#GAL2016: The launch

For the past four years, a group of independent knit and crochet designers have joined forces on Ravelry for the Indie Design GAL: a great big knit and crochet along aimed at supporting and promoting the work of independent designers, as well as kickstarting your festive gift crafting. And the event is back! Starting at 20.00 (EST, for other time zones, you can use this converter) until the end of the year, the Indie Design GAL group on Ravelry will be a hive of activity.*

 

 

The GAL starts with a sale. Every designer participating in the event (the full list can be found here) is offering 25% off a selection of their designers using the code giftalong2016. Simply add the patterns you want to you Ravelry cart, add the code and get a bargain! To see which patterns a designer has included, head to their designer profile and look for the bundle labelled Gift-A-Long 2016, this bundle will feature all the patterns the designer has chosen to include in the sale (here's my sale bundle as an example). Do note that you will have to checkout separately for each designer you wish to buy from. The sale lasts until 23.59 (EST) on Thursday 30th November 2016.

 

The second portion of the GAL is a massive knit and crochet along. Any design by a participating designer is eligible for inclusion in the craft along, just head to the Ravelry group* and get crafting. If you finish an item before the end of the GAL (23.59 EST, Saturday 31st December 2016), post it to the finished objects thread for the appropriate category and at the end of the GAL, you could win a prize (there are some great prizes on offer*).

 

Part three of the GAL is the quizzes. Throughout the GAL, there will be several fast-moving quiz threads, with lots of opportunities for winning free patterns from the designers taking part in the GAL. The quizzes are a lot of fun, with all the answers relating in some way to the designers or patterns involved in the GAL.

 

This year the event is huge, with 335 designers taking part, 5106 patterns included in the sale, more than 100 physical prizes and 2200 electronic prizes. So head to the Ravelry group* and join in.

 

I am one of the participating designers in the GAL. All the patterns in this bundle are in the sale, and any of my paid for patterns can be knitted as part of the knit and crochet along portion of the event.

 

A selection of my patterns that will be eligible for 25% off during the sale portion of the GAL

 

*Note that you will have to signed in to Ravelry for these links to work. Joining Ravelry is free and Ravelry is an excellent resource for knitters and crocheters.