewists, and the Indigo + Shibori Dye Kit. Each kit has three projects from MND and includes all the materials, scours, mordants, dyes, and some of the small tools needed to complete each project. You just need a copy of the book and a few other supplies (like a pot and measuring cup) to get started.
The Indigo + Shibori Dye Kit would be great for anyone planning a natural dyeing party as part of our first AVFKW Dye Day. The kit has enough indigo to create one indigo mother - which is enough to dye the three projects in the kit and more. (If you are planning an indigo party, read our suggestions for hosting one here.) The three projects include some of my favorites from MND - and I'm not just saying that because I love indigo.
One of the most accessible indigo dyeing projects is the Waves Bandana. Start with a simple cotton bandana (the kit includes two), apply some bound resist with strong thread (which also serves to make your fabric smaller and thus easier to dye in a small vat), dip a few times in your vat, and unwrap!
The amount of patterning and color is up to you - you can play with the placement of your binding to create bandanas that vary in color and texture. Too much white space left after you unwrap it? Grab some thread and bind it again, then dip to add more color.
The second project in the kit is the Fishbone Dress. The kit includes fabric and a printed copy of our Tendril Dress pattern (remember, to create the dress in the book you will need to have your dress sewn and scoured before you can apply the stitch resist), but you could easily apply this technique to dresses or shirts already in your closet.
The Modern Natural Dyer will teach you how to use several sets of needles and thread to create a stitch resist across the top of the dress. Just like with the Waves Bandana, this greatly decreases the volume of fabric going into your indigo vat, and makes it easier to handle. After you've reached your desired shade in the indigo vat (remember, it will be lighter after washing and drying), undo your stitching to reveal the white underneath. The tighter you can tug your threads, the stronger your resist will be!
The last project in the book is the Snapshot Quilt. The quilt pattern is simple and forgiving, easy for a beginning quilter and relaxing for an experienced one. The variety in the dyeing is what creates the effect of the finished quilt.
You will start with several pieces of a cotton/linen blend (remember to follow the directions in MND to pre-cut your backing piece, binding pieces, and the seven squares for the quilt front), a set of square blocks, and C-clamps (the C-clamps are not included in the kit but can be purchases at any hardware store). Depending on how you fold the fabric, and then how you apply the block and clamp, results in many different patterns after you dye them in the indigo vat. You can follow the folding and clamping patterns in MND or try some of your own!
After all your pieces of fabric are dyed, you can stack and cut them into smaller squares, then arrange as you like to create the quilt top. Dye the fabric for the back of your quilt and the binding a solid blue, then stitch it all together with embroidery floss that you can also dye.
We think this kit is perfect to get you started on your AVFKW Dye Day! We are still offering 15% off natural dyes, kits, The Modern Natural Dyer, and more - enter AVFKWDyeDay at checkout to receive your discount.
Tomorrow, on Wednesday August 15th at 12 pm Pacific, Kristine is hosting an Instagram Live session to answer any questions you have about hosting your AVFKW Dye Day! Our Instagram account is @avfkw, hope you can join us!
Use the hashtag #AVFKWDyeDay on your IG photos on August 25th to see people around the country hosting their own dye party! We also have a brand new hashtag for IG photos of in process and finished objects using materials you have purchased at AVFKW. Tag your photos with #Verbalong, and be eligible to win a gift in our monthly drawing!
Do you need help selecting the appropriate scours, mordants, and dyes? Give us a call at 510-595-8372 or email info (at) averbforkeepingwarm (dot) com and we'll help you out.
--Sarah
]]>Today on the blog we're sharing tips and tricks for hosting your very own natural dyeing party. Click here to read Part 1 (eco-printing).
Next up - indigo! Indigo dyeing gives us all the shades of blue, and is a unique process compared to all other natural dyes. Every time I pull a skein of yarn or piece of fabric from the indigo vat, I am awed by the chemistry, beauty, and transformation that occurs on my fiber. With an indigo vat, it is easy to dye fabric or yarn - great if you have knitters coming to your dye day. Your attendees will have a little less prep work required compared to eco-printing, because their goods will only need to be scoured. Creating and maintaining the indigo vat on dye day takes a little more attention and work, and it can be a good idea to share the responsibility with another friend to ensure things run smoothly.
