Crochet-Along or CAL

Hi everyone! I was just browsing the internet and came across some “Crochet Along” (or CAL) stuff. For those of you who aren’t familiar with the term: It’s a group crochet project that anyone can join. Over the course of several weeks, participants crochet a project (a blanket, a bag, or whatever...)—with a new section released each week that you can follow along with. At the end, everyone gets to show off their finished project.

Would this be something you’d be interested in, or is anyone currently taking part in a CAL? This might also be interesting for people who DON’T have Facebook...

Dear Nadeleule,

I’m one of those people who don’t have Facebook. I’ve looked into this a few times already, and YES, I’d be interested. It’s just that in the summer, with vacation time and the kids’ school breaks, it’s not feasible for me.
So I’d join right away, provided it starts in September.

And how did you envision this? A big granny square blanket where someone posts a different square every week, or one person who presents the whole blanket? Just to give an example.

Both would be good ideas. But it should be doable for everyone, so I’m not sure if even beginners can contribute granny squares. It could also be a blanket with different patterned stripes…

Let’s wait and see if there’s enough interest at all.

Maybe one of the experienced designers would like to contribute a pattern for it?

I’ve organized both a KAL (knit-along) and a CAL (crochet-along) before. I always really enjoy things like that. :-)

I’ve never taken part in anything like this before, whether as a KAL or a CAL. It’s sure to be a wonderful new experience. I’d love to join.

Something like this would also be great as an Advent calendar CAL, to bring a little peace and quiet to the evenings amid all the pre-Christmas hustle and bustle.

@ Wollness-Oase
Dear Michaela

Since you already have experience with this, would you like to take the lead on it?

Yeah, I could do that.
The only question is, what should we crochet together?
I’d be out if it were an amigurumi. So far, I’ve only hosted CALs/KALs for my own designs. ;-)
We could also host a themed CAL/KAL.
Like, for example, vacation projects.
We’d also need to create a separate thread, set the duration, etc.

A vacation project would be nice! An amigurumi probably wouldn’t be ideal, since tastes vary so much, but a large summer shawl or a light blanket would be nice, because everyone can choose the colors they like.... 
You have such beautiful designs, I’m sure you can come up with something, right? 

It doesn’t necessarily have to be right away...
A fall project (e.g. a cape or poncho) or an Advent project would also be possible?

If I may add my two cents as well ;-)

I think it’s a great idea. And even though, because of work, I only get to crochet on weekends (if at all), I’d gladly make time for a special project like this :-D

I especially like the idea of a blanket. It has a bit of the feel of those “old-fashioned” patchwork blankets that I really only know from old movies anymore — everyone contributes a small individual piece, and in the end you have something very special.

Whether that also works with clothing items (like ponchos, etc.), I can’t say. I have a bit of trouble imagining it. Maybe that’s also because I personally don’t like crocheted clothes that much — years ago I crocheted 2 things for myself (a light, airy light-blue sweater and a white crocheted jacket), and both are lying completely unworn and “unloved” way in the back of the closet...

Let’s start by gathering a few ideas. :-)
Suggestions are welcome. ;-)

I’d love a CAL, too!
I really like the idea of a blanket made of granny squares!
I’d be happy to contribute a pattern for one (or more) granny squares!
That would definitely be a great project!
Best regards,
Karin 

@AramisvonK
The more input, the better!
Everyone, please share your thoughts!

I personally love wearing all kinds of crocheted and knitted clothing.
But since not everyone likes that, I think a blanket—whether light and airy for summer or cozy and warm—would be just the thing.
I’ve already crocheted a few granny squares myself, always following patterns. Right now, I’m working on coming up with my own patterns, since I find the “standard patterns” too boring.
Depending on what’s needed, I can then post them as crocheted rows or as squares. The row version is definitely suitable for “blanket beginners,” while the square version requires a bit more practice.

But if we’re going to do something like this, I’ll need exact measurements for how big each piece should be. That way, when we combine pieces from different patterns, we’ll be able to crochet them together neatly in the end.

I think a blanket made of granny squares would be pretty, too.
Just to make sure I understand this correctly:
Is this supposed to be a collaborative project where everyone contributes one or more granny squares?
And then someone crochets them all together?
Or what’s the general idea here? 

Everyone contributes one or more granny square patterns; EVERYONE crochets them on their own at home, and in the end, we’ll put them all together so that everyone has their own blanket.
The plan is, for example, to publish one granny square for the group each week. The process of piecing them together will also be explained in detail over the course of one or more weeks so that everyone knows how it’s done.

Of course, we’ll need to agree on a size for the granny squares; otherwise, they won’t fit together in the end.

