Exciting times! I decided my Evolving Sweater Design that I have been blogging about recently will be a Crochet-A-Long (CAL) running for 5 weeks starting April 13th!!! All the prep (schematics, yardage, how to swatch for gauge info etc) will released via Ravelry 2 weeks earlier on March 30th. Whoo hoo!
What if there was a way to receive this info a bit earlier? Give you more time to get your yarn sorted accounting for those little quirks like yarn-choice-analysis-paralysis and pesky shipping times?
Well, there is!
Read on to find out how you can join in the fun. Firstly though...
Not sure what a Crochet-A-Long is?
A Crochet-A-Long is an online event where a group of makers all crochet the same item together over a set period of time by following a pattern, with new sections of the pattern instruction document progressively released in stages. There can be more bells and whistles added, but that's the core of it.
CALs are a great way to make a project and share the experience with others - and an excellent means of learning along the way! My mission is to help makers master crocheting garments for themselves (or for their loved ones) AND achieve good fit. CALs allow me to help more people all at once and well, ...it's just more fun!
This is totally my jam...
I have hosted a number of garment CALs over the previous few years of my crochet designing journey being the Sashiko Happy Coat & Beach Daze Filet Tunic Make-A-Longs hosted in the Scheepjes International and Dutch Facebook groups, and more recently, the Ever-Change Sweater and Shelley Sweater CALs hosted in my own private Facebook pattern support group Pepper-Gaggle.
Participant feedback from previous events has been really positive, with makers encouraging each other and celebrating progress, colour and yarn choices and correcting mistakes. Yes, mistakes! Booboos are definitely part of the journey and it's great to embrace them - they are an inherent part of learning new skills and applying new knowledge! My answer to one maker's question can benefit many so joining in and embracing all the "frogging opportunities" is a great way to stretch yourself and learn heaps!
If you want to make your first crochet garment this is a great opportunity to join in, use your CAL sample to learn and make all the mistakes, then make a second sample in different colours to nail it completely to cement all that you learned!
Okay... so that's the low down on features and benefits of CALs in general...
What about this one in particular?
Here are the deets:
My Evolving Sweater Design pattern (this is a working title... I am still coming up with the final name)... is graded to 13 sizes, producing a finished garment bust circumference range from 80cm through to 150cm!
As I recently described in my prototype "preview video" as part of this blog, I purposefully kept the stitches used and the complexity of the mosaic pattern to an achievable level so intermediate level crocheters and adventurous beginners might feel comfortable to give it a go! If you haven't already checked out the video, I encourage you to do so - it shows you all the features I included in the design and why.
As I also mentioned in an earlier blog post, as part of getting the sweater pattern ready for publication I am testing out some other yarns to provide alternatives to the Rowan Felted Tweed dk that I used for the prototype see here.
Pattern Instruction PDFs will be available in both UK and US terminology, and ONLY via Ravelry for the first 4 weeks of the CAL.
The 5th week is when the last part of the pattern PDF is published and only then will the full pattern will be available through ETSY and some other online sites. (This is because it's just me running the CAL and Ravelry provides the functionality to update all buyers easily as a group. Thank you for your understanding.)
The Evolving Sweater Crochet-A-Long will again be hosted in my private Facebook pattern support group Pepper-Gaggle.
...but this time I am handling the lead up a bit differently.
For this CAL I have set up a Pre-Sale Registration Form!
Registering for Pre-Sale benefits you 3 ways:
1.
You receive a single use RAVELRY PATTERN DISCOUNT CODE* to buy the pattern at a HEAVILY reduced price! This will be emailed to you March 13th 2024.
WHEN THE PATTERN LAUNCHES MARCH 30th 2024 enter your Ravelry pattern discount code at check out to buy the pattern for AUD$8.00 instead of AUD$12.50! (That's a 36% discount!)
*RAVELRY Discount code provided will be valid for use March 30th - April 13th, 2024.
2.
You receive the prep info earlier than non-registrants! The prep info is the first part of the pattern document that goes through schematics, yardage, how to swatch for and check your gauge.
It will be included with the RAVELRY DISCOUNT CODE* email as an attached PDF. Whoo hoo! More time to source your yarn and have it shipped out before the CAL starts! Cool, huh!?
3.
Registering for Pre-Sale provides a direct communication channel for you to receive CAL information updates direct to your inbox (please add susannah@peppergoose.design to your address list so my CAL updates don't go to spam). This last one is super-great because...
These are just the current benefits!
It's too early to share the details yet, but there are more in the pipeline! Register using the form link below and you will be emailed with what these bonus extras are as they come to hand... easy!
The Fine Print:
All critical updates about the Peppergoose Evolving Sweater Design CAL event will be emailed to the account you enter on the registration form, but you will not be added as a subscriber to the Peppergoose Design blog unless you answer with "yes" to the separate question asking if you would also like to subscribe.
How to register:
Complete THIS FORM to register as an Evolving Sweater Design CAL Pre-Sale participant. The Pre-Sale Registration Form is valid from now until end March 12th 2024.
What to do:
FILL OUT YOUR NAME AND EMAIL DETAILS ON THE FORM TO REGISTER AS A PRE-SALE CUSTOMER, and on March 13th 2024 you will be emailed you discount code along with the prep part of the pattern PDF.
CLICK THAT HEART BUTTON ON RAVELRY TO POP IT IN YOUR FAVOURITES! That really helps to improve the visibility of my pattern listing which means I can help more crocheters who want to make garments. Thanks in advance!
What's happening now - why the wait?
Between now and when the CAL begins, I am working on photo and video resources to supplement the pattern document, test the pattern and my testing group are using a few different yarns to optimise yarn-inclusivity! I will also come up with an official name soon (lol).
Lots to do... but it's going to be heaps of fun!
That's me for today...
Subscribe here if you don’t want to miss a blog post!
And if you are looking for something to make while waiting I recently reduced the price for some of my graded garment designs on Ravelry Pattern Store, and you can browse them here!
Happy stitching,
Susannah (Peppergoose)
#evolvingsweaterdesignCAL #crochetvnecksweater #topdowncrochet #peppergoose #crochetalongcomingsoon #evolvesweaterdesign
(Note: all time references are to local Perth time in Western Australia.)
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