I just started using the website Ravelry more extensively this year.  If you are unfamiliar with the  platform, it is a community for fellow crocheters and knitters to interact and share everything about their craft.  Actually, it is more than that – it is so many things it is hard to describe in just one sentence.

There is so much you can do on this website, I am still learning everything! As a quick overview, here are some of things you can do on Ravelry:

• Manage your stash of yarn and make a list of every skein of yarn you own and how much you have.
• Maintain an inventory of all your hooks and needles.
• Keep track of all your projects, both what you are currently working on, what you have completed, and what you plan to work on.
• Make a collection of all the patterns you own in a “library”.
• Join (multiple) groups of like minded crocheters and knitters to discuss anything and everything (including local meet-ups and clubs).
• Buy and sell knit and crochet patterns and ebooks.
• Read and write reviews for patterns and yarns.
• Check out other members’ creations and “favorite” them (similar to “like” on facebook).
• Share your blog posts on your profile, and check out other blogs.
• Make new friends!

My favourite things about Ravelry:

(1) The ability to keep track of all the crochet projects I have made. When I want to look back and see what pattern and yarn I used for a particular project I made previously, all I need to do is look it up on ravelry! When you add a project to your profile, you can add the exact yarn you used, how much of the yarn you needed, what hook size you used, any alterations you made to the pattern, as well as photos.

(2)  I am a bit of a snoop and I like looking at the projects of other members, especially if it something from a pattern I am considering using.  I can see what yarn they used and see how it turned out by looking at their photos.  I can also see if they ran into any problems with the pattern, which helps me make my final decision on whether I want to invest my time and yarn into the project.

(3) I really like having a place to store all the patterns I come across and want to save for future projects. On a daily basis I find patterns I really want to make, but just can’t at that moment.  I don’t want to forget about them, so I find the patterns in the ravelry database (which so far has had EVERY pattern I have searched for) and add them to my favourites to go back to later.

(4) I especially love how I can sell my patterns on a platform in which all the members are into yarn crafts (a very targeted audience!), but is still open enough to allow non-members to buy patterns, too (you don’t need to sign up to Ravelry to purchase a pattern from me!).

(5) And finally, I am really excited to use Ravelry as a place to connect with my customers who have bought one of my patterns.  I started a hookabee group page on Ravelry for people to ask questions and share their finished hookabee creations. I hope to create a fun community there as hookabee grows!

If you are new to ravelry, don’t be overwhelmed by all that you can do on the site. Take your time exploring it and discovering all that is possible.  Read forums and check out the Ravelry 101 help guides (click on the question mark tab on the ravelry website).

The site opens up so many opportunities to sell your own patterns, buy from other designers, organize your crochet projects, and to simply meet like minded people with a similar love for the yarn arts!  Ravelry is a great community to be part of, and it is FREE to join. Crazy!

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Until next time,