A Verb for Keeping Warm

A Verb for Keeping Warm We're all about making your own clothing! We are a queer-latinx-woman-owned small business in beautiful Oakland, California.
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A Verb for Keeping Warm is an interactive space that features a retail fiber arts store, classroom, meeting place, dye garden, and production studio for artisanal naturally dyed yarn and fiber. Visit us online or at our Brick and Mortar Saturdays 11am - 3pm.

A new date has been added for 's popular sashiko embroidery class!DATESaturday, July 25, 2026​TIMEnoon-2:30pmIn this int...
06/13/2026

A new date has been added for 's popular sashiko embroidery class!

DATE
Saturday, July 25, 2026
​
TIME
noon-2:30pm

In this introductory workshop taught by Bay Area artist Lena Wolff, participants learn the techniques, materials, and methods of Sashiko, a meditative form of embroidery that draws from a lexicon of lyrical and geometric patterns that developed in Japan in the mid-1600’s.
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Together you’ll embellish a pair of linen coasters with sashiko embroidery. A brief history and the basic principles of Sashiko will be introduced, including an array of stitches and how to read and draft patterns onto fabric hand with ease. Reference material will be given to all students as fodder to springboard future projects to embellish clothing, quilts, or other home textiles. This workshop is suitable for experienced sewists and beginners alike.

This is always a fun afternoon of stitching with other creative folks! And a great way to learn a new skill. Spots are limited - sign up now!

What better way to celebrate the hot summer weather than with the Flutter and Bloom Shawl by ?Ksenia designed this shawl...
06/11/2026

What better way to celebrate the hot summer weather than with the Flutter and Bloom Shawl by ?

Ksenia designed this shawl for us using last year's Summer Solstice colorways: gloriously orange Bee's Knees and warm ivory Horchata. These colorways evoke the magical hues of monarch butterflies and California poppies. As Ksenia writes, this shawl is "a tribute to the warmth, vibrancy, and fleeting beauty of a Californian summer."

Bundles for this shawl include one skein each of Bee's Knees and Horchata on our yarn Rumor. Rumor is a blend of 70% merino and 30% silk, which shows the stitch pattern beautifully due to the crispness of the silk and the bounce of the wool.

The V-shape of this shawl echoes the shape of a butterfly's wings (how perfect!) and is effortless to style. Estonian braids, simple lace, and seed stitch create intriguing texture and make this a knit you won't want to put down.

Find bundles for Flutter and Bloom at the link in our bio.

We've restocked our custom color, Small Wonder, on Dyed in the Wool - which means the Dye Garden Cowl by is back in st...
06/06/2026

We've restocked our custom color, Small Wonder, on Dyed in the Wool - which means the Dye Garden Cowl by is back in stock!

Zoë designed this special cowl in 2020 to celebrate Verb's anniversary and the natural dyeing journey that is central to Verb's work. Madder and indigo leaves, seeds, blossoms, mushrooms, and cochineal are featured in this quick knit that pairs AVFKW Metamorphosis with Spincycle Dyed in the Wool.

Small Wonder is a custom colorway created by Spincycle just for us. With beautiful greens, blues, teal, oranges, and oranges tucked in, each skein is a delight to behold as it transitions throughout your colorwork.

This color combination of the Dye Garden Cowl qualifies for the Sunshine MAL because it includes Metamorphosis in Lamb's Ear! Lamb's Ear is a gentle celadon green, reminiscent of its soft, fuzzy namesake plant, which is a member of the mint family. On Metamorphosis, the silk gives the color a subtle gleam. This color is fresh and invigorating - making it a perfect fit for our Summer color palette.

This is a quick project to whip up, and a fun and satisfying way to try colorwork if you have never ventured into it before. Knit up this bundle and you will have a gorgeous, fun new cowl to wear, AND you can enter to win gift cards to Verb!

Reserve your bundle now!

