Come Along – we will together explore !

I am joining a CAL, I saw someone post about KAL on Insta and it got us thinking – does everyone know about what a CAL is? Its often taken for granted that crafters know what it means, however we understood not many understand the same and nuances. In the past few days of going live we have had many ask us are you hosting a CAL and some asking what is a CAL and we believe it’s best to come together on even grounds as we embark on this journey of pursuing various yarn crafts.

What is a CAL?,  What is a TCAL? What is a KAL? What is a SAL? What is a MAL? So many acronyms and very little information on what these stand for.

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So here is a list of acronyms to begin with

CAL – Crochet Along ;

TCAL – Tunisian Crochet Along ;

KAL – Knit Along ;

SAL – Sew Along ;

MAL – Make Along  

and there are more versions of this for various forms or arts and crafts.

Now that we know the acronym, lets get into details

Before that, do watch our video explaining all things cal for better understanding.

What do people do?

A group of people coming together to work on a project at the same time and pace with an objective of learning new technique , work on a new pattern, clarify doubts , share experiences, learn from each other and commit to finish along the group. This is team is often led by a designer of the pattern or a group can decide on a pattern / theme that be pursued together. In our experience joining a team often leads to connecting with people / community who have similar interests and leads to strengthening the passion to pursue yarn crafts even after the project

Who can Join?

A person with some experience of yarn craft can join the project. Some are targeted towards advanced designs and some for everyone can participate, no matter their skill level. It’s a good practice to always check the skill level that is required for the project before joining

How does it work?

The host or a group decides the pattern or a theme which will be made available to the participants on registration either by way of sharing a full pattern or partial based on progress, sometimes free.

The group can leverage various platforms to connect share and interact – e.g. either by way of closed groups on facebook, a blog platforms,  instagram chats or whatsapp groups

Material list like recommended yarn, yarn weight, hooks, needles et, al are published, choice of color scheme is completely up to the designer unless and until specified.

Official start date and end dates are published for the participants to start and finish the project – usually enough time is provided considering that this would be a learning phase for many

Progress update – the host may seek for progress pictures, as a good practice no matter where you’re at, so be sure to share, receiveing constructive feedback always helps in improving!

Do’s and Don’ts in a CAL  

Do’s

1. Try to use the recommended yarn weight and hook size
2. Follow the guidelines well enough to get the project right
3. If you finished your work early post the progress so others in the group can learn
4. When in doubt – participate, engage and interact with members to learn and refine
5. Do share your feedback on the CAL and finished products on your social media platforms to encourage the community

Don’ts  

1. Don’t be in a rush to finish the project – stick to the schedule, CAL’s often work on a schedule
2. Don’t modify the pattern , Finish the project as per design of the CAL – Making your own versions can offend the designer
3. Avoid using offensive language or negative comments on others work
4. Stick to the schedule and don’t prompt the designer to share beyond schedule
5. Let the designer handle technical queries and concern
6. Don’t circulate the pattern freely unless its free for all. Remember designers put in a lot of effort to get one pattern out. As a community its our responsibility to protect interest of our designers

Finally – don’t forget to show of your finished work! Some modelled pictures will always be a huge encouragement for the designers to engage again and again!

Leave us your questions in the comment and we will respond soon.