2018
LOOKBOOK FARM YARNS LOCAL DYES FEATURING PATTERNS from: Thea Colman Elizabeth Doherty Bristol Ivy Mary Jane Mucklestone Annie Claire Rowden
The AVFKW Fall 2018 Lookbook is for lovers of farm yarn. When I started A Verb for Keeping Warm in 2007, I had one dream: to make a soft, naturally-dyed yarn of 100% California wool. What started as a simple quest has turned into an eleven-year journey. On the way I have met true friends who share the same dream of working with American wool: farmers, shearers, mill workers, and knitwear designers, those who work in the Verb studio and shop – and you! Through the pages of the AVFKW Fall 2018 Lookbook, learn about our farm yarns, our dye studio, and see our newest collection of patterns. Timeless in style, the pieces in this collection, knit from our durable yarn, are pieces to have in your closet for years to come. One thing notably unique about this collection – the designers who created patterns for this collection receive 100% of pattern sales. Throughout the lookbook, you will see prompts which will link you directly to the designer and their pattern. Leading Verb has provided a fascinating education of learning about the intersection of urban and rural life, of small manufacturing and design. Though the greatest teacher has been you. Each and every skein of yarn we create is informed by your desires and things you like to knit. We are so grateful to work alongside you. You are more than our customers. You are our friends – our community – and we are so deeply appreciative to create by your side. — Kristine Vejar Owner, A Verb for Keeping Warm
PRO
OCESS
AVFKW FARM YARNS American-made wool isn’t just a trend – it’s our way of life.
Using wool from farms we know and trust, we share in a collective journey. We come to understand another facet of the textile-making process - what it is like to raise sheep and alpaca, and to grow cotton. We develop a greater understanding of how our clothing impacts the Earth. We’ve selected shepherds who raise premium wool. We work with mills who are attentive and dedicated to creating long-lasting yarn. Their work, and various areas of expertise, are a true exchange of what the land has to offer, what we have to give back to the land, and the creation of yarn. It truly takes a village. Mother Earth is our mayor.
about our SHEPHERDS & MILLS Sally Fox raises our organic Merino wool. Located only 90 miles from Verb, Sally’s farm is devoted to textiles. She grows organic cotton in soft, muted natural shades of brown, green, and creamy white. The culmination of the thick roots of the organic cotton reaching deep into the ground, and the grazing of the sheep, means that Sally’s land is creating a healthy environment. Sally’s wool is featured in Flock, Horizon, and Dawn (as is her cotton!). A large flock of Rambouillet sheep transverse the high desert between California and Nevada. They belong to Lani Estill, who is also committed to raising high quality wool and caring for the Earth. Lani’s pristine wool is bright white and has a healthy crimp and bounce, making it a joy to dye and knit. Lani’s wool is featured in Gather.
Down a narrow road made of bright red Earth, in the high desert of Arizona, Rob and Donna Jorissen live alongside a family of alpaca whose fleece match the creamy, rosy neutrals of the surrounding hills. Here, they built their home and mill, complete with a grey water system for catching and reusing rainwater. Rob has collected vintage mill equipment from around the United States to make small batches of handcrafted yarn. Rob and Donna mill Gather which also features their alpaca’s fleece. Green Mountain Spinnery, located in Vermont, is a 30+ year old, worker-owned cooperative with the certification to mill our yarn organically. The yarn they mill is lofty, nubbly, and most importantly, cozy! We love a natural skein of yarn; a touch of lanolin, a moment of tender grass intertwined in the ply, and upon immediate contact, the feeling of warmth. Green Mountain makes this kind of yarn. They mill Flock, Horizon, and Dawn.
FLOCK
GATHER
100% California Wool
75% CA Rambouillet 25% AZ Alpaca
YARDAGE WEIGHT NEEDLE SIZE
50g / 290 yards Fingering US 2-4
YARDAGE WEIGHT NEEDLE SIZE
50g / 200 yards Sport US -3-7
Flock is a lightweight yarn made from California wool. Made of a single strand, it’s nubby texture evokes handspun yarn. The colorways Granite, Sunflower Seed, and anything ending in Marble, feature wisps of grey and brown wool, winding around a white core, creating a marbled effect.
Gather is the newest addition to our farm yarn collection - a blend of Californiagrown, climate-beneficial Rambouillet wool, and Arizona-raised alpaca grown and blended by the mill. This blend of fiber creates a yarn which is warm, versatile, and soft available in a range of natural colors.
SHOP FLOCK >>
SHOP GATHER >>
HORIZON
DAWN
100% CA Organic Merino
75% US Organic Merino 25% US Organic Cotton
YARDAGE WEIGHT NEEDLE SIZE
50 g / 160 yds DK US 5-7
YARDAGE WEIGHT NEEDLE SIZE
50g / 140 yards Worsted US 7-9
Horizon, our first line of California wool yarn, always feels like home. Made of Sally Fox’s organic Merino wool, this two-ply, Dk-weight yarn is easy to knit and to wear making it an A Verb for Keeping Warm classic. Originally created in 2013, we are now on our 6th edition.