📣 📣 📣 We'll be vending at Sacred Sheep again this year in November! Tickets are on sale now!Sacred Sheep is an event cel...
06/05/2026

📣 📣 📣 We'll be vending at Sacred Sheep again this year in November! Tickets are on sale now!

Sacred Sheep is an event celebrating our maker community held in Portland, Oregon at the Redd on Salmon happening November 6th - 8th.

As always, we'll be creating new samples, dyeing up lots of favorite Verb yarns and colorways, and coming to celebrate yarn, color, and making with all of you!

The planning starts now - this is one of our biggest events all year, and we are excited to be a part of it once again. Stay tuned for what we have in store!

Tickets are already going fast for both the VIP event and the timed general admission slots! Get your tickets early to make sure you can make it, we can't wait to see you there 🐑💓

Say hello to this year's Summer Solstice colorway: Marmalade Skies!And with every order of Marmalade Skies, you will rec...
06/03/2026

Say hello to this year's Summer Solstice colorway: Marmalade Skies!

And with every order of Marmalade Skies, you will receive a free, sweet Summer seed packet to grow a collection of our favorite dye plants: marigolds, coreopsis, and indigo! (while supplies last)

Imagine sitting amongst the flowers, illuminated by the golden glow of the sun, making. This color is inspired by the duality of sunrise and sunset, and the soft, serene sky that occurs, when the sky has wisps of periwinkle and sherbet. The possibility lying ahead at sunrise, and the reflection and relaxation at sunset. These are our inspirations for this year's Summer Solstice color.

We have gone all out this year! Marmalade Skies is available on FIVE yarn bases: Floating (including 20g mini-skeins), Frond, Rumor, Doodle, and Graze.

Graze is a special new addition to our solstice offerings: a light worsted-weight farm yarn made of the same California wool as our beloved yarn Nibble. A wider palette of Graze in our Sunshine MAL colors is coming soon - stay tuned!

Reserve your skeins now and get your free seed packet included to start your summer garden at the link in our bio.

We're a little bit in love with the colorway options we've put together for Portia. Knit up this versatile vest in any o...
05/30/2026

We're a little bit in love with the colorway options we've put together for Portia. Knit up this versatile vest in any of these combinations for the perfect summer layering piece:

Succulent Nibble + Succulent Frond
Sun-Dappled Nibble + Lamb's Ear Frond
True Blue Nibble + Nirvana Frond
Lighthouse Nibble + Meringue Frond
Purple Sand Beach Nibble + Mushroom Frond

Lamb's Ear, Nirvana, Meringue, and Mushroom are all colors that will qualify you to enter our Sunshine MAL and win gift cards to Verb!

Our stock of Nibble is getting low and we'll only have these bundles for a limited time. Reserve yours now!

We are very excited to finally share this new bundle with you! Meet Portia by , a stylish textured vest knit in Nibble a...
05/29/2026

We are very excited to finally share this new bundle with you! Meet Portia by , a stylish textured vest knit in Nibble and Frond.

Portia is a cozy layering piece made with a waffle knit texture, V-neck, and a split hem. Dress it up or down - wear over a t-shirt, a button-down, or even a dress, to add style and warmth to any outfit.

We've had this cute little nugget on display in the shop for awhile waiting for just the right time to create and release bundles. And, welllllll, we are almost out of Nibble and need to wait for the sheep to grow new wool to make it again, so we thought, let's make the last of this gorgeous yarn available now!

Our version of Portia is knit with one strand each of Nibble and Frond held together. This combination of yarns creates a plush, squishy fabric. The fluffy mohair from the Frond adds a gentle glowing halo elevating this vest to a garment that can be worn to a nice dinner, to an important meeting, or anytime you want to feel a bit extra special.

When planning this project, we were (and still are!) very drawn to vibrant chartreuse Succulent on both Nibble and Frond because this color is so fun and happy -- the perfect way to add a pop of color to your outfit. However, it would look equally stunning in a variety of colors - swipe to see the naturally-dyed color palettes we've put together for you. Each one contains a color that qualifies for our Sunshine MAL!

