Technology Today: Ravelry
As I finish knitting projects (most recently a baby sweater and set of wash cloths), I record my new projects in Ravelry. Ravelry is a perfect union of two of my strongest areas of interest: knitting and the internet. It is an online community for knitters and crocheters that goes way beyond social networking. Ravelry allows its users to post and track projects, search patterns, store information about stashed yarn, search forums, keep a list of needles owned, join groups, see what others are making, comment on other users’ projects, and much much more.
I mostly use Ravelry to keep track of my projects, stashed yarn, and knitting needles. Each user has a notebook that stores this information for them. In the projects section there is a list of all the projects you are working on or have completed. There is a searchable database of patterns or you can add your own pattern. Each project entry also includes information about the yarn used, (there is a search able database of yarn), the status of your project, the progress of your project, your rating of the pattern and yarn used, and information about what needles were used. The project entry also contains a place to store images of the project. You can upload photos you have taken directly through Ravelry or through amazing integration with Flickr, you can simply drop and drag photos you already have listed on Flickr .
The stash section has a similar interface and will allow you to keep track of yarn you have on hand, including information about the brand, color, weight, and number of skeins. There is a searchable database of yarn available that has nearly every type of yarn, even that old neon green 1970’s skein you have leftover from your grandmother’s stash. Ravelry is also smart enough to reduce the number of skeins of a particular yarn if you list it as being used in a project. Another great feature is the ability to search for patterns that match yarn in your stash. Ravelry has a huge database of patterns sorted by yarn, project type, etc. This is a great way to make use of random skeins of yarn.
If all those great tools and helpful sections weren’t enough, Ravelry also provides an online community for knitters and crocheters. Users can connect with friends and view their projects. There are also groups based around different topics, geographic locations, events, etc. And possibly the most helpful, Ravelry has a large online forum system. This allows users to connect with others who are working on similar projects, ask questions of more seasoned knitters or crocheters, or find solutions to common problems.
Ravelry really is the place to be if you knit or crochet! For me it is the perfect melding of the two parts of my life and personality. The creative artistic knitter and the technical geeky webside developer. It feels as though this site was built with me in mind. If you knit or chrocet and haven’t checked it out yet — GO NOW! If you are already on Ravelry, you can find me at http://www.ravelry.com/projects/bemckimmy.
September 18th, 2009 at 9:02 am
Oh! Melissa uses Ravelry!!!
September 18th, 2009 at 9:40 am
Yep. We are friends on there. It is a great site!!
March 17th, 2010 at 11:05 am
back in the mid 50’s there was a little knitted or crocheted hat than had a plastic headband that went through the front. I have looked everwhere for the pattern. Have you ever seen it or know what I am talking about? thanks