Indigo dyeing also works well on a wide range of materials. Linen fabric is my favorite to dye, as it takes the dye very beautifully and it can be easier to achieve a darker shade than with silk or cotton. This is a great opportunity to try some resist dyeing, like stitch or clamp resist, to create patterns on your fabric. This also means the size of the fabric going into your vat is smaller - great if you are working on a smaller scale. Just like with eco-printing, there's a wide range of projects you can use your fabric for: dye a small piece of fabric to create a special bag or to use in boro patchwork, or use stitch resist on a large piece of fabric to create fabric for a garment (like the Fishbone Dress, page 177).
To host an indigo dyeing party, you'll need materials and tools to create 1-3 indigo mothers, as well as supplies to keep your vat calibrated, and several buckets for dyeing and washing. We recommend having your indigo dyeing party outside. Your attendees will need to scour their fabric or yarn at least 1 day in advance. Their goods can easily be dried out to make transportation easier.
How much dye do you need? For 12 participants, each dyeing approximately 2 yards of fabric, we prepare 3-4 mothers, and gradually add these to 3 vats made in 5-gallon buckets. The indigo recipe is on page 133 of MND - decide how many mothers you want to prepare, and multiple the amounts for each component to figure out how much to purchase.
Once your supplies are gathered and your friends have arrived, follow the directions to make your indigo mothers (page 133) and then one of the indigo projects like the Blue Skies Tote to create your vats (page 139). Recalibrate your vats as needed throughout the day (page 136). Share your projects with your friends and share in the feeling of wanting to dye everything in your house blue!
Indigo supplies to gather:
+ Indigo, sodium hydroxide, sodium hydrosulphite for your indigo mothers
+ Soda ash and sodium hydrosulphite to prep and recalibrate the vats
+ 1-3 quart-size canning jars
+ pH strips
+ Thermometer
+ White plastic spoon
+ Whisk
+ Rubber gloves, protective eyewear
+ 1-3 5-gallon buckets
+ Hot water - enough to fill your buckets
+ Drying rack or clothesline
Indigo homework for attendees:
+ Scour at least 1 day in advance
+ Bring supplies for resist dyeing, like clothespins, needle and strong thread, rubber bands
+ Bring rubber gloves and aprons
Indigo tips and tricks:
+ If practicing resist dyeing, add or remove areas of resist after a few dips to achieve a wider range of shades
+ Check the temperature, pH, and reduction of your vat throughout the day and follow the steps on page 136 to recalibrate if needed
Wow! That's a lot of information. You'll still need The Modern Natural Dyer to prepare and host your dye day - you can see why we wanted to write this book! If you get stuck, review Dyeing 101 and Dyeing with Indigo to get back on track.
Next week I'll be back to discuss our larger dye kits (like the Indigo + Shibori Dye Kit) and answer any questions that arise between now and then.
Use the hashtag #AVFKWDyeDay on your IG photos on August 25th to see people around the country hosting their own dye party! We also have a brand new hashtag for IG photos of in process and finished objects using materials you have purchased at AVFKW. Tag your photos with #Verbalong, and be eligible to win a gift in our monthly drawing!
Do you need help selecting the appropriate scours, mordants, and dyes? Give us a call at 510-595-8372 or email info (at) averbforkeepingwarm (dot) com and we'll help you out.
To celebrate and prepare for the upcoming dye day, we are offering 15% off natural dyes, kits, The Modern Natural Dyer, and more. Enter AVFKWDyeDay at checkout to receive your discount.
-- Sarah
]]>In our newsletter this month, we announced the 1st AVFKW Dye Day, coming up on Saturday, August 25th! August 25th is two and a half weeks out - so it's time to start planning!
We want to help you plan a unique and fun natural dyeing party with your friends. Kristine, Adrienne, and I have been teaching natural dyeing classes at home and abroad for over 10 years, so we have a lot of experience and tricks for hosting a successful event. Unless you have been stocking up, or have a regular dye practice, you will probably need to gather some supplies and materials ahead of time - so let’s get started now!
Your guide throughout this process, other than these blog posts, is our book The Modern Natural Dyer. MND (as we call it) was published in October 2015 and is a great resource for new and experienced dyers. I use it as a reference in the dye studio at least once every week! If you don't have a copy yet, you can purchase a signed copy (including a naturally dyed bookmark) from our website here.
