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On today’s episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we’re talking about creating a subscription box with Cheryl Ham.

Cheryl Ham is a self-taught knitter who learned the craft with a bit of help from YouTube and a pair of her mother’s long-forgotten and slightly bent, size 9 needles. Cheryl is also the owner of Hypnotic Yarn, which came to life in 2017 after discovering the existence of hand-dyed yarn while watching knitting podcasts. Later, Cheryl founded Yarnable, a monthly hand-dyed yarn subscription that encourages self-care through the joy of knitting. When she’s not playing with color in her Southern New Hampshire studio, Cheryl can be found snuggling with her two Chihuahuas. 

This episode is sponsored by Search Press.

Bringing the finest in art and craft instruction books to improve your skills or ignite a new passion.

For over 50 years, Search Press has delighted crafters with books on knitting, crochet, sewing, quilting, fiber crafts, painting and drawing. If you want to try a new craft or improve your skills, Search Press has detailed instruction books for you. If you would like to learn more about selling Search Press books in your store or on your website, check out our website searchpressusa.com.

We begin this interview with Cheryl talking about the 15 years she spent working in sales. Cheryl explains some of the lessons she learned from that job that she carries forward to her craft business. She also explains how she knew it was time to leave and start her own venture.

Cheryl talks about her early days dyeing yarn and selling skeins on Etsy along with her mother-in-law’s project bags. She traces the growth and development of her business including building out a dye studio in her basement and then moving to commercial space.

We discuss how she created Yarnable, her subscription box business, and why the recurring revenue model makes sense for her business. If you’re interested in learning about subscription boxes, Cheryl shares lots of great tips including why she chose to offer her audience sneak peeks, how she handles replenishment, why she chose to offer a regular and a deluxe box, and what kinds of products lend themselves to subscription boxes (and what kinds don’t). Yarnable has a Facebook group and Cheryl talks about the benefit of creating a community for your subscription box brand.

If you enjoy learning from Cheryl on this episode, tune into her Makers Gonna Sell podcast for more business tips.

And, of course, I ask Cherld to recommend great stuff she’s enjoying right now. Cheryl recommends:

Check out Yarnable on the Yarnable website, and check out Cheryl’s indie dyed yarn brand, Hypnotic Yarn, on Facebook, and on Instagram, for more information.

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