Ravelry woes

[Wiste]

I think my biggest complaint about their forums would have to be that it's not clearly defined if a thread is about knitting or crocheting. There isn't a whole lot of crochet stuff on their in general so you have really pick through it to find anything useful. I also don't like how anyone is allowed to submit a pattern and if someone else submits yours you have to go find it and claim it. I understand the point is to have a catalog of every pattern in existence with info on how to find it but it seems kind of wrong to me.

 

I added a pattern there but submitted it before I was finished and I couldn't find it anywhere because patterns you submit aren't associated with your account by default. I had to go find it in the database and claim it, then go through a bunch of other steps just to add a photo.

 

Even just adding stuff to my stash was a bit of an ordeal. I already have flickr and my own blog so listing my projects there is just an extra step I don't need. At this point the only reason I would make an effort to learn how to use it is if I start selling patterns.

[Krystal16]

I signed up but quit fooling around with it quickly.

The groups I am intested in have no activity and I use photobucket and dont care to sign up for Flicker too and it is pain to navigate too.

So no your are not alone. Maybe in time they well make it more userfriendly.

 

You can use any photo hosting now, using the photo slurper. They "support" photobucket, but I've always used the slurper so never actually tried the photobucket thingy.

[magiccrochetfan]

Wow, Empress, that's a nice rundown of ways to use ravelry! Thanks for taking the time and effort to post all that!

 

I have been on Ravelry for about 9 months I think, and I keep discovering new ways to use it...that can be frustrating, that things aren't always obvious to me, but it is also fun to make the discoveries.

 

I have listed some of my yarn and a lot of projects, and recently I remembered that I already had a yarn i needed by seeing it on my stash there; otherwise I had forgotten about it. So I find it useful.

 

The groups there have a different feel than Crochetville and it doesn't seem as warm and welcoming, but there are still some good crochet discussions. I think Crochet on Ravelry might be the biggest crochet group there. Also there is a Crochetville group, although I admit I haven't joined it and don't really look at it because I spend so much time here Besides the crochet-specific groups, and some that are for knitting and crocheting, I have found some good crochet discussions by doing a search for the word "crochet" on the main 6 boards to which everyone belongs.

 

I don't think the boards are the main reason to join Ravelry though. The best part is the way you can look at people's projects and research experiences with patterns and yarns.

 

As far as waiting to join, it usually only takes a few days. If you're interested, just sign up and when you come up on the wait list, check it out. If you don't like it you can leave and will have lost nothing but a feew minutes of time it took to sign up.

 

Overall, i find enough differences between the Ville and Ravelry to feel that they complement each other well.

[Chiscrochetcrazy]

I haven't tried to join it, in part because months ago the waiting list was forever. Is it like trying to get into a cool Manhattan night club or something? If so, they probably won't let me in!

 

Not really because they do send everyone who asks an invite it just may take some time Now on Etsy to join teams some will say they aren't accepting new members. That's a total turn off I didn't mind waiting for my rav invite actually it was kinda fun to keep checking to see where I was in line

[Amethyst Unycorn]

This is exactly how I feel! I just get disgusted with it and give up. When I want inspiration, I go to the Show and Tell section of Crochetville or some of the yarn companies sites. Everything is so helter, skelter on Ravelry, I seldom bother to go there at all, unless someone gives me a specific link of something to see.

[TammyG]

I haven't used Ravelry too much. But I will say I just made a great connection on it. This lead to a local group that I met with on Tuesday. So that was a very positive thing for me....I do find it confusing at times.

[JennyBunny]

LOL, I found my sister on Ravelry.

 

She's a knitter of many years, been on since it's inception. I"m a crocheter of many years, joined two years ago. Just today we finally realized we are both on there. (We haven't talked much nor seen each other for the last 15 years or so.)

[missmaxx]

I posted my opinion about Ravelry earlier but forgot one of the neatest things they have there....

A yarn shop finder! Go to the "yarn" tab and enter an address. Really, I entered my address and found 3 stores within 10 miles of my house that I didn't know existed. I'm now a customer at all three! I used it too when I went on vacation. Just put an address in and you'll find all kinds of shops where yarn is waiting for you!

A friend wasn't on Ravelry yet so I entered her addresss (in Australia) and sent her a list of about 10 shops near her.

Like I said before, it's a great resource for crocheters.

[marikamum]

I posted my opinion about Ravelry earlier but forgot one of the neatest things they have there....

A yarn shop finder! Go to the "yarn" tab and enter an address. Really, I entered my address and found 3 stores within 10 miles of my house that I didn't know existed. I'm now a customer at all three! I used it too when I went on vacation. Just put an address in and you'll find all kinds of shops where yarn is waiting for you!

A friend wasn't on Ravelry yet so I entered her addresss (in Australia) and sent her a list of about 10 shops near her.

Like I said before, it's a great resource for crocheters.

 

I have to say, that is what convinced me to join Ravelry... thanks again, Nancy

[rachelk]

I joined Ravelry just over a year ago and for a long time didn't use it much as I just couldn't get used to it.

 

Now though, as I've learned to find my way around more, I love it.

[magiccrochetfan]

The store locater at Ravelry doesn't work well at all for my area--it doesn't show all the LYS that are there. It also lists Michael's, Hobby Lobby, JoAnns, but gives no clue as to their actual location.

 

Knitmap.com works much better for me. In my area the Michaels-type stores aren't listed, but the LYS listing is much better than Ravelry's.

[brenoreo]

Thank you, Empress Busy Bee, for all the useful info. I've just started on it not long ago and am slowly finding my way around.