We stock all the scours, mordants, dyes, indigo supplies, dyeable fabric, and yarn that you'll need to get your party started! Check the end of this post for a discount you can use when you purchase natural dyeing supplies from us - including your copy of MND.
The two types of dyeing that we think work best in a group setting like a dye party are eco-printing and indigo dyeing. These two processes are pretty different from one another and require different tools, materials, and preparation. I'll help you pick which type of dyeing you'd like to host (maybe you want to do both!) and make sure you have all the tools and information you need. This blog post overs eco-printing - click here to read the indigo post.
Eco-printing is the process of pressing whole dyestuffs, like flower petals and leaves, into fabric, bundling the fabric tightly together, and heating it in a dye pot. Your fabric must be scoured and mordanted before applying your dyestuffs, and you'll want to make sure you are using some plants that are listed in MND (like marigolds, cosmos, and coreopsis) that give good color and are lightfast.
Eco-printing works well with a wide range of fabrics, from light weight wovens to jersey to heavier flannels, and any natural fiber type including wool, silk, cotton, and linen. It's great for small to large projects - you could dye fabric to make the sewing kit from MND (page 79), a project bag for your knitting, or an Endless Summer Tunic.
To host an eco-printing party, you'll need your dyestuffs (you can grow these, purchase from a nursery, or carefully forage for them), dowels or branches, strong thread, and a medium-sized pot to hold the bundles from each of your party-goers. You'll also need a heat source (like your kitchen stove or a propane burner in your backyard). Your attendees will need to scour and mordant their chosen fabric ahead of time. Tell your friends to scour at least 2 days in advance and to mordant at least 1 day in advance - so they arrive at your dye party ready to go. They can easily dry their fabric out to make transportation easier.
Once your supplies are gathered and your friends have arrived, follow the directions for the Flowers At My Fingertips Sewing Kit (page 79). After everyone has carefully unwrapped their bundles, do a little show and tell so everyone can see what was made!
Eco-printing supplies to gather:
+ Fresh flowers like marigolds, cosmos, and coreopsis
+ Dowels, PVC pipe, or sticks, approx 1-2" in diameter, 1 per person per fabric
+ Medium to large pot (20 qt should fit approx 8-10 bundles)
+ Button and craft thread, or other strong cotton string
+ Tongs, rubber gloves
Eco-printing homework for attendees:
+ Scour your fabric at least 2 days in advance and mordant at least 1 day in advance before the party (see MND pages 56-59)
+ Bring some flowers, leaves, or other plant material from your garden
Eco-printing tips and tricks:
+ We recommend that 80% of the dyestuffs you are using are plants that you know produce color on cloth. Experimenting with a few plants from your garden can be a lot of fun but this helps avoid disappointment when you unwrap your bundle.
+ If your friends are dyeing similar looking fabrics, tie a small piece of colored thread around your fabric (or embroider initials) in order to tell them apart
+ Be careful when unwrapping your bundles - even if they feel cool to touch on the outside, they may be hot inside! Have a couple buckets of cold water on hand to rinse and cool your bundles before opening.
+ If you wish you had more color on your fabric, don't despair - you can put fresh flowers down, retie your bundle, and pop it back in the pot again!
To be continued in Part 2 ... click here to read about hosting an indigo party.
Use the hashtag #AVFKWDyeDay on your IG photos on August 25th to see people around the country hosting their own dye party! We also have a brand new hashtag for IG photos of in process and finished objects using materials you have purchased at AVFKW. Tag your photos with #Verbalong, and be eligible to win a gift in our monthly drawing!
Do you need help selecting the appropriate scours, mordants, and dyes? Give us a call at 510-595-8372 or email info (at) averbforkeepingwarm (dot) com and we'll help you out.
To celebrate and prepare for the upcoming dye day, we are offering 15% off natural dyes, kits, The Modern Natural Dyer, and more. Enter AVFKWDyeDay at checkout to receive your discount.
-- Sarah
]]>One day, I was cruising through the internet and was stopped in my tracks by a beautiful, curious sweater; oversized, bell-shaped, with delicate motifs. As I looked more closely, I learned the name of the sweater: The Twigs by Junko Okamoto. The moment I saw it, I knew I wanted to knit one.