Yes, that would be a great idea. It’s a great way to use up leftover yarn, and granny squares are quick to crochet even if you don’t have much time.
If we want to make a large blanket, though, we’d need to post several granny squares each week. For example, 10 x 10 cm or 15 x 15 cm per granny square. But if the blanket is supposed to be, say, 1.20 x 1.20 m, we’d need 144 pieces at 10 x 10 cm per granny square (if I’ve calculated correctly). That adds up, and we won’t get very far with just one granny square a week.... That would almost be a year-long project ;-)

You could also crochet a granny square a few times for each blanket (e.g., in different colors), which would surely look good too.

That’s right! Nobody’s saying there have to be 144 DIFFERENT patterns… that would be pretty colorful and busy ;-)

I also think a blanket like that would be more harmonious and beautiful if you used each pattern multiple times—and maybe then with different colors or color combinations.

How many different patterns we’ll end up with and how long the CAL will run depends on the number of participants.
So let’s figure that out first:
Who’s interested?

So far, we have

• Nadeleule
• Pe-Ka
• KnitBig-FeelGreat
• AramisvonK
• Kreativhäkelshop
• and me ;-)

It would be nice if a few more people joined us. ;-))

It would certainly be very difficult to come up with 144 different patterns... 12 of each pattern would probably work well to create a uniform look... Then we’d "only" need 12 different ones...

For a blanket, I think 10 x 10 cm per granny square is actually quite small. I think 15 x 15 cm would create a more balanced look among the already vibrant granny squares.

And then we wouldn’t need quite as many....

Now that we’re getting more specific, I’d like to add something.

Should the grannies be made as squares or in strips? Or a colorful mix of both?
What hook size? I prefer size 4 for blankets, but I’m very flexible on that.
And also, how many rows? Since I crochet very tightly, I’d find it easier with a specific row count, though my current pattern consists of rows of slip stitches joined with single crochet, with a zigzag pattern as an eye-catcher.
If another pattern consists mainly of double crochet in various forms, then it will naturally be a different size from mine even with the same number of rows.

And I think Wollness-Oase is right that a few more people should join. It’s not that we wouldn’t be able to gather enough patterns, but the more people who take part, the more beautiful blankets there will be in the end.

I’ve already crocheted a “rainbow blanket” as part of a CAL and was totally thrilled with the idea. I’d love to join in, but I’m not creative enough to contribute my own granny squares. From my experience, I know that some people only join once the project is already underway and they get a sense of what the final result will look like.
So: I’d love to be part of it!

Hi,
I’ve heard of CALs (is that the plural?) and have even seen some. But I’ve never participated before. I’d love to give it a try, though....
So if you can use me, I’m in......

Absolutely! Everyone is welcome!

I just found this on Facebook - it might also be a good fit for a CAL... what do you think?

[Image removed]

It’s not really my thing...

All right, here’s another suggestion... I found this today.
Do you like it?


[Image removed] 

Oh, is that a crocheted mandala?
It looks really nice.
But I think that only works with an existing pattern.
If everyone is supposed to contribute something, that could get tricky....
I’m still in favor of the squares.
To avoid having to crochet so many, we could make them bigger—say, 20x20 cm.

The mandala is beautiful! 
But something like that has to be designed as a whole by one person. 
If we plan for several people to contribute something, then I also think a blanket made of squares would be the easiest to implement. 
I wouldn’t make the squares too big; I don’t think that would look as good, since they’ll always be different patterns. I also think 15x15 cm would be ideal. 

15x15 is a good compromise. :-)

Yes, that’s a crocheted mandala…—if you click on the picture, you’ll be taken to the designer’s page.

Of course, someone would actually have to take on the project—that’s exactly how it went with this mandala CAL.

I’m sitting this one out when it comes to creating a mandala. I’ve crocheted round doilies and the like before, but always following other people’s patterns, and I haven’t yet tackled the math required for the curves myself.
Although I really like the idea and it would be a challenge. But I have too many other projects that still need to be completed.
So, if it comes down to it, someone else would have to take over the design. 

The mandala looks really, really great, but I also think we should stick with the granny square blanket as our group project. 15x15 sounds good—I wouldn’t make it any bigger than that.

It would just be nice if a few more people were interested in joining in...

Alright—then granny squares…

I have another idea for this collaborative project. We’re all making these creations so we can turn them into a pattern later. Could we perhaps post such a pattern on CP as a “donation project”?

To keep it simple, maybe a free pattern with voluntary donations going to a project of our choice?

I’d love the idea of donations.
We’d just have to agree on the organization to support.