[Jan2]

Well, sure glad I read this thread. Just applied yesterday and they said should be 2 days. Tomorrow right? I don't know how much use it'll be to me as I haven't learned yet to post pictures (If i did, this would be the first place i'd post them, having enjoyed everyone else's pictures.)

But thanks for all the tips and i'll explore it with an open mind.

Ravelry will never take the place of the 'ville, tho, I try to come here every day, just to 'be with' fellow crocheters. In real life, I only know one other person who knows how to cro. and she does't do that much. Jan.

[apecaut]

One of my favorite ways to find groups and people I am interested in is to go to the People Tab and look at finished objects. I browse around and will see some really fabulous projects. Well, then I go and see what groups that person belongs to and usually join them myself! It is difficult to find groups I am interested in otherwise.

[darski]

For the life of me I cannot see any sense in Ravelry at all. I would guess that I was the first member to ask to be excused. It was impossible to find anything then and there was no chatting anywhere. Members here who typed their heads off here were suddenly tongue-tied and had nothing to say over there.

 

It really annoys me now when people post their patterns at *that place* as I cannot see what they are doing.

 

I guess I put Ravelry and Caron SS yarn in the same category. It annoys me that either exists.

[magiccrochetfan]

It really annoys me now when people post their patterns at *that place* as I cannot see what they are doing.

 

They do plan to go public at some point, so you won't have to be a member to use the site.

[rddugan]

What I really enjoy about Ravelry is the patterns. Click on or search for a pattern or a pattern book that you want or have, and you will likely see many projects completed in ways and color combinations you never thought of. If you are thinking of buying a pattern book - you can see completed projects on line. (I think Empress Busybee mentioned this too.)

 

Also, you can click the yarn tab for a pattern, and see whether the yarn you have available has been used for that pattern, what it looks like in the pattern, and often the crafter may have gauge notes or tips.

 

You can also easily search for patterns and there are often links or free downloads of the pattern available. (Try the pattern browser - it's great!)

 

I haven't been involved with groups there, but I have used the groups to look at different examples the particular projects they might be working on, such as tapestry crochet, or baby clothing - whatever. I've seen beautiful tapestry crochet patterns on that I had not seen before.

 

I find it very helpful to have my own craft books listed in my library - I can look through them to remind me of patterns I own and would like to work on rather than having to pull out a billion books.

 

A disappointment for me is that there is a small number of crocheters as opposed to knitters.

[Sherilynn]

I didn't know you could actually look through the books in the library. Cool

[gumby28]

When I signed up I was disappointed and found it very difficult to get around. (this web site has spoiled me.) Now after reading what some people here have said I've given it a second try and it is much easier to get around.

[rddugan]

I didn't know you could actually look through the books in the library. Cool

 

Hi Sherilynn,

 

You can't actually look through the books, but if anyone has done a project, you can see it completed. I've found that there usually are several projects completed for the popular knitting books. However, this is less true of crochet books - only because there are fewer crocheters there posting projects as compared to knitters.

[Tracey4610]

If you want to feel a little more warmer in Ravelry, there are two groups I'd like to recommend that you check out. For one, Amy S. has a Crochetville group there, and there's also (one of my favorites!) Crochet Liberation Front. The folks there are very welcoming, and are more than willing to help, just like here on the 'Ville.

 

That aside, I tend to use Ravelry more for potential projects, networking with other designers, and stuff like that. kind of what I do here (though lately, i've done more lurking than anything else here).

[LondonLaura]

I am new to Ravelry and am loving it. I joined in the summer, took one look at the Homepage and got scared off! Revisted it a few weeks ago, took some time to look around, and am now making good use of a few features (listing projects, stash, patterns etc.) I love being able to collate all my information together, along with photos. I love being able to cross-reference yarn available with patterns I'm interested in. I love seeing what other people have done with this same yarn or pattern. Rather like first discovering the Internet, it's easy to find yourself moving far away from your original thought because there's so many intriguing ideas along the way.

 

The message boards seem very quiet and disappointing. Or maybe that's just because I'm so used to the warmth and vibrancy over here

 

I really wouldn't want to be without Ravelry now.

And thank goodness I've also got the 'Ville! I love hanging out over here, I'd miss it terribly if it was unavailable. This site is wonderful in it's own right and IMO isn't diminished at all by Ravelry. There's room for both.

[Wiste]

I'm still trying to give it a 2nd chance. Unlike the lovely folks here, there seem to be a lot of people there who haven't learned good social interaction skills. I don't think it's helped at all by the buttons on each post that you can click to give an opinion without really having to give an opinion (why click the "disagree" button without saying why you disagree? It's pointless). Anyway, I'm trying again by finding a local knitting/crocheting group. If I can't use it to find people online I want to interact with maybe I can find people I want to interact with in person.

[Empress Busy Bee]

I don't think it's helped at all by the buttons on each post that you can click to give an opinion without really having to give an opinion (why click the "disagree" button without saying why you disagree? It's pointless).

I love love the buttons there. Mostly I use the agree or funny ones but sometimes I use the disagree. You don't have to not say why you disagree. You can always click that button and then hit reply. Sometimes I don't and it's because I like being able to disagree without getting into a debate about opinions. I'm okay with people disagreeing with me there. Of course it's always fun when they agree or love or funny my replies.

 

[Wiste]

It's not that I care what button someone pushed. It's that it adds nothing to the discussion. Mostly it seems to be a way for everyone to have an opinion without putting any thought in to it. The funny/educational makes sense for ranking but agree/disagree quickly becomes pointless as people take sides. They just click disagree on every post from the opposing viewpoint like it's a popularity contest.