I succumbed. I have NO idea what was holding me back. But I’ve fallen into the Ravelry hole, and god help me, I can’t get out.
For those of you knitters not using Ravelry yet, let me tell you a thing or two about it. I had thought it was something like a knitting Friendster, where you could also log how many/what type of needles you had. Yes, people TOLD me it was so much more than that, but I didn’t believe them. Didn’t want to. Didn’t have time.
But I’m so glad I did! Imagine, if you will, having ten balls of Rowan Kid Classic in your stash, and not knowing what the hell to do with it. You go to Ravelry, punch in Rowan Kid Classic, and come with 124 projects that current members have used to make things. Pictures. Patterns LINKED right there. Notes. Needle sizes. Complaints, praises for the yarn.
Or you’re not sure if you like a pattern or not, just by looking at the two pictures shot in half-shadow (hello Debbie Bliss) in the book. Punch in the pattern name and look at the completed versions worn on members’ real bodies.
I think that may be my favorite part, actually. Seeing real patterns worn on bodies that are a little more zaftig (like mine) than the models in the patterns.
Also, it’s a community — they have groups for EVERYTHING, trust me. I originally only joined because I wanted to read what the group going to Rhinebeck had up their sleeves (yes, I’m going! So excited! Been to Maryland twice, but never, ever Rhinebeck….), and so I used my invite which had been sitting unused in my inbox forever. And then I was stuck. So very stuck.
But it’s better than when you discovered blogs and got REALLY stuck. Know why? Because once you put in your finished projects (or as many as you care to, like I have), and once you figure out the navigation, you don’t HAVE to spend much time on it. I’m not a big group/forum reader, but I’ll use them to gain info when needed.
But it’s inspiring. You see something you want to make, you throw it in your queue. Forever easily found later.
It made me finally cast on for Lala’s next sweater, Durrow.
She’s been due for a sweater for a while, and I already had the yarn, and knew I wanted to make her some kind of cabled thing. I was going to design it myself, but every time I swatched and thought about all the math involved, I got discouraged. I have to be in a very particular mood to design a whole aran, and I haven’t been in that mood. But I think Durrow is perfect, and that was backed up by a slew of really great looking Durrows already completed on Ravelry. I think I’m the only one I saw modifying it to be knit in the round, though, so I’m keeping notes, and will post my progress so the next person wanting to make it won’t have to accidentally stumble across my blog, but can just cross-reference it in Ravelry.
I’m doing it in Lamb’s Pride kiwi, though, a rather emeraldy green. I love that the sleeves are so interesting, but at the same time you can be working on the body if you’re in the mood for something COMPLETELY mindless.
In real life MUCH more green
Ravelry’s in beta still, though, so they have a waiting list to get invites. It’s a LONG list, but I hear it moves pretty quickly, so don’t give up hope, and if you’re not on the list, or maybe you hadn’t thought it was for you, get on the list. Trust me, it IS for you, even if you only ever use it to look up patterns.
Durrow is fascination. And you’re right on about Ravelry–I am having such a good time going through my magazines, putting in the patterns I want to make, and popping them back on the shelf. No more millions of post-it tags and trying to figure out what the hell I tagged that pattern for. Now? Put the pattern in, note “3/4 sleeves,” done.
I just got my invite yesterday and just stuck my big toe in this morning. I think I signed up to be notified maybe 6 weeks ago. It went faster than I thought.
Ken at fey.ca knit Durrow… he has charts for mirrored cables on the sleeves, plus other comments and helpful info on knitting the sweater (see February 2006 archives).
All right, all right, honestly, you nagged me into it. 😉 Seriously, I’ve been tempted, but couldn’t quite see a reason to bother before it got out of beta and/or, you know, slowed down a lot on the feeding frenzy. I mean, me take pix of all the stash? Much less organize it? Or anything else like that? ROFLMAOWTIME! (Now, if they’d done it for *beads*…)
But see, the pattern and yarn looking up thing – that sounds good. Onwards. (Why do I feel like a lemming??)
How is Digit doing? And you? Hope that your throat is healing up nicely.
No fair! You dangle lovely goodies like Ravelry in front of me – I dash over there only to find I CAN’T GET IT!