Well, I’d love to join in. But I’m not skilled enough to design a granny square. 

I don’t quite understand the part about donations yet: What exactly is supposed to be donated?

a) The patterns for the granny squares — I thought those were free anyway, so anyone who wants to can join in crocheting

b) Or a finished blanket. And who makes it?

Maybe someone can shed some light on this for me ...

Best regards, Stefanie
Aramis-von-K

Developing new creations also means, for the designers here in the forum, writing a pattern and earning money from it.

Of course, that doesn’t work if several designers are working on one project.

The idea was: since the pattern is made available for free, to support the work of developing and creating a pattern with a donation to an organization chosen by the designers

So everything is on a voluntary basis.

I just found these posts here and read them with interest. So I’d like to join in, too.
I’ve read about these kinds of CAL projects online before, and I think it’s a great idea. There were pictures, too.

Most people would probably prefer a granny square blanket, but I’m leaning more toward a crocheted blanket with rows of different patterns. You just need to specify what number the stitch count should be divisible by so that the pattern works out. That way, you can create a patterned blanket in all sorts of colors.
Or a crocheted bag. The latest trend is tapestry crochet (two-color patterns made entirely of single crochet stitches), e.g. squares, triangles, or hearts (crocheting with color changes) [image removed]

I’m not that good at designing my own patterns yet, but it would be worth a try.

Just to remind everyone:
Who else wants to join???

I think we’ve decided on a granny blanket made of 15x15 cm squares.

Everyone is welcome to join, even beginners who can’t contribute their own granny pattern.
After all, it’s mainly about having fun.

Dear Nadeleule,

I didn’t think about the project until this past weekend. I’m definitely in. I’ll contribute a pattern too, but I’m still tweaking it until it’s exactly 15x15. If I just use the pattern as is, it comes out to 10x10, but I’m sure I’ll figure something out.
Next week the kids will be in Salzburg with Grandma and Grandpa, so I might have some time to devote more attention to the project.

And if I could suggest a preferred start date: early to mid-September. Otherwise, I’ll get caught up in the Christmas rush with it. Unless the plan is for it not to be finished this year.

I’m currently working on two new UFOs (UFO = Unfinished Object ;-)), so it’ll be a while before I can get started on a granny square. I definitely won’t be able to make it by early to mid-September...

How about a “CAL 2017” right away? That way, no one has to rush.
Not with the patterns, and not with working on it either.

And in January, things are always nice and quiet for me after all the Christmas stress, and I always have the inspiration to crochet something just for myself.

And this CAL definitely falls into the “I’m doing this just for me!” category. A little self-indulgence once a year is a must when it comes to crocheting.

Yes, Pe-Ka, that would be a good idea. It would also be a great way to bridge the somewhat quieter time after the holidays. ☺

Hi!
I would absolutely love to join in!  But without my own granny. Best regards 
Sandra

Early 2017 would be a good time. Easter will still be a long way off then, and we can get started at a relaxed pace. But participants are welcome to sign up now so we’ll know by then who’s joining and how many granny square patterns we’ll have available.
I think the response so far has been great!

I’m currently still working on my bag for the August contest; I hope to finish it in the next few days—otherwise, it probably won’t be worth posting it in the gallery anymore...

I think early 2017 is a good time to start.
I’d also like to participate—without granny squares. I’m not very good at designing my own patterns.

Hi, I’d love to join too… even with my own granny square… for anyone who says they can’t do it… you can just use a really simple one, right? Like a granny square, for example!? 

Hi, I think it’s a great idea, too. I’ve never participated in a CAL before, but I like the idea with the granny squares.

Hi everyone, I’d love to join in on the crocheting, too. A blanket would be nice. Granny squares are nice, though I’d actually prefer stripes.... But whatever—I’d be happy to join. 

Okay, the more, the merrier :)

How will we know when it starts? 

Hi, it's almost 2017 now. 
Are there any more specific plans yet? I'm going to order some new yarn soon, and of course I thought of this project.  
What hook size is planned and, most importantly, what yarn (yardage)?
Best regards 
Sandra

So, everyone, what do you think? The new year has begun, and maybe it’s time for us to move forward with our CAL planning... I’m still on a forced break myself right now (tenosynovitis), but we could go ahead and suggest a start date and details on how it’ll work.
Once everything’s set, we could open a CAL thread where ONLY the patterns for each granny square are posted—or maybe our dear Josefa happens to stop by here and offers us an alternative ;)

As far as I’m concerned, let’s get started. I’m already looking forward to it.

I’m joining in, too. But as I’ve mentioned before, without my own granny square!

I’m really looking forward to it