JJCrochet Article!

I (or rather, JJCrochet) was recently interviewed by my college newspaper. Read the article and let me know what you think!

Ravelry: A Knitter's and Crocheter's Paradise

Here's the situation: you bought some new yarn (of course it was an impulse buy) and you have no idea what you want to make with it. Where do you start searching for patterns? Some of us probably check familiar craft forums like Craftster or go to sites like Lionbrand or Berroco to start our search. Without finding the right pattern, we continue searching by visiting our favorite crafty blogs for new patterns or even browse through crochet directories with hundreds of patterns. All of these are great resources to find knitting and crochet patterns on the web, but what if there was one place where all these great resources were combined together so we didn't have to waste precious time searching for patterns.

Enter Ravelry - the premier place for knitting, crocheters, and needleworkers to post projects, update their WIPs, and keep tabs on their ever growing yarn stash. The first website of its kind, Ravelry is a paradise for yarn addicts of all kind. After joining their free website, you will be able to:

• search for patterns by yarn type, weight, project, and craft (knitting/ crocheting/ both)


• view completed projects by other members


• add patterns to your queue or favorites list


• keep track of your yarn stash


• interact with other knitter and crocheters on forums


• add other knitting and crocheting "friends"


• you can even join groups (based on yarn and non-yarn interests)

Essentially, Ravelry is a community. It's built from user content so it's what you want to see. Not only do they offer free crochet and knitting patterns, but you can also purchase patterns from aspiring designers.

There is a small waiting list period because Ravelry is still a young project, but once you request an invitation to join, you will be taken to a wonderful world full of yarn, hooks and needles, and other needleworkers that are just as passionate about yarn as you are!