All yarn created by A Verb for Keeping Warm is naturally dyed in our Oakland studio. We use organic, sustainably-harvested, plant extracts as well as plants harvested from our backyard dye garden. All of the dyes used have passed vigorous light fastness tests. We use non-toxic, food-grade, aluminum potassium sulfate as a mordant, commonly used for pickling and as an astringent. Our yarns made with U.S. wool include: Flock, Gather, Dawn, Ridge, and Horizon.
Natural dyes provide a beautiful color palette reminiscent of the colors found while walking in the woods or alongside the sea. We love how plants, and the colors they provide, change seasonally and annually. Natural dyes map our journey of where we have been. They are a stamp of time. By using naturally dyed goods, you are supporting an ancient process - the original way people added color to cloth. And you are contributing to the growing field of US sourced cloth and yarn. If you are using indigo dyed yarn, or plan to use it, please take a moment to read about indigo's unique characteristics: A Note about Indigo.
In addition to the yarn we create, we carry yarns made by other companies in our shop which we believe follow principles similar to ours: yarn made from the heart, easy on the hands, and with sustainability in mind.
