A Verb for Keeping Warm, as well as its founder and owner Kristine Vejar, transcends a simple definition. A business that sells naturally-dyed yarns and fibers and all manner of tools to use those fibers (spindles, wheels, looms, knitting patterns), it's also creating its own unique community (in the Bay Area and online) through education and celebration of traditions and textiles for knitters, crocheters, spinners, weavers, dyers and all people who do labor-intensive work with their hands. Hear how Kristine's childhood connection to sewing and quilting took her to India and the origin of Verb's inspiration.

The following people and topics were mentioned:

• A Verb for Keeping Warm online store
• Adrienne's Garden Blog. Adrienne is the master builder who created the Workshop and who makes all things online and digital for AVFKW.
• Aija aka sockpr0n's blog. Aija handcrafts the Zero stitch markers that are available at the Verb Store.
• Earthues Natural Dyes
• Krista and Pigeon Roof Studios
• Stitches West, in Santa Clara 2/26 - 3/1 (where you can meet WonderMike in person!)
• Slipstream and Shaped Arch sock knitting patterns by Marlowe Crawford
• A Verb for Keeping Warm Ravelry Group
• Cleo (nee Cleopatra), the cutest dachshund, evah, and the first of two Verb mascots!
• Marcel, the cutest French Angora bunny, evah, and the second of two Verb mascots!
• Kris' (aka Bockstark Knits handspun) that hizKNITS is using for the Boyfriend Socks.

 

For all you bookworms, the following books are recommended by Kristine (get ready to Google!):

Books about Women, Textile History & Culture (including the origin of Verb's name):

• Women's Work by Elizabeth Wayland Barber

Books about Natural Dyeing:

• A Dyer's Garden by Rita Buchanan
• The Craft of Natural Dyeing by Jenny Dean
• Indigo by Jenny Balfour

Books about Fiber and Spinning:

• The Intentional Spinner by Judith MacKenzie McCuin
• Beautiful Sheep: Portraits of Champion Breeds by Kathryn Dun
• The Natural Knitter: How to Choose, Use, and Knit Natural Fibers from Alpaca to Yak by Barbara Albright
• A Fine Fleece by Lisa Lloyd

Books about Weaving:

• Weaving Made Easy: 17 Projects Using a Simple Loom by Liz Gipson
• Hands on Rigid Heddle Weaving by Betty Linn Davenport
• Textures and Patterns for the Rigid Heddle Loom by Betty Linn Davenport

 

A VERB FOR KEEPING WARM CONTEST

The first contest is for the Shaped Arch Sock Pattern by Marlowe Craword and the fiber to spin for the socks. All you need to do is tell us your favorite VERB FOR KEEPING WARM.

The second contest is for the Slipstream Sock Pattern and the Verb sock yarn to knit the pattern. All you have to do is tell us your FAVORITE color in Kristine's colorways.

To enter either contest, please leave a comment on Yknit.com or on Ravelry under the Y KNIT group discussion. One winner will be randomly selected from all the entries. DEADLINE FOR ENTERING IS MARCH 15, 2009. We look forward to seeing what everyone has to say!

Contest Winner
Episode #17, Go West, Young Man!: Our randomly selected winner from the entries is Chris Bogs, Chimakwa on Ravelry. His prize is already on its way to Philly. Congratulations to our winner and thanks to everyone who participated! The world WOULD be a better place if more men knit.

YSpin? It's where yarn comes from!

As always, a HUGE thank you to everyone who downloads and listens to Y KNIT. You hear us. You REALLY hear us!

We used snippets of the following songs in this episode:

• "Theme from Jeopardy" performed by The Gamers from Game Show Favorites (Essential Media Group, 2007)
• "Lunchdate" performed by The Sisterhood of Convoluted Thinkers from Ume Sour (Darla, 2001)
• "Speaking My Language" performed by Leslie Tucker from In This Room (Compass Records, 1995)
• "Sandhya Raga" performed by Ravi Shankar from Inside the Kremlin (Private Music, 2004)
• "Toxic" performed by Britney Spears from In the Zone (Zomba Recordings, 2003)
• "Textile Lunch on Moody Street" performed by the Flanagan/Ingham Quartet from Textile Lunch (33 Jazz, 1999)
• "Secret Garden" performed by Depeche Mode from A Broken Frame (Mute, 1982)
• "Weave Me the Sunshine" performed by Noel Paul Stookey from One Night Stand (Warner Brothers, 1973)
• "Introduction" from Star Trek: The Original Series (Paramount, 1966)
• "De Colores" by Connie Bieberach from Arco Iris Musicál (CD Baby, 2004)