Quantities of Nibble are limited; don't miss your chance to reserve a bundle for this gorgeous vest now!

Have you decided what to make yet for the Sunshine MAL? We're here to help you match the perfect yarn and pattern! Today...
05/28/2026

Have you decided what to make yet for the Sunshine MAL? We're here to help you match the perfect yarn and pattern! Today, we're recommending the High Line shawl by , paired with our woolly farm yarn, Horizon.

Verb team member Shawn began with the idea to knit something warm and cheerful for a friend who could use a little extra love right now. Shawn knew they wanted to use a 100% wool yarn, and wanted this to be a quick project - substantial to wear, but not too much yardage to knit. So they landed on knitting a scarf using Horizon. And plan to use one of our most beloved colors, Sun-Dappled, made by printing little gold flecks from marigold petals directly onto the yarn.

Choosing the perfect yarn means finding the perfect pattern to match - and that pattern is definitely High Line! Adaptable to make in three sizes (scarf, small shawl, and large shawl), and made up of simple ribbing and garter stitch, this pattern is just the right combination of thoughtful design and easy-to-knit stitches. It's sure to be on and off the needles in no time!

If a more rustic wool isn't your thing, how about making a High Line using Pretzel? The softness of merino wool and gently heathered colors will let the simplicity and elegance of this pattern shine.

Whatever yarn you choose, check out our Sunshine MAL post to see which colorways will qualify you to enter to win gift cards to Verb! Want help putting together a yarn and pattern combo? Email us or comment below!

Thank you to everyone who commented their dream project + yarn combo on our Sunshine MAL announcement post! We are so in...
05/23/2026

Thank you to everyone who commented their dream project + yarn combo on our Sunshine MAL announcement post! We are so inspired by all of your pattern ideas and color choices.

Congratulations to Michelle / coastcraft on Ravelry for winning our first giveaway and receiving a $75 gift certificate to Verb!

Now that we have lots of ideas of beautiful patterns and gorgeous yarns, start getting ready to cast-on your project by June 1 - the next giveaway will be here before you know it!

Our Sunshine MAL is a color-palette based makealong. Create any project using colors from our Summer 2026 palette and join us for a summer of making! Scroll back to our previous post to get all the details and sign up at the link in our bio!

You know much we love Pressed Flowers by - well, now we have a new version featuring Pretzel and Dream State! And as ...
05/23/2026

You know much we love Pressed Flowers by - well, now we have a new version featuring Pretzel and Dream State! And as a special treat: save 20% on Pretzel today only, Sat 5/23! No code needed - just add the yarn to your cart and check out!

This cozy version of this shawl uses just 1 skein each of Pretzel and Dream State. Our custom color from Spincycle, Small Wonder, is a blend of deep oceanic teals and blues, mixed with rusty reds and oranges. Spincycle's beloved dyeing technique of long, slow color changes produces a beautiful effect shown in this shawl, with flowers shifting slowly in color as the pattern progresses.

Pretzel is a 100% US merino, DK-weight yarn that pairs perfectly with Dream State. It comes in a wide range of colors - many of which pair beautifully with Small Wonder - and are included in our summer 2026 palette, which will qualify you to enter our Sunshine MAL! (Scroll back for details if you missed it!)

Our sample uses Pretzel in icy blue Day Moon. You could also choose Jade Cove, Graphite, Cottontail, or Minnows (shown in the 4th slide) to whip up this sweet shawl and enter the MAL.

To make this smaller version of the shawl, knit just 2 repeats of the main pattern chart. Otherwise, follow the pattern just as written. This project will be on and off your needles in a flash!

Take advantage of our weekend flash sale and grab Pretzel at 20% off at the link in our bio!

Address

6328 San Pablo Avenue
Oakland, CA
94608

Opening Hours

Friday 11am - 3pm
Saturday 11am - 3pm

Telephone

(510) 595-8372

Website

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