About

YAMA is a fusion of YARN + MADELEINE (my name), also a word layered with meaning from different mythologies and languages, some rather dark, but in Japanese it means “Mountain”. I am a graphic designer turned indie yarn dyer living on the Southern Peninsula of beautiful Cape Town where Table Mountain, the landmark flat-topped mountain, overlooks the Mother City of South Africa. I draw most of my creative inspiration from my environment and am totally fascinated by “fynbos”, a unique kind of shrubland or heathland vegetation that makes up 80 per cent of the Cape Floral Kingdom.

Since the first batch of skeins I dyed in September 2017, I still work alone handling everything about my small home-based business, myself. I dye small batches of unique yet very wearable colourways including semi-solids with lots of depth as well as richly layered variegated colours. Yarn is dyed, washed and rinsed using harvested rain water. 

My yarn bases are proudly sourced locally - here is why:

“South Africa has developed an excellent reputation over many decades for top quality wool that’s well-classed, not contaminated with foreign materials and fibres, and is produced in an environmentally friendly way. Sheep welfare is a high priority on our farms and is strongly supported by a Code of Best Practice developed by the industry for the industry. For example, wool in South Africa is produced from sheep that are not mulesed – a surgical procedure that prevents flystrike. SA sheep are plain-bodied, resulting from decades of selection and breeding.”

Source: FarmersWeekly.co.za

My colourways & shop updates

Adding colour to yarn is my art, it is my creative expression and interpretation of the natural beauty I see around me. Every shop update will offer a unique collection of colours inspired by the season, the plants that are flowering at the time, the colours in the garden and on the mountains and beaches where I go walking.

My dyeing process is intuitive and not aimed at mass production ~ each skein really is unique, colourways will not repeat exactly the same. Skeins with variations can certainly be used together by alternating, which is always recommended as it creates a lively, rich fabric with depth and nuance. I encourage crafters to have fun with colour, collect Yama colourways as you would pencils or paint for your art palette and start painting with yarn!

Thank you for stopping by my store, I hope you will find a colourway that speaks to you..and I would love to see what you knit, crochet, weave or create! Pease tag me on Instagram or get in touch on Ravelry.

May you stay safe & well,

Madeleine