Unraveled

I’m currently participating in a knit along and it is so fun to make a pattern alongside other knitters and see their progress. Today I thought I’d share a bit about how to find and participate in a knit along (often abbreviated KAL), crochet along (CAL), spin along (SAL) or other craft along. In a craft along, groups of crafters will join together to cheer each other on as they all work on similar projects – sometimes the same pattern, sometimes a group of patterns all from the same book, sometimes using the same yarn/fiber.

If you are looking for groups who are doing various kinds of knit and crochet alongs, you can find those in the groups tab. Go to the groups tab and click the option you want under “search -alongs by craft”.

If you are looking for something in particular in this category, you could use the search box there, and you can further sort the order in which you see the groups using the drop down on the right.

There are many groups doing -alongs of different kinds, whether they are making the same pattern or just the same sort of project. Even if you aren’t looking to join in right now, it’s neat to see what people are making in these groups.

If you find a pattern and you want to know if there is a knit or crochet along for that pattern, you can often see that mentioned in someone’s projects. If you don’t, you could search the groups tab for the pattern or to see if the designer has a group where you could look for information about a knit or crochet along.

Once you join an -along, what do you do? First of all, there is often a discussion thread where you can post your progress. Post in the appropriate threads (each group structures it slightly differently) with your progress and questions you may have for the other participants. You can also share your project with the group so people can see the project pages of those participating. You can find instructions about sharing your project with a group and seeing the other projects shared in this post. Most importantly, have fun and encourage each other along the way! That’s the best part of doing an -along for me, sharing each other’s victories and encouraging others when they have a setback.

If you don’t see an -along for a pattern you’d like to make, you could start one. You could check with others at your craft night or local yarn shop to see if they are interested, or check with other folks you know on Ravelry and see if they would be interested in knitting or crocheting along with you.

Each one of you make up this great community we call Ravelry, and it is so fun to see people making things together on these pages. I hope this tip helps you to find more ways to make things together!