About The Yarned Life

By Gabi Dorsen

Hi, I’m Gabi—founder of The Yarned Life, mama, maker, and lifelong yarn lover.

My journey started when I was a little girl, crafting with my grandma and her church quilting circle. I was completely enchanted—by the rhythm of it, the stories, the laughter stitched into every piece. At my Waldorf school, I made my very first knitting needles by hand—sanded them smooth and topped them with tiny wooden beads. My first project? A slightly wonky gnome with long limbs and no hat. I’ve made dozens since.

For a long while, I drifted from yarn. But during my doula trainings, I brought my knitting with me and began stitching squares for a donation blanket. That small act—knitting quiet rows between big emotional days—brought me back. It reminded me that fiber arts aren’t just crafts. They’re comfort. They’re community. They’re medicine.

When I became a mother myself, fiber arts became even more essential. In the thick of postpartum, I needed something that felt like me. Each time I picked up my hook or needles, it felt like coming home.

Now, our family lives aboard a sailboat, and The Yarned Life is a reflection of that rhythm—seasonal, slow, and full of purpose. Motherhood at sea is its own wild adventure, and making space to create in small, beautiful ways has become part of how I stay grounded.

I approach fiber arts with a love for slow fashion, sustainability, and multipurpose design. Whether I’m combining knitting and crochet in a cozy breastfeeding poncho or stitching a rainbow-colored baby hat, I always aim to make something useful, soulful, and filled with care.

I hope that when you wear one of my designs, you feel loved, cared for, and important.

And I hope that when you make something from my patterns, you feel connected—to your breath, your body, and the long, soft thread of makers who came before us.

Thanks for being here. I’m so glad our yarn paths have crossed.

Gabi XO