It's Almost Gift-A-Long Time!

It is almost time for the third annual Ravelry Indie Design Gift-A-Long! What exactly is the Gift-A-Long (or GAL, for short)? Think of it as a six-week knit- or crochet-along to get ready for the holidays focusing on the patterns published by independent designers. There are KAL/CAL threads for a number of categories (hats, scarves and shawls, sweaters, baby items, etc.) along with games and lots of chatter. Basically you can come join the group and have a big cheering section while you cast on and try to finish your holiday gift crafting in time!

This year, the GAL will begin at 8 p.m. Eastern time on Thursday, November 19 (that's tonight!), and run through 11:59 p.m. Eastern time on Thursday, December 31. To qualify for prizes, all projects must not be started until 8 p.m. tonight and must be finished before midnight on New Year's Eve.

In addition, the GAL kicks off with a pattern sale. This year, there are 335 participating designers (including yours truly), and each designer has selected between five and 20 of his/her self-published patterns to put on sale. From 8 p.m. Eastern tonight through 11:59 p.m. Eastern on Friday, November 27, those selected patterns will be 25% off when you use the coupon code giftalong2015. You can find out which patterns each designer has selected by visiting that designer's designated GAL bundle (mine, for instance, is here). It is important to note that while these patterns are discounted for the sale portion of the GAL, all participating designers' patterns are eligible for the KALs/CALs, and all paid patterns (including those that might have been published in books or magazines) are eligible for prizes.

So, what can you do now while you wait for the GAL to start? Well, go join the Ravelry group, for starters. You can also peruse the list of participating designers here or search the group bundle or Pinterest boards that will go live shortly before the official GAL start. And of course you can raid your stash and find the yarn and needles you'll need to start when the clock strikes 8!