I think what I love is just, you know, this whole thing where we create raw materials, you know, yarn and fabric and, you know, to sort of see someone purchase it and then to go and for them to make something out of it and that we both have contributed to this project is just awesome.

From Seamwork Magazine, I'm Sari Mitnick, and this is Seamwork Radio,

where we tell stories from people who make clothing.

Christine Vejar is the owner of an unusual business in Oakland, California, called

A Verb for Keeping Warm.

Verb, which is how she refers to it, is a lot of things.

It's a brick-and-mortar store selling craft supplies.

It's a classroom. It's a natural dyeing studio. It's a line of mortar store selling craft supplies. It's a classroom.

It's a natural dyeing studio.

It's a line of naturally dyed yarn.

It even includes a line of sewing patterns.

Christine also recently released a book,

The Modern Natural Dyer,

a step-by-step guide to creating naturally dyed fabric and yarn.

The thing that unifies these parts of her business is the idea of creative community.

Our contributor, Jessica Yen, visited Verb to talk to Christine and learn how her relationship with a

small community in India brought the idea of community into focus for her.

In late May, I stepped into Oakland, California's, a verb for keeping warm, to meet with

owner, Christine Vajar.

Inside the store, a large wall displayed their signature lines of yarn.

There were a number of racks of pattern samples, sewn up in the muted, lush palette

of naturally dyed fabrics.

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