We had a little hiccup this past season in the SpaceMonster Club. The maker I had lined up for our end-of-season gift had a family emergency which meant she wasn’t able to complete the commission. It put us in a pickle, to say the least, and I found myself scrambling to find a replacement.
So I turned an old friend in the industry: a fabulous potter whose hand-thrown mugs are incredibly popular but, even better, who I knew would come through for us. We’ve done many yarn shows alongside her, sharing tools during booth set-ups and dinner after a long show day. I reached out and she said yes immediately.
And when the gift arrived, it was better than I’d even hoped.
That’s the thing about hand-makers — about potters like her, dyers like us, and knitters and crocheters like you…
We know that what we make isn’t about the product we have in the end (I mean, how many times has someone looked at your project and told you, “Y’know, you could just buy a hat?”), it’s about the making.
And even more, when we make with materials that have also been hand-made, it’s about the connection from maker to maker… from potter to dyer… from dyer to knitter and crocheter…
And that is why we love dyeing for our club members most of all. Because nowhere is that connection stronger.
When we stand in front of the dye pots thinking of colour inspiration, we’re imagining what you’ll think as you open the box. When we commission the gift, we’re hoping you’ll love it. And when I write the dyer’s notes, I’m writing to you.
And that connection with our club members? Well, I think it’s pretty special.
We’re getting ready for the next season of the SpaceMonsters Club and we’d love to have you join us! But we don’t have long — the next parcel is due to go out at the end of this month — so if you’d like to join our colour adventure, you’ll need to act quickly.
The SpaceMonster Club will be open for new members for only a few days, so that we can get started packing the next colourway!
I’m excited for the new colours we’ve come up with for the next season. Will you join us?