All of us love wool, but some of us find it too hot to wear regularly so by popular demand, we created Dawn, our first yarn made of wool and cotton. This blend provides the loft and elasticity of wool, with the breathability of cotton.
SHOP HORIZON >>
SHOP DAWN >>
notes from the AVFKW DYE STUDIO colors seen in nature, made by nature...
Introducing the new AVFKW Fall 2018 Palette. Hand-dyed in our Oakland studio. To ensure long-lasting color, we only work with a select group of plants (and one insect). This results in a limited spectrum of color. We see this limitation as an exciting challenge. We mill yarn from naturally-colored wool, fleece, and cotton, and overdye it, to broaden our palette. By doing so, the results are layered colors filled with nuance, and shift with changes in natural light. Tones of colors emerge ranging from radiant warmth to cool, calm and tranquil as seen here...
Every year, the landscape shifts. Some years there is more sun, sometimes less water. This impacts the types of pigment plants produce. The foundation of our reds, roses, and oranges is the plant Rubia tinctorum also known as madder. This year our madder shifted from a clear, fire-engine red to a rustier red with more orange tones. We tried altering our combinations of dyes, raising and lowering pH, but to no avail, we were unable to make a handful of our most popular colorways. We began experimenting with our new madder, and a whole new world of color opened before our eyes. What started as a journey rooted in disappointment, evolved into one of excitement. We now have a whole new selection of madder-based warm tones: Red Pear, Fleur, Agate, and Bonfire. Our natural-dyed colorways are an emulation of the sun, wind, soil, and water.
Natural dyes are alive... and convey our contemporary natural history.
Growing Local Dyes with Lora
It has been our dream for our dye to be grown locally and organically on a larger scale. In 2018, this dream became a reality. We worked with farmer Lora Kinkade, in collaboration with New Family Organic Farm, to raise a large crop of marigolds. Walking through the fields, Eden comes to mind. A rich bounty of fruits and vegetables, Lora makes farming look easy but as anyone knows who has tried to grow even a single carrot‌it takes diligence, perseverance, and a natural instinct. The farm appreciates marigolds because they attract bees and butterflies. We love marigolds because of the happy, rich gold color they impart.
our RECIPE FOR HAPPINESS take the delicate petals of a plant, whose petals are the color of sunshine, and transfer this vibrancy onto a skein of yarn. The strands will look as if they have been gilded with gold. Take this yarn and knit it into one of the patterns found in this booklet.
Our new 2018 colorway, Gilded, is an imprint of the Californian sun, and represents our friendship with our farmer, Lora, and New Family Farm. Add this color to your collection and bring a warm ray of California sun with you all year long.
PATTER
RNS
the PERSIMMON COWL Designed by Bristol Ivy FARM YARN COLORWAY
Gather Honey Ginger
“I’VE LONG BEEN FASCINATED WITH STITCH PATTERNS that emerge from a small number of stitches, blossom into a bold and graphic shape, and then decrease down into a small number of stitches again, creating an effortless balance between fluidity and structure in your fabric.” — Bristol
SHOP PATTERN >>
the PERSIMMON KIT includes three skeins of Gather
available in six FALL 2018 colorways (left to right): LIGHTHOUSE DOE SUMMER SOLSTICE HONEY GINGER SPICE SMOKE
SHOP the PERSIMMON KIT >>
the POLLEN SOCKS
Designed by Annie Claire Rowden FARM YARN COLORWAY
Flock +Shimmering Tussah Pollen Marble + Bonfire
“This sweet pair of socks is a wonderful marriage of yarn, natural colour, and stitch pattern. A gentle texture of cables compliment the slightly nubby character of Flock. Flecks of colour are introduced from Coreopsis petals which bring all the textures together. The heel and toe are reinforced by a strand of strong silk yarn, naturally dyed in a contrasting colour to add a little marling and shimmer to those places needing extra love and strength.” — Annie
SHOP PATTERN >>
Flock Pollen Marble Shimmering Tussah Bonfire
the POLLEN KIT includes two skeins of Flock + bobbin of Shimmering Tussah
Flock Nightcap Shimmering Tussah Mollusk
Flock Fleur Shimmering Tussah Red Pear
Flock Serpentine Marble Shimmering Tussah Zinc
Flock Gilded Marble Shimmering Tussah au Naturel
SHOP the POLLEN KIT >>
STITCHED TOGETHER HAT + MITTS
designed by Elizabeth Doherty
FARM YARN COLORWAY
Flock Tortilla Nightcap Grizzly Peak
“Celebrate the ties that knit our friends and community together with these easy fingerless mitts and matching hat. Flock, the yarn chosen for this project, was lovingly designed within a tiny circle of careful hands, starting with the shepherd and her flock, to the small mill that spins the fiber, to Verb’s meticulously tended natural dye pots. Choose colors with someone dear to you, and mix and match mitts and hats amongst your circle of friends and family!” — Elizabeth
SHOP PATTERN >>
COLORWAY Tortilla Red Pear Marble Grizzly Peak
Tortilla + Nightcap + Grizzly Peak
STITCHED TOGETHER KIT includes one mini skein + two skeins of Flock
Tortilla + Bonfire Marble + Grizzly Peak
Tortilla + Gilded Marble + Grizzly Peak
Tortilla + Serpentine Marble + Grizzly Peak
Tortilla + Red Pear Marble + Grizzly Peak
SHOP STITCHED TOGETHER KIT >>
the EBBETTS CARDIGAN Designed by Elizabeth Doherty FARM YARN COLORWAY
Horizon Dried Hops
“Wrap yourself in cozy, rustic elegance. Ebbett’s top down construction and modern drop shoulder design provide an easy fit, while the back shaping and a split hem bring elements of classic tailoring. Soft textures, achieved through a trio of simple stitch patterns, keep the knitter engaged. A lateral braid across the back shoulders provides structure and a crisp detail, and a generous seeded rib collar adds a bit of extra warmth, making this a perfect layer for the transitioning seasons.”
