Rise of the INDIE CAL

Big yarn brands aren’t the only ones to run crochet-alongs; independent designers are increasingly doing their own too. We find out what’s to love about an indie CAL

-  Colette Earley

Crochet-along aka CALs are an event that brings together numerous makers to crochet a project in tandem. A uniting and somewhat social activity, they are more popular than ever at the moment and with good reason. As more and more independent designers are releasing their own crochet-along, we thought we’d shine a spotlight on a few of our favourite makers to see what makes this activity so special.

GETTING STARTED

Heather Gibbs published her first crochet-along in 2015, inspired by one of Moogly’s CALs from the previous year. “I know myself well and knew the only way that I would ever keep up to date with a CAL was to run one myself,” says Heather. “And it worked! What’s more, lots of people decided to crochet-along with me – I couldn’t believe it. After the 2015 project, I was hooked on doing CALs. Since then, I have run a CAL pretty much every year.” Heather’s objectives when doing CALs are mostly to share a style or technique of crocheting, perhaps something that people might not have tried before. “I love the engagement with my audience that a CAL brings, it’s much more of a social occasion than just releasing a ‘normal’ pattern into the world,” she says.