Do you like CALs / KALs / SALs, etc.?

Dear users, dear authors,
do you like CALs = crochet-along events / crocheting together with other craft enthusiasts using the same pattern + group discussion? 
Of course, there are also versions for knitting, sewing, etc.

I actually think it’s a nice idea, but so far, no CAL project has really appealed to me. As far as I can remember, they’re mostly blankets.
I’d probably end up getting stressed out because I’m too slow.

That wouldn’t be for me. My time for crafts varies a lot. And even if I finish quickly, I’m not sure I could wait.

Often, you don’t know what the patterns will be like—for example, the annual Tahiti CAL—and I basically have to choose the colors without knowing what to expect. I don’t really like surprises.

But I do enjoy following a CAL and am happy to see the progress others are making. 

Hi, I really like them. But only the free ones, where I don’t have to buy any materials. I collect the individual episodes first, and when I feel like it, I work on them at my own pace using yarn I already have on hand.
Best regards, Anja

But then it’s just another pattern like any other.
I see it the same way as the others—I work too individually, at my own pace, so that would probably stress me out more than it would excite me.

I’m not really into them either, but I once had a very bad experience with one of these, and ever since then I’ve been avoiding them like the plague. I get along better working at my own pace.

Best regards, Inge

I haven’t found a CAL that’s appealed to me yet—either I didn’t like the project, or the materials required were too expensive for me. But I’d absolutely love to join one someday!!! Ideally, even a Mystery CAL, where you only have a rough idea of what you’re actually crocheting. 😄

I’ve started joining in a few times here and there, because I do really like the exchange and everything.

But most of the time it ends up as a UFO, because at some point I no longer have time for it and don’t continue later 😅

--> Great idea. But not for me. 

That’s not really my thing either. I have my own pace and find it hard to adjust. Either you fall behind or you end up with downtime because you’re going too fast. Either way, it ends up being stressful.
On the other hand, interacting with others is definitely interesting. I enjoyed it when we knitted our “Karls” here in the craft group and compared how different they turned out. But everyone was able to work at their own pace.

By the way, it’s interesting that so far, almost all the comments posted have been from people who aren’t that enthusiastic about CALs. Where are the fans?

My LaCritza Advent calendar included a Mystery CAL like that, which was a lot of fun. However, I just crocheted away on my own here; I’m not on Facebook, so I think that’s where people could have shared their experiences.

I took part in a Mystery CAL last year. It was supposed to be a scarf. It was actually fun. But for me, too, it’s still a UFO so far, even though there isn’t much left to do. I even bought the right yarn for it, and it wasn’t cheap. Right now, I’m also getting a pattern every Thursday, but the yarn was too expensive for that. Still, I’d like to start working on whatever the pattern calls for at some point—but with my own yarn. 

I took part in an Advent calendar CAL at Christmas, and it was really fun. It ended up as a UFO for two months with just the last day and a half left, but I finished it.
I’d love to join another one, but I haven’t found one yet and don’t have the time right now—though I’m sure there will be another one in December.

I love them 💖💖💖💖💖
I especially love the knitting ones. I’m currently working on a scarf. It’s a mystery KAL—my third from this designer.... And yes, I’ll admit that when it comes to “new” designers, I wait for the first part to see if I might like it, and only then do I join in.
  This one came in 6 parts, one every Friday.... and because I knit so much, I actually had to take a break for a day or two in between... it was going too fast... 
An MKal actually led me to knit my very first pair of socks 🙈 I thought the pattern was soooo beautiful, and since I knitted both at the same time, it didn’t turn into a UFO....

That was also an MKal.... 😇

Are Mystery XALs a good fit because you like surprises?