Indie Designer Gift-A-Long (GAL) 2016

 The excitement is building: it’s the time of year for the Indie Designer Gift-A-Long!

What is the Indie Designer GAL?

This is an annual event where independent knit and crochet pattern designers have the opportunity to showcase some of their creations and inspire others to make them.  The Gift-A-Long is essentially two events:

The first event is the sale.  Each of the designers has chosen 5 – 20 of their best patterns and will offer them at a 25% discount from 8pm Nov 22 – 11:59 Nov 30 EST when you use the code giftalong2016.  There are over 300 designers participating this year which means there are literally thousands of patterns on sale!

The second event is the GAL (gift-a-long).  What is a gift-a-long?  This time of year many crafters are looking to make holiday gifts for friends and family.  This GAL is an opportunity to knit and crochet at the same time with other like-minded crafters and have the chance to win amazing prizes!

ALL patterns created by the participating designers can be made during the GAL, however only non-free patterns will be eligible for prizes.  This includes patterns that were previously purchased or gifted to you – not just the ones in this year’s sale.

The GAL runs from Tuesday November 22, 2016 at 8 pm (EST) until December 31, 2016 at 11:59 pm (EST).  While you can’t start earlier than that, you can go participate in the pre-GAL chat over on Ravelry.  While you are waiting, make sure you join the Indie Design Gift-A-Long group.  That is where all the chatting, friend-making, showing off finished projects and prize awarding will take place.

Speaking of prizes … I’ve seen some of what is being offered and it is incredible how generous everyone is being!  There are free patterns, pattern books, amazing yarns, yarn and pattern kits, stitch markers, project bags … I’m not kidding when I say there are hundreds of prizes this year!

You can make as many projects as you want.  There will be separate threads for 8 different categories:

• giftalong2016head
• giftalong2016hand
• giftalong2016feet
• giftalong2016kids
• giftalong2016garments
• giftalong2016shawls
• giftalong2016neck
• giftalong2016other

There is even a special prize category you can enter if you complete at least one project in each of the 8 categories listed above.

There will be more information appearing in the official Ravelry group as we get closer to the start date as I can assure you there is massive planning going on behind the scenes.

This is the third year I’ve been involved with the GAL as a participant.  If I didn’t have enough on my plate already, I always want to

This year is extra special to me, because I finally had enough patterns that I was eligible to participate as a Designer! 🙂 I have 15 patterns for sale this year – nearly all of my for-sale patterns. I think that’s rather impressive given that last year at this time I only had 1 pattern for sale.

What patterns should you make?

As I said, any non-free patterns by the designers will be eligible for prizes. There will also be a full list of the designers released soon with links to each of their Ravelry stores in case you want to view all the patterns they offer.

If you’re geeky and a list-maker like me, when the list of designers is released, you get out your spreadsheet and try and list all the patterns you want make / buy / dream about for the 6 weeks … and manage to completely overwhelm yourself.  (In case you’re curious, I’ve already created a spreadsheet because I have a sneak-peek at the participating designers. I count over 250 non-free patterns that I could potentially make.  I think I have a serious problem – both in deciding for the GAL, and for life in general LOL!  )

I do hope you are all able to participate!

Question: would you like to see me showcase some of my favorite patterns or designers over the next few weeks?