ABOUT THE PATTERN: This sweater comes in one size. The main color requires 5 skeins. The contrasting color requires 2 skeins. Please purchase the pattern directly from Junko.
ABOUT THE YARN:
A Verb for Keeping Warm Flock
100% Organic California Merino
50g / 290 yards
fingering weight
I used 5 skeins of A Verb for Keeping Warm Flock in Grizzly Peak. For the contrast color, I used 1 skein of Granite, and 1 skein of Cumulus. I created Cumulus especially for this design as I desired a hint of indigo blue every so often. So used the skein of Cumulus intermittently. Using only intuition.
We just received a new batch of Flock - all made from farmer Sally Fox's locally-grown, organic Merino. To create your own collection of colors, please visit our page dedicated to Flock. If you would like help, please give us a call!
The original pattern calls for Moeke Yarns Elena. Due to the limited quantity of this yarn, and the fact that we are sold out of this year's batch, I went ahead and made a version out of Flock. We look forward to receiving the new batch of Moeke. If you would like to be notified of its arrival, please get in touch.
Flock is lighter weight than Moeke Elena, so I used smaller needles, and doing so made a smaller sweater. Please see my Ravelry project page for more information.
--Kristine
]]>Last September, we began receiving little hints from Japanese designer, Junko Okamoto, that she may be using a Verb yarn to create a new pattern. Tiny flashes of Verb yarn began appearing on her Instagram feed. Being a huge fan of Junko's work, my eyes widened. With great anticipation and curiosity, I watched and waited for new clues. Soon enough I learned she was indeed using Verb yarn. One of my favorites, due to its local providence (Sally Fox's farm) and woolly texture, Horizon.
I am drawn to Junko's designs because of how she plays with shape - oversized, balloon-shaped, puffed sleeves. She typically throws in some texture in the form of cables (and has used them for shaping, a technique I find ingenious), or a dash of colorwork (ok, sometimes a lot of colorwork, see Twigs). So what would she make with Horizon?
Papa Sweater! Junko emailed to let us know she was in the process of designing a sweater. She told us her inspiration was a child wearing an oversized sweater. The colorwork motif would be similar to a child's scribble of flowers. All of us in the dye studio ooohd' and ahhhh'd, loving the originality of her design. I mean if you are going to design a big, oversized sweater, why not throw some flowers on it to, right? Right!
Oh! And don't let me forget to mention, as far as I have seen from her many patterns I have downloaded, she offers one size. With all of the strides we knitters and knitwear designers have taken to disassemble and reassemble sweaters, and to debate with great fervor over what is the best way to knit a sweater for the best fit for your body type, I find this one size approach, which is essentially a blanket for your body, a welcome respite. No need to deliberate over which size I am! I get to focus on the yarn, swatch, and cast-on.
Since the release of this pattern, many people have asked me how difficult this sweater is to make, in terms of the colorwork. My understanding is that a lot of people are drawn to try colorwork for the first time, which is really exciting! The fact that this sweater only comes in one size plays in the knitter's favor in terms of colorwork. Because, if your gauge is off (a bit, and yes, you must do a swatch), it is not going to throw the fit of your sweater off. Whereas, if you are knitting a traditional Icelandic sweater, where the colorwork is typically in the yoke of the sweater, if your row gauge is off, at all, your yoke will be too long, and honestly, it will look strange. The fit will be off. The same is true if you make a colorwork hat or mittens (or god help us, socks), your stitch and row gauge must be absolutely accurate.
Fair enough, correct gauge when knitting colorwork is an absolute worthy goal. That said, when knitting colorwork, there are other techniques to perfect like making a beautiful fabric. So as you may know, when knitting colorwork, you are knitting with two strands of yarn. I knit with the yarn which I want to show up most clearly in my left hand, and the color which I want to fade into the background, with my right hand. I usually knit (a bastardized version of) continental, so it takes me a minute to adjust to using my right hand to knit. So just right there, a skill to practice and perfect.
