Crochet communities and where to find them
This is the third post in the blog series, Combating the crocheting slump.
Before diving into this post, I’d recommend reading the first article in the series, 11 ways to combat the crocheting slump. This post focuses on tip number two, which is all about finding your crocheting community.
Finding a crocheting community is something that has helped me immensely. I found my crocheting community on Instagram. I started a separate account @cillacrochets that I use solely for sharing my crocheting projects, and in turn I’ve found an amazing group of crocheters from around the world that share the same passion as me. These people inspire, educate, challenge, and motivate me on the daily.
“If you want to go quickly, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”
Community is important because it makes us feel safe and secure, and it makes us realise we’re not alone. When it comes to crocheting, a community can give you multitudes of inspiration, encouragement, tips and tricks, opportunities, and great resources for improving your craft. But how do you find a crocheting community that’s right for you?
First thing’s first, you need to look.
There are so many online crocheting communities, as well as local meet-ups (when COVID-19 wasn’t a thing), out there for you to explore. I’d recommend trying out a few to find one that best fits your values, expectations, and personality. What’s the right community for one crocheter, may not be right for another. And there are no rules saying you can only have one crocheting community!
If you don’t have a crocheting community, and you’re lacking on the crocheting motivation front, finding a community will definitely help pick your spirits up. Yes, even though crochet often brings us a lot of welcome solitude, having a community you can turn to and chat crochet with whenever you feel like is great.
Here are a few ideas on where you could find your crocheting community, tips and tricks on navigating these community minefields, and also some specific examples and suggestions of crocheting communities for you to try out.
When I asked my crochet community on Instagram where their favourite crochet community was, the majority said Instagram. Coincidence? I think not. ;)
Essentially, if you have a public profile on Instagram, it is quite simple to create your own crocheting community by connecting with fellow crocheters, commenting on posts, and better yet, talking to them using the DM function. I’ve found the majority of the individuals I’m connected with by searching hashtags and seeing the most ‘recent’ posts using that hashtag as opposed to the ‘top’ posts.
Some of the hashtags to check out are: #crochet #crochetaddicts #crochetersofinstagram #crochetersofig #crochetlove #crocheting #crochetcommunity #crochetalong #crochetlover
Building a crocheting community for yourself on Instagram takes time, but it’s worth it. The amount of support I’ve received on the platform is unbelievable, and I attribute a huge part of my crochet dedication and motivation to this wonderful tribe.
Ravelry is a free social networking site for yarn lovers. I’m aware this platform is currently undergoing some controversy at the moment due to its new redesign and reported associated health concerns. However, the platform is still there, being used, and has over 8 million users with approximately 1 million actively using the site each month. Long story short, it would be strange for me to talk about crocheting communities, and not mention Ravelry.
The platform isn’t just for crocheters, but is for a diverse range of fiber artists. I enjoy using it, but personally don’t use it for the social side of things. The functionality is however there to help you find fiber artist communities, have conversations, and connect with like-minded hobbyists online. It also offers some great tools and resources like a notebook to log your yarn stash, finding patterns, plus a project notebook to keep track of all your WIPs. The latter two are what I use the platform for. I am definitely no Ravelry expert, but I do have a few tricks up my sleeve.
Within Ravelry, there is a function that allows you to search and join groups, which is a great way to find a crocheting community! You can type in keywords by location, or just browse through the groups and find one that sounds like a good fit. From there, select ‘join this group’ and away you go. All the discussions happen in the ‘fresh discussions feed’ section on the groups page, just scroll through, have a read, and contribute to any conversations you find interesting, relevant, or have something valuable to add.
There are a lot of groups on Ravelry, so it can be a bit of a minefield. I found my first groups by searching my city, Edinburgh. I would do the same if you’re starting out, search for your city first, and join any groups that strike your fancy from there.
If you’re stuck for options, here are a few I have found that look interesting for crocheters and aren’t location specific, but I know there are hundreds more!
Facebook of course, like Ravelry, also has a function that allows you to search for and join groups. Just type ‘crochet’ in the search bar, and then click ‘groups’ just below that, and you’ll find a plethora of Facebook groups to have a browse through, and potentially join, if you fancy it.
Here are a few Facebook groups I know of to get you started:
Crochet Community by Nicole Chase - Nicole is a wonderful crochet pattern designer, who I did an interview with not long ago. Click here to take a read. Her group on Facebook has over 2,000 members and is full of great conversations with fellow crocheters.
Pattern designers, bloggers, yarn brands, and crochet teachers
If you have a favourite crochet pattern designer, yarn shop, crochet blogger, or crochet teacher, you should check if they have an online group to join! So many crochet bloggers, pattern designers, yarn brands, and crochet teachers, have set up their own online communities. This is just another way for you to explore what is out there and on offer. How to find them? Head to their website, and take a look. Not everyone will have one, but a lot do, and it’s definitely worth exploring.
Here are a few that I know of to get you started:
Be Inspired Fibres on Ravelry - Be Inspired Fibres is my local Edinburgh yarn shop, and there is a group on Ravelry for the shop. Click this link to take a look.
Crochet Community by Nicole Chase on Facebook - I know this has appeared twice in my list, but it is a great group to join. Check it out here.
TOFT Studio Social on Facebook - TOFT UK has a Facebook group for workshops and crochet conversations. If you’re a fan of TOFT, this is a group for you. Take a look here.
The Hook Nook on Facebook - Jessica from The Hook Nook, also has a Facebook group which you can check out here.
WeCrochet on Facebook - Do you know the WeCrochet magazine and shop? If so, this may be a good community for you to check out. It’s the WeCrochet Family Facebook group here.
Wool and the Gang’s Facebook Group #MAKEALONG - If you’re a fan of Wool and the Gang, why not join their Facebook Group? It’s a great way to share your makes using Wool and the Gang yarn, and connect with other makers. Take a look here.
Okay, I do not encourage you to meet with anyone in person if COVID-19 lockdown measures are still in place in your city or country. However, if they aren’t and you’re more of a ‘face-to-face’ kind of person who would actually like to see and speak to people in the flesh, I’d encourage you to check out these community options to follow.
Meetup.com is a great place to start to find crocheting meet-ups in your local area. Just click this link here and select ‘more local groups’ to narrow it down to crocheting meet-ups in your area. You will need to create an account (but it’s free!) so you can request to join one or more of these groups to give them a try.
Eventbrite is a great place to search for local (or online) crocheting events or workshops in your area. Another great way to meet other fellow crocheters! Just head to Eventbrite here, search ‘crochet’ and see what you find. If you’d like to narrow it down to local events, just make sure you add that to your search.
Local yarn shops
Local yarn shops often host meet-ups and workshops. It’s worth having a google to find your local yarn shop. If they don’t have a website, they still might have a presence on social media. Reach out to them, and ask if they have any face-to-face yarn meet-ups, or know of any in your area. It’s likely that if there are no in-store events or workshops, that they’ll know of others going on in the area that they can refer you to.
Well, this was a mega post! But I hope it helps you find your crocheting community if you don’t already have one.
If you have a favourite crochet community that you’d like to add to the conversation, just add a comment below. I’d love to hear of more suggestions out there!
Until next time,
Happy crocheting and I might see you on the gram x
