Hello, fellow Yarnie’s! I’m Almarié Conradie, co-owner of Yarnie Corner, and I’d love to share a little about how my passion for yarn went from a tiny spark to a full-blown, fiber-filled adventure.

Growing up, I was surrounded by women who could make magic with their hands—my grandmother, great-grandmother, mom, and even our lovely neighbour from across the street. Knitting, crocheting, tatting, Irish lace, hand embroidery—you name it, they did it! Yet, despite this rich tapestry of creativity, I only dabbled in knitting back in high school (mostly because Home Economics made me do it!).

For years, my yarn experience was limited to acrylics, and while I tried my hand at embroidery, it never quite clicked. But then, about a decade ago, everything changed. Sitting in a hospital waiting room while my dad was in surgery, we needed something to calm our nerves and shorten the wait. That’s when I turned to my mom and said, “Teach me to crochet.”

She did. Little did I know that this was the beginning of an obsession.

From my first stitches—single crochet, half-double, double, chain, slip stitch—I was hooked. (Pun totally intended!) What started as a soothing distraction quickly grew into an all-consuming passion. Before long, my love for crochet evolved into an equally deep love for yarn itself.

Then came a game-changing moment: meeting Annelie at her monthly Sip ‘n Stitch. At the time, she was running the original The Yarnie Corner, selling third-party cottons. I was still blissfully unaware of the luxurious world of natural fibres, but that changed the moment I walked in. Touching those yarns, feeling their texture, and seeing their rich, hand-dyed colours—it was like stepping into another dimension.

I had always thought high-quality, natural fibre, yarn was “too expensive,” but learning about the artistry, dedication, and effort behind hand-dyeing completely shifted my perspective. These weren’t just fibres; they were works of art, each skein telling its own unique story.

Along the way, I was also introduced to the incredible craft of spinning my own yarn. There’s something so magical about taking raw fibre and transforming it into a skein of yarn with my own hands. It deepened my appreciation for the entire yarn-making process and added yet another layer to my fibre obsession!

So, when the opportunity came to join forces with Annelie in the newly rebranded Yarnie Corner—now the sole distributor of Beth’Ani hand-dyed cottons—it felt like the natural next step. Luckily for me, she said yes!

And so, the adventure began…

I can’t wait to share this journey with you—through stitches, skeins, and stories. Welcome to Yarnie Corner, where every thread weaves a tale and every stitch carries a little bit of magic!