RavelryReviews 510

I've been on Ravelry for almost a decade. I've enjoyed the various patterns and stash stalking. The forums are interesting and like any forum, one does has to take with a grain of salt what's in there. There are people who like to provoke individuals just to get the reaction they want. There are others who truly are there to help. I know one of the forums I watch helped out immensely when an indie dyer was unable to keep up with production and disappeared.
The site is an excellent resource for the new and experienced knitter. I have made new friends on there as well as done some of the swaps.
Personally I like the site and think it's a value for the newbie as well as the experienced knitter.

I've been a member of Ravelry for a decade or so now, and I have not lost my love for it in the least. It is simply THE site for knit/crochet.

It is the most complete resource available, from patterns to yarns to forums to how to's and more. I love that I can look up a pattern I plan to make, and see the different ways other people have created it. Sometimes they have made and shared their modifications - so I may find instructions to change it to a shawl collar, or add pockets, or who knows. That alone is fantastic.

But I can also look at the yarn database and see what might be a good investment for my dream sweater. Or I can ask in the forums for some help to get started with these short rows that were confusing me. Or maybe I will participate in a knit-a-long of a pattern, so we can all help each other or be stuck together.

And the price of all this? Blissfully free. The haters must be stirring up s*** to think anything but positive thoughts because this site is amazing.

This is a fantastic and FREE site that offers more than you can imagine. It allows for free discourse on fiber-related topics as well as groups for those interested in discussing just about any other imaginable topic. Adults should be able to have civil discourse and should also be willing and able to bypass issues/patterns in which they have no interest or disagree with. Freedom of speech, however, means if you're a racist, homophobe, or want to force your religion on others that you will hear from those who disagree with you.

I used to buy a ton of patterns and buy from Amazon through their link. Now I don't. Their supposed motto is "Be excellent to each other" but if you dare ask a question, be prepared to be attacked and possibly become fodder for a bunch of horrible, mean people with zero lives. Some of these "mean girls" will follow everything you do on Ravelry and make nasty comments. Ravelry lost all the money I was sending their way because apparently only a few people should be excellent; everyone else gets a free pass to be nasty and mean. Until it cleans house of all of the constant bullying and negativity, they won't see another penny from me.

Ravelry has an amazing database of crochet (and knitting) patterns, many of which are free.

Some patterns are political or otherwise likely to offend; these are marked as "mature content" and you can choose not to see them.

Signing up is free and you can upload as many images to your project and stash pages as you like. Keeping up to date notes of your projects is really handy in case you want to remake a pattern and you can't remember how you altered it, or you've got several Works In Progress and you can't remember what size hook you used in one of them! You can also look at other people's pages and see what that sweater looks like made by other crafters on all sizes and shapes of bodies.

If you want to venture into the forums, and if you want to upload images to the forums, and if they're not the images from your project or stash pages, then there is a small annual fee of $5.

The "Big Six" main forums are strictly moderated and no thread drift is allowed. They're really helpful if you want to know about a particular yarn, pattern or technique.

There are other forums based on groups, and the Crochet Shoulder Wrappers group is particularly good, well-regulated, knowledgeable and helpful. They have three Crochet-A-Longs a month: one free pattern, one paid, and one that can be free or paid that the members have voted for. CALs never really end so you can always get help or advice on any of those patterns quite easily.

Some forums focus on chat or on politics. If you don't want drama you can avoid those.

All in all a wonderful site. As with any internet site there can occasionally be drama but it really is very easy to avoid it.

Disappointed to see Ravelry management seems to be encouraging intense political bashing. I never noticed the mean-spirited name-calling and hate baiting during the Obama administration, but as soon as Trump was elected, this "island of fiber fun" has gone off the rails into a dumping ground of ego and "tribal" bashing. One look at Mama Ravelry's page and you'll see why. I guess if you found a successful site, like Ravelry, you can think however you like, dress however you like, talk however you like, support whoever you like, and do whatever you like, right? But karma does have a way of catching up with all of us. Even you.

Put on your big girl panties and get ready to rock and roll. Ravelry welcomes ALL types and people from all countries and walks of life. Patterns are input by designers and are not censored. ALL PATTERNS from EVERYWHERE are on Ravelry, not just special patterns created for the site. Knitting, hooking, machine knitting, looming, everything. Are you right wing? There's groups for that. Are you liberal? There's groups for that too. Is there drama? Hell yes, make some popcorn and join the rubbernecker group. It's pretty funny watching the right wing nuts get their panties in a twist because Ravelry celebrates PRIDE or allows patterns that aren't to their political views or tastes --- and yet they cry about "snowflakes" having meltdowns? Obs they can dish it out but can't take it themselves as evidenced by the whiny reviews here about "socialists" and "political patterns" and "LACK OF TOLERANCE." WUT? Tolerance goes both ways...

The political patterns and forum posts have gotten out of hand in Ravelry. And if you are to comment that Ravelry is supposed to be for fiber arts, not mean, hateful political stuff, you are bullied and attacked. Never mind that this behavior violates Ravelrys terms of service, they wont do anything about it. Ravelry does not care about a safe, peaceful environment for knitting, crocheting, etc. And why would they? They make money when someone sells a pattern, regardless of its content. If you dont want your kids exposed to such nonsense, keep them away from this site.

Ravelry is the most comprehensive fiber arts website I have encountered. Like many other sites with primarily user-created content, it is what you make of it. The pattern and yarn database is vast, encompassing content from all over the world. While the site itself does not sell patterns, the platform is set up so designers can sell their own patterns (or distribute them for free) via ravelry servers. While mature content is permitted, users can easily set up filters to personalize their own ravelry experience to their tastes. Overall, there's a reason Ravelry has grown to over 7 million users: it is simply the best knitting and crochet related social networking site to date.

All I really use this for is my free patterns! I've gotten some GREAT patterns from this site that I wouldn't have gotten otherwise. I never had any issues w/it. Tho I see some items and they don't have the pattern that goes to it. But there are SOOOO MANY FREE patterns on this site, I continue to go on it for that. You can do a simple search for something too... ie. Put in "scrap yarn," and then All of these patterns that have those words in it show up. For me, this site works for Just that!

It seems both Cindy and Leigh have seen the same horrible things I have. I don't know said attacker and she has not threatened me, but why would I visit a website with such low standards? The ravelry attacker is even allowed to post death threats and remain there to do it again. No. I will purchase my patterns and yarn elsewhere, thank you. If they don't care about death threats, then why would they care about securing my payment info? Ravelry was once a huge empire for all things knitting. Now they're too big to maintain the site themselves. The bigger they are, the harder they fall.

As a long time member of Ravelry I have become dismayed by their lack of action regarding a certain member. This member is allowed to totally ignore community standards and post project pages demeaning other members. Ravelry administration's lack of action is disheartening to say the least. Their solution to the problem is to block those that complain from seeing the member's page, while allowing her to view their pages, and continue to make vicious remarks. I guess to Ravelry it really is all about the money. I no longer use Ravelry as a source to purchase patterns, and inform the designer's and advertisers as to my reason why. If I miss out on a pattern here or there so be it. I can not support a company that condones cyber bullying, and as soon as possible will be deleting my account.

I've been a member of Ravelry for a number of years and previously thought it an excellent site. That opinion has changed drastically in recent months. A member is creating "projects" to attack other members, quite viciously in fact. Ravelry won't even respond to the complaints, let alone do anything about it. Several people have deleted their accounts after being attacked by this member. Their "community standards" are a complete joke, as the attacks continue, day after day. If you enjoy being bullied, this is a good site. Be prepared to have your knitting criticized, your profession, your looks and your body!