5 Reasons to Join a Crochet-Along (CAL)

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The first time I heard the term CAL (or KAL for knitters) I was baffled. I couldn’t figure out what the letters were representing. Even now, if I try to think of what those letters could stand for other than what I learned them to be, I’m clueless. Crochet a lot, maybe? Nope. It’s crochet-along!  

Shown Above: The Aegean Dreams Throw is the Spring 22 CAL! Sponsored by Plymouth Yarn and Skacel.  

If you’re like I was—totally out of the CAL loop—I’m here to tell you all about what a CAL is and why you should join one! 

What is a Crochet-Along (CAL)

A crochet-along is a community event where participants all work on a project during the same period of time. I’ve seen these run two ways. The first is when everyone makes the exact same project. For example, everyone who participates makes the same crochet blanket. The second way I’ve seen them run is when a host says that their CAL includes any pattern they have published. So, while you might make a hat during this style CAL, someone else might be making a sweater.

Note: Our favorite way to run CALs at Interweave is everyone in the community making the same project! 

5 Reasons to Join a CAL

Now you might be thinking, “that sounds like it could be fun, but what are the real benefits of taking part in one of these things?” What it comes down to is: motivation, education, connection, inspiration, and prizes! 

Reason 1 – Motivation  

Most CALs are run on a timeline. They start on a set day and have a definitive end date. Having the motivation to cast on and work daily on a project until it is complete can be very rewarding. You see your stitches stack up quickly! And before you know it, you realize that you’re going to have a finished object you love in no time. 

That said, you should never feel pressured to complete the project on time. CALs aren’t a race or a competition. They are truly intended to be fun! So, always make at your own pace. Commit to doing a little bit each day of the CAL and enjoy the process.  

Reason 2 – Education  

CALs are a wonderful opportunity to learn something new! Often, during crochet-alongs, informative articles and videos are shared. They can really expand your skillset!  

Let’s say you’ve really wanted to try Tunisian crochet, but you don’t know where to start and patterns are overwhelming. A Tunisian crochet CAL can be a great starting point! You’d be exposed to how to Tunisian patterns, how to cast-on, how to work a forward pass, how to work a backward pass, how to increase, how to decrease, and how to bind off. That’s a whole lot of learning for free! Oh, should I have led with that? Yes, many CALs are free! 

And you don’t have to take my word for it. During the Ancient Gemstones Shawl KAL, JulieAnne said, “Never used a chart in my 45 years knitting so I translated it into written. What a learning experience. So glad to be a part of this.” 

Reason 3 – Connection 

When a community sets its mind to doing something together, great things happen. During CALs, you’re all in it together. Everyone helps and encourages each other along the way! And through the support comes newfound friendships, too.

At Interweave, we host a community forum on Interweave+ where we everyone is welcome to connect and share. Bonus of being a CAL participant is that you don’t need an Interweave+ membership to be part of the conversation! Just bookmark the CAL discussion board and login to your standard Interweave account to comment.  

Reason 4 – Inspiration 

Have you ever wondered what a project would look like in a different color or a different yarn? You’ll see countless variations when you join a CAL! Throughout the CAL, participants are invited to share photos of their progress. This gives you a peek at the different yarn choices people are making and how they’re combining colors. It makes it that much easier to dive into your stash when making your own selections!

If you aren’t a fan of substituting yarn or putting together color palettes, sponsor kits are another benefit of a CAL. Knowing that people like different color options, the yarn sponsor of the crochet-along will often take the guesswork out of pairing colors together.  

Reason 5 – Prizes

If the four reasons above aren’t enough to get you excited to join a CAL, the prizes will! Sponsors love CALs as a way to introduce the community to their products. As a thank you for participating, CALs often include prizes along the way or at the end of the event. Sometimes you have the chance to win yarn. Other times you might get a chance at a new set of hooks. And the best of times you have a chance to win both!

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These top 5 reasons to join a CAL are just a few of the many benefits! If you’re inspired to take part in one, new CALs are planned all the time. Join our newsletter to be the first to know when the next CAL is starting or visit our CAL listings!  

—Kerry Bogert
Content Manager, Yarn

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Past Crochet-Along Patterns: Free to Interweave+ Members