I want to play, too!
I want my invite to come! Sniff.
I should have made a note of when I signed up.
Oh, I am so very hooked!(Ha! That would be funnier if I could crochet.) I got in a few months ago and I can’t seem to stop adding things to my queue.
Hahaha! Found you this morning before you posted!!! 😀 It IS a sickness, isn’t it??? And they keep adding cool features every freakin’ day!!!
I have great fun posting on my Twitter with a daily ‘Where I am on the Ravelry list’. Such as…”I’m number 22,384 on the list. There are 13,808 people ahead of me in line and 1907 behind me. (I signed up August 1)
Ten hours. I spent ten hours straight on Ravelry uploading stash pix, searching patterns, putting stuff in my queue, researching things. And that was just for the most recent bag of yarn I bought. I turn to look behind me at my yarn closet and shudder to think of trying to photograph and organize that monster. But I will. You KNOW that I will.
Welcome to my KnitMare… 😉
This is my Ravelry listing. Wow!
You are #12261 on the list.
3870 people are ahead of you in line.
11872 people are behind you in line.
34% of the list has been invited so far
That’s exactly my favorite part of Ravelry! I do read some of the forums and such, but if I really want to spend some time in it, I start looking to see what others did with the same yarn.
It just so happens that I’ve been looking for a nice sweater pattern too. Durrow looks like it might be a good contender!
Funny you should mention this. I had exactly this dilemma yesterday. A bunch of yarn and no pattern. I signed up… behind over 23,000 other people. I guess it does go pretty quickly, though, since it now says just over 15,000 people are still ahead of me. Good news.
And, I’m so happy to see you saying it does exactly what I was hoping it would do for me.
That green yarn is gorgeous, by the way. You’ll want to watch it when you get to the shoulders. It can be hard to get the right arm length and correct fit in the shoulders with that pattern when substituting yarns. My husband’s Durrow is a bit long in the arms (and he is a bit long in the arms, too).
That’s what I love about Ravelry too. There have been several patterns that I wouldn’t have considered in the past due to unflattering photos or how the fo hung on the model, but being able to see them on real people, in various yarns is really helpful. Plus it saves so much time not having to wade through all the listings on Google each time I want to cast on for a new project or see how people felt about a particular yarn. Yay Ravelry!
You guys have me all fired up for Ravelry and I can’t wait much longer!! AND this heat!
Anyway, I’m thrilled to hear such an enthusiastic endorsement.
AND I hope you’re feeling better!
Yeah, I’m not much of a social-networking person either, but I love it because it has everything all in one place and all linked up together. I’m almost done with a project that I never would have picked until I saw lots of people’s FOs in different yarns and on different bodies.
I love Ravelry for seeing what everyone else has done with any particular pattern. Seeing a pattern I want to make, in different yarns, on different bodies, has really opened my eyes to what will work (and what won’t!).
Whinge! I feel so left out. I was on vacation when the beta site went up and I still have more than three thousand people ahead of me…Not that I have time for Ravelry, you understand. I am just too, too busy to be bothered. (Whinge)
ravelry is like crack.i love it.
glad you decided to give it a shot.
durrow is going to look great. perfect choice!
hope you’re still healing well.
4505 people are ahead of you in line
If they keep adding 1200 people a week, I should be in 2 weeks from now. Maybe I’ll use that weekend for setting myself up! (Oh, and running 9 miles. Training for a half marathon. Sigh.)
Me thinks you are feeling better. Today I found a picture of you and Lala partying on another SFO area blog.
oh GAWD. There are seven thousand people ahead of me. (As if I didn’t already fritter away enough of my days visiting my favorite knitting blogs!) But I still can’t wait to get on Ravelry.
Rach, I think I love your pets too! Please give Digit an extra nuzzle from me. We lost one of our kitty cats last night. (the details are on my blog in case you’re interested.) I always enjoy reading about your little rascals. xoxo, Sharon
I hope you don’t mind, but I added you as a friend. I’m stringtwosticks on Ravelry.
Oh my gosh yes, Ravelry has a way of holding onto you and not letting go for hours on end. I can sit down to read a few forums and boom.. three hours have gone by. I think I need to spend more time knitting instead of reading about knitting.