SHOP PATTERN >>
COLORWAY Grizzly Peak
the EBBETTS KIT includes 9-16 skeins of Horizon
available in five FALL 2018 colorways (left to right): Grizzly Peak Out of the Sea Sourdough Agate Dried Hops
SHOP the EBBETTS KIT >>
the DIAMONDBACK HAT Designed by Mary Jane Mucklestone FARM YARN COLORWAY
Dawn Lighthouse + Seal
SHOP PATTERN >>
Lighthouse + Seal
the DIAMONDBACK KIT includes two skeins Dawn
Rustic + Milk & Honey
Ember + Lighthouse
Velvet + Lighthouse
White Caps + Milk & Honey
SHOP the DIAMONDBACK KIT >>
the BOTANIST CARDIGAN Designed by Thea Colman FARM YARN COLORWAY
Horizon Vineyard
“This is my version of the traditional Aran cardigan. I chose Horizon for this design because it’s my favorite kind of sweater yarn. The slightly rustic fiber is soft, but distinct and showcases details and motifs beautifully. The naturally dyed lavender in the sample sweater adds a subtle shading to the fabric, which gives such depth to the textures.” — Thea
SHOP PATTERN >>
the BOTANIST KIT includes 10-16 skeins of Horizon
available in five FALL 2018 colorways (left to right): ROOT / TORTILLA / PEAT / VINEYARD / TREE
and COCKTAIL! For those of you wondering, “The Botanist” is a cocktail - and a nod to my friend Kristine and her endless talent growing, foraging, and crafting her natural dyes. —Thea ingredients
1 ½ oz St. George Botanivore Gin ½ oz St. Germain ½ oz lemon juice ¼ oz simple syrup 6 mint leaves 2 cucumber slices instructions
In a shaker, combine the gin, St. Germain, lemon juice, simple syrup, mint and cucumber. Shake and double strain over ice.
SHOP the BOTANIST KIT >>
CONTRIBUTORS We sell yarn thanks to the patterns created by the talented, creative knitwear designers, such as those featured in our Fall 2018 Lookbook. You may not know this, but with many yarn companies, when knitwear designers create a pattern for a lookbook or seasonal collection, they receive a flat fee or a percentage of the sales.
This case is different. All our designers keep 100% of pattern sales.
Annie Claire Rowden byannieclaire.com @byannieclaire
Bristol Ivy bristolivy.com @bristolivy
Annie is a knitwear-designing-dairy goat farmer, obsessed with wool, herbs, and natural dyes - often wondering if you can make cheese from wool and knit with milk. She’s a Brit living in Northern VT with her husband and daughter.
Bristol Ivy is a knitting designer, teacher, and author from Portland, Maine. Her work has been published with PomPom Magazine, Quince & Co., Making Magazine, and her own eponymous pattern line. When not knitting, she’s sewing, running, watching far too many British murder mysteries, and baking a mean loaf of oatmeal honey bread.
Elizabeth Doherty bluebeestudio.com @bluebeestudio
Mary Jane Mucklestone maryjanemucklestone.com @mjmucklestone
Thea Colman babycocktails.blogspot.com @theacolman
Elizabeth Doherty lives and designs in California’s Sierra Nevada, where it’s nearly always sweater weather. Her knitting designs combine a love of structure, a fascination with the modular nature of knitting, and a penchant for crisp, tailored details. She is the author of Top Down: Reimagining Set-in Sleeve Design.
Mary Jane is a knitwear designer who likes to share what she knows. She likes to travel, walk through the woods to the top of the hill, and eat popsicles in the summer. She is the author of 200 Fair Isle Motifs, 150 Scandinavian Motifs, Fair Isle Style, and Geo Knits.
Thea was always a knitter, but after leaving a career in advertising to raise her daughters, found that she loved imagining her knits more than following patterns. Combining knitting design with her longtime interest in cocktails made for the perfect second career, and she hasn’t looked back!
CREDITS Text © 2018 Kristine Vejar Yarn Photographs © 2018 Elysa Weitala Photographs & Design © 2018 Emily Myerscough Models: Rachel Marcotte, Lindsey Rallo All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced without written permission of Kristine Vejar. A Verb for Keeping Warm 6328 San Pablo Ave Oakland CA 94608 (510) 595-8372 www.averbforkeepingwarm.com