Next skill: Managing your tension which knitting colorwork. When you are knitting with one of the yarns, you are carrying the other yarn with you, this yarn, as it lies behind the fabric, is called a float. It is important that your float mirrors the tension of the fabric you create when knitting. Otherwise, if you are pulling the float tightly on the backside of the sweater, the fabric on the front-side cannot block flat, and will pucker. Wool is stretchy - but not that stretchy. Some people say to carry your float loosely. Maybe. What I find most useful is to while I am knitting, when I get to a point where I am going to use the yarn in my left hand (in this case, the yarn I am using to knit the flower) to unbunch the fabric on my needle, so the fabric is relaxed and flat, I make sure my float's tension matches the same length as the fabric I have just knit. If anything, allow the float to be a little too loose. But matching is better. At first, I go slowly, and watch my tension in this way, then I find, once I get into the rhythm, I can just knit without doing that. However, I will every so often, stop, and check-in to make sure I haven't begun gathering my floats too tightly. ("Oh yeah, I am in the process of knitting! Not just zooming through to be able to wear the Papa - but I so badly just want to wear Papa - ok well then you are going to have a puckered Papa. Ok, fine I will slow down." This is basically the conversation in my head when I am knitting colorwork.)
Long floats. Papa does indeed have some long floats - in other words - long spaces between lines of the flowers. This tutorial and commentary on colorwork (aka stranded knitting) changed my life in the best way possible. One invaluable thing it taught me was how to catch my floats while knitting which makes long floats bearable. Yes! Read it over, I swear there are many good lessons.
It helps that Horizon is forgiving due to its woolly texture. It nicely fills in little gaps here and there, between your knit stitches, creating solid fabric. Plus, it is made from really cute sheep, who are grow a myriad of colorful fleece. I like thinking about them while I knit.
Kits for the Papa Sweater are available here.
Let me know if you have any questions!
- Kristine
]]>Fabric. It comes in a myriad of colors, prints, and textures. But how to use it? The first step is to learn to sew. Sure, you could purchase a piece of fabric at Verb, leave the edges raw, and make an impromptu tablecloth. Though by learning to sew, you can finish the edges of your tablecloth - and even more intriguing - make shapes! By learning to sew, you can use truly stunning fabrics, those whose quality are difficult to find in most retail shops, and begin to make truly unique goods for your home, yourself, and your friends!
At Verb, those desiring to learn to sew, take a class named Sewing 101: Make a Tote Bag. Sewing a tote bag as your first project is great because it is highly useful and through the steps of learning how to sew one, you can learn the basics of sewing. Though we love when people come to class, and feel we can convey a lot more information quickly through that format, as well as give you advice unique to your skill set and sewing machine, we realize that not everyone's schedule lines up with ours, or you might find yourself located too far away. So we have decided to create a tutorial for you to teach you how to sew a tote bag. Plus, we have tote bag kits for you to make it easy for you to start the process. So let's start sewing!
Sewing 101: Learn to Sew a Tote Bag
FINISHED DIMENSIONS
MATERIALS
- ½ yard of lightweight canvas fabric
- 1 ½ yards of twill tape
- 1 spool of thread
TOOLS - REQUIRED
- Paper - at least 14" wide X 16" long
- Pencil
- Paper scissors
- Fabric Scissors (When sewing, you will need sharp scissors in order to cut fabric. Using scissors on paper dulls them quickly. It is best to have a pair of scissors reserved for cutting fabric only.)
- Pins (preferably glass-headed, because they do not melt during pressing)
- Ruler (preferably clear plastic)
- Sewing machine
- Iron and ironing board
TOOLS - OPTIONAL - though not required to complete this project, these tools are very helpful.
- Stitch gauge (helpful when measuring the seam allowance)
- Marking pencil
- Seam ripper
- Pin cushion
- Pattern paper
We are going to start by making a paper pattern. Take a piece of paper and using your ruler draw a 14" wide by 16" long rectangle. (Don't look at my measurements in this photo! ;) I decided a slightly larger bag was better. Which by the way, feel free to make your bag a bit larger or smaller. The same general sewing instructions will apply). The 14" wide line makes the top and bottom of the tote bag pattern. The 16" long side of the rectangle make the sides of the tote bag pattern.
Next, along the bottom left-hand and right-hand corners, draw a 1 1/2" square.
