Quilt Shop: A Verb for Keeping Warm

TFQ came to town for a visit and heard about AVFKW. She wanted to visit. She has been knitting a lot more than quiltmaking  🙁 lately and loves new yarn. I didn’t mind at all. Who doesn’t love yarn? I don’t really knit anymore and I really enjoyed looking around the shop.

A Verb for Keeping Warm (photo from April)
A Verb for Keeping Warm (photo from April)

A Verb for Keeping Warm is a yarn and fabric shop in the East Bay. I wouldn’t say it is exactly a quilt shop, but it is worth a trip to take a look at their fabric. There are interesting fabric choices available. < the photo was taken on an April day; I forgot to take one  and it was raining. >

Yarn Wall - A Verb for Keeping Warm
Yarn Wall – A Verb for Keeping Warm

This is my second trip and I was pleased to see that the shop had been rearranged. It was much more open this time and was a very appealing space. The colors of the yarn and fabric were a nice foreground to the natural wood shelves and furniture, brown paper packaging and soft lighting.

The place was packed! There was a knitting class or group going on at the table in the back. There were people looking at yarn, fabric and everything else and one patient husband/boyfriend waiting for his sweetheart.

If I had to decide, I would say that AVFKW is mostly a yarn shop. Still, they have a lot of other stuff. One GIANT ball of roving was particularly interesting – and very soft. There were a number of different items on offer:

Fabric Wall
Fabric Wall

The items for sale seem to be carefully curated. The goal is, clearly, to supply makers of yarn items and fabric items. There are scissors and a variety of measuring tapes. There were kits for socks and materials required for dyeing. I saw stitch markers and knitting needles. Swiffs, spinning wheels and  a variety of clubs are also available.

There was a natural dyeing section, which had dye supplies, things to dye and kits for dyeing a small project. TFQ told me later that the owner wrote a book on this subject later.

We saw a scarf that we both liked. It is called the Nightfall Cowl. We talked to one of the saleswomen about it and she said that the pattern can be found on the shop blog.

TFQ found a beautiful yarn that was a blend of wool and silk. It was so nice to touch! She could not find colors she liked, so she did not buy any despite wanting to very badly.

The staff was also quite cheerful and helpful. If you want interesting, but not tons of fabric or yarn, then this is a good place to visit.

Address: 6328 San Pablo Ave, Oakland, CA 94608