Today is the tenth birthday of
Ravelry, the phenomenal yarncraft website that acts as a hub for knitters, crocheters, and even weavers (maybe some felters too!) to meet up on groups and forums, check out patterns, explore yarns, and pretty much all the other good stuff that crafters love to do! It's fair to say that Ravelry has been formative for thousands of knitters all around the world, and for us, it's been pretty darn important too!
Kaeleigh: I joined Ravelry in 2011, and started off pretty slow I think. It wasn't until I moved here to the UK that my library hoarding REALLY took off; now I have almost 600 patterns in my library, and goodness knows how many in my favourites (which is essentially a giant wishlist). I've managed to put up over 60 projects, starting with some rough earlier knits. My last FO (finished object) is my lovely Hearthstone sweater, and I'm keen to make my next FO my Crazyheart sweater - almost done the body! I also have a ridiculous queue that I don't really follow, but it does help to remind me what I want to do with the things I already have. I've also started stashing my yarns, and although I'm way behind, I definitely find it useful to have the site reminding me what I have available for the patterns I'm looking at. I'm not quite as active on the forums as I'd like, but I've enjoyed participating where I can, and it's been awesome to discover new designers, do test knits, and find great patterns for expanding my skills. Thanks for everything, Rav - I'm pretty much the knitter I am today because of you!
Bernice: Happy birthday Ravelry! I first joined in 2012, most likely from Kaeleigh's suggestion, haha. I don't think I used it very much at first, but over the years I've grown to absolutely love it! Just as I prefer lurking behind the scenes in most of the social media accounts I have, I don't get terribly involved in forums or even posting current projects. I LOVE it, however, for searching for patterns to use. The search feature that allows you to narrow your search down to the exact type of thing you are looking for has come in handy so often. I definitely see the benefit to stashing the yarns I have...maybe I will become that organized one day! I also really like looking up a type of yarn I have purchased and then viewing the photos of different projects other Ravelers have made with that yarn. It's a great way to get inspired! Ten years in, Ravelry is basically a never ending treasure trove for yarn-crafters. It's a great way to discover free patterns, and to find and support designers that you would otherwise probably never have had the opportunity to discover. Here's to the hours happily whiled away on Ravelry, and to the hooks and needles working away on all the great projects it has to offer!
We wish you many more excellent years!
