Ravelry

 Anyone visiting Ravelry in these days will be seeing a lot of red. Red yarn. Red works in progress. And completed melt-the-ice hats proudly displayed in solidarity with the community of Minnesota. There's even a few dogs sporting MTI-beanies. The Ravelry forum, founded 19 years ago and almost as old as Facebook, is a social networking site where fiber artists such as knitters, crocheters, dyers and spinners can meet to swap ideas, and patterns and its Facebook chapter is a very busy space indeed. So, what are the Ravelry community up to when they aren't engaged in stitch-craft subversion? Well, I saw a dinosaur hoodie, toy elephant, knitted troll dolls and, to save your poor fingers, a collection of bobbin huggers. Save the skull pattern shawl for Halloween, but there's an adorable selection of marine bird cozies for yummy easter eggs. There's a gorgeous selection of gift blankets, a mosaic inspired project and even a post that shares the story behind welcome blankets.

Members: 44k, at the time of writing.

Trigger warnings: None.

Go here to visit or join. 

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It is astounding what you can knit when you put your mind to it. And it helps when you have a pattern to guide you from casting on the first stitches to sewing in a quirky smile or mischievous eyes. But this is not a strictly pattern swapping community, although there are occasional requests for specific items. No, this is pure inspiration. In keeping with the time of year, there's an abundance of Christmas themed items - Santa's, elves, reindeer, snowmen, angels, tree decorations and even a grinch or two. There are also plenty of covers and cozies, ranging from can covers and orange covers to tiny cozies to protect your chocolate bonbons. I saw characters such as Super Mario, Postman Pete and even the K-pop Demon Hunters. Probably the zaniest exhibit was that knitted cyclops potted plant.

Members: 92.5k, at the time of writing

Trigger Warnings: None. 

Go here to visit or join. 

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Random acts of knitting and crochet kindness

Some of them are deliberately flawed, but non-the-less endearing. They are made from the colorful little balls of yarn found within any knitter's stash. Apparently, they are called Izzy dolls, and you can probably make one in little more than an hour. With a few clever embellishments, you can its bland face into a familiar one - Paddington Bear or Mario. Take your pick. But the whole purpose of this group is not merely to create and post - there is a deeper sharing at play here. These adorable little knitted dolls are created to bring love and joy into the life of the random stranger who finds it and takes it home. Occasionally a grateful recipient shares the find. Take a moment to browse through all the adorable little ambassadors of kindness. You are sure to be inspired. 

Members: 92.1k, at the time of writing.

Trigger Warnings: None.

Go here to visit or join.

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If it were possible to squeeze a thousand crafters from all around the world into one space to showcase their work, the result would probably be something similar to this delightful Facebook group The featured posts include a vast variety of styles and disciplines, ranging from gorgeously crafted dog collars, colorful felt slippers and crocheted animals (the real deal, NOT AI!!!) to leather vambraces and even a one-in-a-million stratocaster guitar. There are quirky Christmas decorations, jolly gingerbread men and bespoke gift ideas, as well as custom denim jackets, knitted socks, shawls, jewelry, painted pebbles and even an art project featuring a recycled doll's head. It really is a celebration of creativity and inspiration. 

Members: 621.2k, at the time of writing

Trigger Warning: None.

Go here to visit or join. 

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Stranded Knits

According to the description, stranded knits can be termed as any work that included at least two colors. It's that simple. Projects range from beanies, dog sweaters and doll garments, to cardigans, mittens, and socks. Great if you could persuade a loved one to play model, but that's not required. Post works in progress or yarn combos for inspiration. It's great to see how crafters blend their colors, but also what patterns they employ. If you love handcraft, this Facebook group is sure to give you plenty of good ideas for your wool stash.

Members: 81.9k, at the time of writing.

Trigger warnings: None.

Go here to visit or join. 

Knitting for Beginners

If you are new to knitting and you don't know anyone to help you through the tough bits, Knitting for Beginners looks like an awesome Facebook group to turn to for support, encouragement or inspiration. Share your work. Share your progress. Demystify the pattern jargon or techniques you don't understand. Ask advice, if you can't figure out what you did wrong. Find out how to tweak your socks to make them fit. There's usually someone available who knows something you don't. Expect to admire plenty of socks, beanies, baby jackets, scarves, sweaters and even the odd knitted toy.

Members: 315.5k at time of writing. 

Trigger warnings: None.

Click here to visit or join. 

Knitting

In recent years, knitting has seen a huge revival of interest, with new innovations emerging and public knitting events being organized in various cities. This group, with over 4000 members, is an excellent forum to share your passion for stitchcraft with kindred spirits, ask for advice or find out who does what in your area. Threads on the discussion board include 'Best Brand of circular needles', 'Knitting Magazines?', 'Current Projects' - with well over a hundred posts to date - and 'Knitting Newbie - Need Help'. You can also check out the gallery to admire photographs of completed knitting by members or post your own achievements.

What's good about the group: It offers knitters worldwide a great opportunity to network.

A word of caution: Give it a miss, if you are not into handcraft.

Click here to go directly to 'Knitting'.