Gift A Long

It’s GIft-A-Long Time !!

Christelle Knitting Leave a Comment

There are only 6 weeks left before Christmas ! It is about time to activate our needles if we want to offer knitted or crocheted gifts to our loved ones !

To help motivate you, today, I’m going to tell you about the Indie Gift-A-Long on Ravelry !

Join In and Participate in the Gift-A-Long 2021!

GAL-pin
1. What is the Indie Gift-A-Long?

The Indie Design Gift-A-Long is an almost 6 week long KAL / CAL* of holiday gifts made from patterns designed by 250 independent designers on Ravelry.

*To know what a KAL is, take a look here (the CAL is the counterpart of the KAL but it’s crochet instead of knitting).

This year, it will be held from Tuesday November 23rd at 8pm (US EST) until December 31st at midnight (US EST).

1.1. Is Gift-A-Long only a KAL?

I don’t think so!

The GAL begins with a sale period that runs from November 23, 8 p.m. to November 29, 2021 midnight (US EST).

During this period, you will be able to benefit from 25% off a selection of 10 to 20 patterns from 250 designers.

The code to use is: giftalong2021 . You will find the list of participating designers here as well as a bundle with all the patterns included.

1.2. Is Gift-A-Long only a sale?

Well no! Because in addition to the sale, to the KAL/CAL is holding several events in parallel.

First of all, you can enter your projects in dedicated threads (for example, a cowol will go in the KAL Cowl or Other Neck things).

In these threads, you can be randomly drawn to win a prize or simply be asked to answer a question. So at any time, you can win a prize (these prizes are digital so they are patterns from the participating designers).

Then, once your project is finished, you will be able to post a photo in the FO thread.

This thread will give you the possibility to win prizes, both digital and physical (so it can be an ebook, a book, yarn, markers etc.).

You will however have to enter a prize that is made from a paid-pattern from one of the participating designers (whether it is a pattern you bought on Ravelry, Makerist or other or from a magazine or book),

1.3. Is Gift-A-Long only prizes?

That’s not all, not only can you participate in the KAL, you can win prizes but there is also a whole little world that is active around the GAL, you will find :

  • discussions (at a more or less fast pace),
  • a thread of recipes for the holidays (or not),
  • a thread about our pets,
  • an Instagram challenge (given the difficulties that some people may encounter with Ravelry, it is now also possible to participate on IG and win prizes and we also now have a google spreadsheet that lists alternative places online to purchase patterns from GAL2021 Participating Designers that offer alternative platforms for pattern purchases:).
  • And if you want to, you can also participate in the frenzy of prize giving on New Year’s Eve. Indeed, some moderators (including myself) distribute gifts all day long, either by creating puzzles, riddles or by distributing them randomly.

You will have understood it, it is a major and intense event on Ravelry, which attracts about 15000 participants and is moderated by volunteers (including myself).

2. Who are the Participating Designers?

You can find the participating designers on the thread here : Participating Designers List. (bundle coming soon).

I think you can understand the magnitude of the event with the few sentences I shared here with you.

You can easily imagine how important the Indie Gift-A-Long is this year 2020, a year that has limited the possibilities to meet, to make our work known, to teach for some designers.

This event is usually important for the participating designers but here it is probably one of the only events that will take place normally and will help at least some of us to get our heads above water.

2.1. Which of my patterns are included in the sale?
Gift A Long

You will find the bundle of my patterns included in the sale here.
The code to use is: giftalong2021

The promotion runs from Tuesday, November 23rd 8:00 PM US EST (so 2:00 AM BXL Time) to November 29th midnight US EST (so 6:00 AM BXL Times).

If you want to participate, all my patterns are eligible to win a prize in the KALs (even the free ones) and all my paid patterns (even from magazines or purchased on other platforms) are eligible to win physical and digital prizes on the completed projects.

3. Will I participate as a knitter?

Yes, the purpose of the GAL is to get pleasure from knitting!
As a designer, I now have little time to knit patterns from other designers without pressure, without deadline (well, yes, Christmas) …

So the GAL is THE time when I take a design knitting break and knit other things.

I can’t make a list yet as I’m not sure what I’m going to do yet, if you’re curious, I suggest you follow my Instagram account where I’ll post my work in progress and ideas.

One thing is for sure, this year I will try to make a pair of socks (and at least finish it in time!) with this wool!

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If you want to know more, I told you about GAL last year YouTube channel (but it’s in French – you can find a video in English on Imagined Landscape YT Channel).

If you want to share this article with other people don’t hesitate to relay it via social networks (just click on the buttons here below) and don’t hesitate either to give your opinion here in the comments space!

See you soon,

Christelle

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