I knew you would love it! It is so much more than can be explained.
You have been tagged as a Rockin’ Girl Blogger.
I got my invite to Ravelry and haven’t had a chance to play! I’m so glad you’re coming to Rhinebeck, will you be there on Sunday too? Hope you and Digit are feeling better.
I think I still have a bit of a wait…. here is what it tells me as of today.
Found you!
* You signed up on July 3, 2007
* You are #12495 on the list.
* 4021 people are ahead of you in line.
* 11932 people are behind you in line.
* 34% of the list has been invited so far
DAMMIT!! You’re going to Rhinebeck. This year. This year that I CAN’T go to Rhinebeck coz I’m going to SOAR the week before. Where you were last year. And I wasn’t. I as at Rhinebeck last year. Where you weren’t.
DAMMIT. and *sob*
I just got on Ravelry a week ago. Luckily I’ve been really busy so I haven’t spent as much time on it as I would like. I spent hours on it the first night though. My goal this weekend is to actually upload some stuff to it.
So glad you posted this! I signed up, then went to check my position and was told I had been sent an invitation almost a month ago! So now I must make up for lost time…
I too waited to take my invite and actually go on there. But now…wow! I haven’t added much to mine at all yet because I am in the middle of trying to move. Trust me though, once I get moved I’m going to log all of my stash, finished project and patterns on there, if not more. 🙂 Have fun! Oh…I’m misplacedmidwest on there. What are you?
I too waited to take my invite and actually go on there. But now…wow! I haven’t added much to mine at all yet because I am in the middle of trying to move. Trust me though, once I get moved I’m going to log all of my stash, finished project and patterns on there, if not more. 🙂 Have fun! Oh…I’m misplacedmidwest on there. What are you?
Ravelry. I received my invite, and started poking around last week…
I think I may have logged out once or twice to eat, and maybe sleep. Oh, and go to work. But if it weren’t for those little distractions… 😀
Ok darn it. I went and signed up for a slot on ravelry. Are you happy now? Huh? Are you? I have been able to resist the siren call of Ravelry for some time now but your post made me want to join. You persuasive writer you!
I got my invitation forever ago, and still have yet to do anything with it. I am hoping once my kids go back to school I will get a chance! It sounds amazing and I can’t wait to look around.
That sweater is one that I have been wanting to make. It looks a wee bit intimidating, but I know I could do it. I can’t wait to see yours when it is done!
Small world! I will be casting on for Durrow for the hubster for Christmas next week (the casting on is next week, not Christmas!) I’m knitting it out of the recommended Kathmandu Aran, since it’s totally my favorite yarn ever! I was hoping to knit it in the round, so I’ll definitely be keeping an eye on what you’re doing. I used the Kathmandu Aran for a Kepler, which I modified to knit in the round, and it’s the softest, squishiest, tweediest yarn evah! I love it!
I think I have about a thousand people in front of me in line, but I know that means I’m way better off than a lot of people. Thanks for describing so clearly what you like about Ravelry. It really helped me understand why I’m waiting in line. (Seriously, I was starting to wonder if I was just being a lemming). Love the color you chose for Lala’s sweater!
Since I mainly knit my own designs I havent been too interested in Ravelry, but– I can’t even check it out if I wanted to I guess. Oh well. One more rejection for something I didn’t know I was supposed to want 🙂
I think this is so funny.. Casey(the creator of ravelry) is my brother. Im so happy that everyone loves it. He is the nicest person anyone could meet and im so glad his website is becoming such a hit.
I got my invitation to Ravelry last night, and was so excited. I signed up today, but I was in a hurry, and didn’t see more than the home page.
It’s REALLY beta!
I went back just now and discovered that the home page is all I CAN see.
I see the Ravelry logo at the top of the page, and the stuff at the bottom, but the pages are blank!
There’s no help button. There’s NOTHING!
I’m dissappointed.
Dont forget to mention that you can sell or trade your yarn on Ravelry:)so if you have 3 balls of Rowan Kid Classic left that you dont need you could trade it or sell it to me Knottyknitter40:)