About

Hi! I'm Jo (she/her) and I'm the dyer behind the Yarn Therapy colour love.
I live in beautiful Aotearoa New Zealand with my husband and our twin teens. And a couple of cats that are fairly convinced they rule the roost. Sometimes I suspect they're right! 
I love to make yarn sing with the application of colour. I use multi layered dyeing techniques that I've perfected over the past 15+ years to create colour stories that you'll love to look at, on yarn bases that you'll love to work with, and to wear.
I have always been a maker, and helped pay my way through law and arts degrees by teaching embroidery, knitting and quilting classes. For a while I was lecturing Commercial Law during the day, and teaching the finer points of bullion, french knots and knitting by night. 
I stumbled into yarn dyeing in 2004, a few months after our eldest son died during birth, and I needed something to keep my hands busy. I really loved the process of fusing art, science and a little magic to make the perfect colourway, and I haven't looked back since.
I love the calm that working with yarn never fails to bring. I know I'm not alone in that soothing feeling! It make me incredibly happy and grateful to be able to bring you beautifully coloured, delicious yarns that you will love to work with as much as you'll love the finished product.

Why “Yarn Therapy”?

Since the very beginning, the tagline on every skein of hand dyed yarn I've sold has read "yarn is cheaper than therapy". I love the sentiment and the play on words. And I genuinely believe it too. Knitting has been shown to be as effective for stress relief and relaxation as yoga and meditation. (Of course, sometimes yarn works best when teamed with more formal therapy as well!)
Given that I am very fond of yarning - both the sheep derivative and the verbal discourse - it seemed the natural thing to name the business. In my world, if there's yarn in my hands, the doctor's in!

A wee note about Inclusivity and Diversity with Yarn Therapy