Have you ever done a knit-along? I’ve done a few in the last handful of years, and I always enjoy the process, even if I don’t always “successfully” complete the project for whatever reason. (We all have those projects!) We wrapped up our Berroco Winter KAL, featuring the Helen Sweater and Ellen Cardigan, a few weeks ago, and now we’re looking to start our next KAL! We’ll be knitting the Odora Shawl, designed by Emily Nora O’Neil, from Booklet #372 Folio + Fiora. This is my first Berroco Knit-along in which I’ve participated and I’m really excited to get started knitting!
Why am I so excited about a knit-along? If you’ve never participated, here are some reasons to give a knit-along a try:
- Community: Knit-alongs provide a common theme. That theme can be the project, such as the Odora Shawl, or a particular kind of yarn. The theme can also be a bit more broad, such as “my first sweater KAL” or “projects inspired by our favorite TV show.” The point is that you’re participating in a group setting—we have a discussion thread on Ravelry in which knitters can talk about their progress and share photos of their in-progress Odoras as they’re knitting, but you’ll also see people around the internet sharing their progress. If you’re using social media, just tag your updates with #BerrocoKAL so other people can more easily see your posts.
- Support: A lot of us knit in a sort of isolation—personally, I live on my own, but even when I’m visiting my family or some of my friends, many of them are not knitters, so I’m the only person knitting. There are knitting nights at local yarn stores or independently organized groups, but sometimes they aren’t operating when you have a question or just need encouragement to try something that challenges you a bit. The great thing about participating in an virtual knit-along is that there’s almost always someone who can help you quickly. Wondering how to work a particular stitch? Just a post a question in the Ravelry forum or on social media with the hashtag, and very likely, someone will answer you quickly so you can keep on knitting.
- Fun: Knit-alongs are a great way to have fun and meet new knitters who share a common interest!
Our Odora Shawl knit-along starts May 2, 2016. To join in, all you have to do is purchase the pattern and possibly some yarn (you’ll need about 900 yards of DK-weight Berroco, Lang, or Amano yarn). I’ll be using the yarn called for in the pattern, Berroco Folio, in color 4512 Criehaven. Amy Christoffers is also going to be working on her own Odora in a different yarn—be sure to check out her blog next week as she examines different yarn options!
We’d love to have you join us in the Berroco Lovers Group on Ravelry to talk about your progress—Ravelry is a free knitting and crochet community site that has incredible resources, including discussion group forums to chat about your knitting progress. But if you’re not into forums, no worries! Just share your progress on social media with the hashtag #BerrocoKAL. The hashtag works on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. If you have a blog, be sure to leave us a link when you talk about your Odora (or any Berroco yarn or pattern).
Leave a comment below and let us know if you’ll be joining us on our knit-along! – AP
I’ll be joining and I’ll be doing a live stream cast on party on May 2 on Mont Tricot