Once you have drawn squares on both lower corners, your paper pattern will look like this:
Now, you will add a few marks and lines to the top of the pattern piece. These marks will help you finish the tote bag when the time comes.
Along the top line of the pattern, measure 3 1/4" from the left side and make a mark. Do the same on the right-top side. These marks will communicate where to add the straps of your tote bag.
Draw two dotted lines, parallel to the top of the bag: measure 1/2" from the top, and draw the first dotted line. Then, do the same, 1 1/2" from the top of the pattern.
Using your paper scissors, cut out the paper pattern. Mark the pattern piece with the project name: Sewing 101: Tote Bag, the date, and an arrow as indicated in the photo below. This indicates the grainline.
Let's talk fabric. Take out your piece of fabric.
Looking at printed fabric, there is a right-side, which is the printed side, and a wrong-side. The edges of the fabric are called the selvedge. This is woven tightly and is typically cut away when cutting out the pattern.
Fold the fabric in half, aligning the selvedges, with right-sides together.
The grainline runs parallel to the selvedge. Since the arrow indicating the grainline runs from the top of the tote bag pattern to the bottom, this means that you will place your paper pattern parallel to the selvedge.
Pin the pattern through both pieces of fabric. Using your fabric scissors, cut through both pieces of fabric at once. Cut as closely to the paper pattern as possible, without cutting the paper.
Where the marks are along the top-edge of the tote (to indicate strap placement), make a snip with your fabric scissors. This is called a notch.
Take out the pins. And set the paper aside. You now have the front and back pieces of your tote bag.
Pin, right sides together, the two pieces of fabric to each other along the left side, the right side, and the bottom. Do not pin or sew along the top of tote bag.
Optional step: For the ease of class, we do not finish the raw edges of the tote bag. Though, going forward, it is a good idea to finish your raw edges so they do unravel. You can do this by using pinking shears, by using a zigzag stitch on your machine, applying French seams, or a by using a serger.
Now it is time to sew your tote bag! Take out your sewing machine. (If you have never used your sewing machine before, or a sewing machine before, take a few moments to google the name of your sewing machine and Youtube, where there are hundreds of videos on how-to use a sewing machine.)
The seam allowance on this pattern is ½ inch. This means you will stitch ½ inch from the cut edge of the fabric. I find it helpful to take a piece of painters tape (in this case I used a black piece of tape, you could use any low-adhesive tape) and to measure from the point at which my needle enters the fabric to the left 1/2", and place the piece of tape at this measurement. This makes it easy to see where my fabric should be when sewing in order to accomplish a 1/2 seam allowance.
Align your fabric with this mark, and start sewing around the sides and bottom of the tote bag. DO NOT sew along the squares at the bottom left-and right- hand corners (see photo below). Stop and remove pins as you come to them. Most machines have a button you can press which makes the machine sew backwards. This is called back-tacking. At the beginning and end of your sewing, you want to back-tack a few stitches. Do this to reinforce your stitching.
Now, we need to sew those cut squares closed. To do this, open the bag, and pinch the seams together. As shown below:
Then, aligning the center of each seam, pin through both layers. And sew, 1/2" away form the raw edge.
Now, the bottom of the bag is completely sewn.
Next, complete the top of your tote bag. Press seams along the sides open. Cut straps so each measures 27”.
Align straps at so they are placed on the outside of the notch. Pin. Make sure the straps do not have a twist in them.
To complete the top of the tote bag, though the strap and tote bag fabric are separate, treat them as if they are one, always folding them together.
Fold at first fold line on pattern. Press. Fold again, at next fold line. Press. Gently reach under and remove the pin holding the strap in. Fold back the fabric and strap into place. Fold the strap up towards the top of the bag. Then pin as seen in this photo. Repeat for the three other spots where the strap is attached to the bag.
In the next step, sew the straps to the bag and sew the folds closed. First, sew as closely as possible to the top of the bag, through the two layers of fabric and the strap. Sew all away around the bag. Do the same, sewing along as closely as possible to the bottom of the fold.
This is how the folded strap will look like once sewn. Snip all the threads, Turn the tote bag right-side out - and voila! You have a completed tote bag. Easy, right?
Want more in-depth instructions and to be more thoroughly introduced to your sewing machine? Take our Sewing 101 class with Tasa Gleason. Go here to learn more.
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