About The Yarned Life

By Gabi Dorsen

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

My journey as a fiber artist started when I was a little girl, crafting with my grandma and her church quilting circle of ladies, in rural Minnesota 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. I still remember my first project … a slightly wonky gnome with long limbs and no hat, and I never finished the arm

For a long while, I drifted from yarn and then my during my first doula training, I brought my knitting with me just in case and began knitting squares for a blanket in just straight knit stitch , it helped pass the time during a long homebirth, and always put the mamas at ease .. I finished That blanket while my son was in my belly.

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 make one of my designs, you feel love, cared for, and important.

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

Gabi XO