Knitting Groups on the Internet
A Look at Internet Groups and Forums Available for the Knitter.
Internet groups and forums present a great way for knitters worldwide to get together and talk about all aspects of knitting. We look in more detail at what is available
There is one thing that you can say about knitters and that is that they are passionate about their subject! Knitters throughout the world enjoy their craft, and also enthusiastically share and discuss knitting with other knitters via the internet. There are many internet forums which knitters use – and there are many groups such as those on Yahoo Groups. Whilst there are other groups and forum systems available, in this article we are specifically looking at Yahoo Groups.
To get an idea of the huge number of Yahoo Groups set up for knitters, a search returned 2315 groups on the subject of hand knitting! These cover general knitting, sock knitting, multidirectional knitting…. and this is without looking at other fiber crafts such as machine knitting, crochet, spinning etc.
There are Yahoo Groups dedicated to Knit-A-Longs, or for readers of a particular book - groups which have been started by designers and which will help knitters work through a particular project - there are groups for expert knitters, and groups for novice knitters – in fact there appears to be a Yahoo Group for knitters of every interest!
Each group has different rules, stating what members can and cannot do within the Yahoo Group forum. This might include whether goods can be sold, whether adverts are accepted or whether ‘off topic’ discussions are allowed. These rules help to give a personality to the group and to encourage like minded people. Many groups allow the posting of photos and other information within the files, and include a comprehensive link section. Most Yahoo Groups are moderated and prior to joining a knitter will need to register and perhaps give a short statement as to why the want to join the group. This is how the group moderators ensure that they stay spam free.
Useful Information:
Some brief details about a few of the most popular groups are listed below :
Socknitters, with 13,000 members, is a list where anyone interested in knitting socks can participate and discuss their craft with other members.
Knitlist, with 12,000 members, is an international group sharing information “in an environment of dignity and respect”.
MonthlyDishclothes, with over 3740 members, is a groups where members take part in regular Knit-A-Longs. The group holds two Knit-A-Longs a month.
MultiDirectional, with 3,500 members, is dedicated to knitters interested in modular or multidirectional knitting. Iris Schreier, author of MODULAR KNITS and co-founder of Artyarns, offers free patterns as well as assistance and lots of photos for inspiration.
Sweaterwizard, with 2,000 members, is a group moderated by the creator of Sweater Wizard and Sock Wizard software who offers help and support to users of the software.
The groups above are only a brief sample of what is available for knitters. When investigating what is available on Yahoo Groups, simply go Yahoo and search on knitting and see what takes your fancy!
For more information about setting up and running a successful group, there is a free Suite101 course available here.
