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. 

History for the Witty 2.0

 At its best, this Facebook group is a fusion of pop culture and historical media. You see historical photos with an up-to-date spin on it. There are jokes that may have taken centuries or even millennia to be set up. There may be bathroom humor and sexual innuendo with more history thrown into the mix. See ignorance cleverly trolled. Let vintage media surprise you. Enjoy media, memes and assorted thoughts that mix up today with any number of yesterdays. A sense of humor will be mandatory for maximum enjoyment. 

Members: 279.7k at time of writing. 

Trigger warnings: nudity and inappropriate/adult humor. 

Click here to visit or join.

The Magic Continues...

It's been almost fourteen years since I started the Facebook Group of the Day blog and twelve years since the last post. This was the first themed blog I created and I loved everything about it... until Facebook began tinkering with things and searching for new groups became increasingly challenging difficult.

I revisited this blog as I was updating my writing portfolio and realized that the awesome Facebook Groups had not quite vanished. In fact, the Covid-19 pandemic gave their popularity a considerable boost. What surprised me, was how little other material was written on the nature of Facebook Groups.

This article estimates that there might be as many as 100 million Facebook Groups and claims that they began around October 2020. But that's not quite the whole story. As my blog chronicled, Facebook already had a wide and diverse selection of groups around 2009 and this post on Quora puts the date as far back as at least August 2005. The early groups were closer the subreddits on Reddit - mostly verbal and unbashfully eccentric with lots of fun threads.

Today's groups are completely different in formatting and depends far more on image-based media, but the zany humor is still there. Which is why I'm reviving the mission. More soon.

Wight Life Photography - Wildlife & Landscape Photography

I'm in the mood for looking at pictures again, preferably somewhere far away from a sweltering hot Cape Town, so follow me, as I follow the path of photographer Paul Buckley's lens and explore the Isle of Wight, its beautiful scenery and wildlife ranging from squirrels, foxes and red deer to geese, kingfishers, woodpeckers and even a humpback whale. There are 200 images in the gallery and links to 64 video clips of wildlife on Wight.

What's great about this group: explore the beauty of nature.

Update (26 October 2023)

It looks as if this group does not exist anymore. I could not find any other site connected to photographer Paul Buckley either. 

Homemade Cocktail Recipes

My brother has this odd habit. Occasionally when we're out together, he would order about 2 or 3 different cocktails. Not to guzzle up himself. He kind of passes them around to everyone to sample, going, 'Okay, what do you think of this one?' Some of what's posted on the wall of this group sounds absolutely divine. Don't forget to check out the gallery too. I just wish there was more. Explore for ideas and inspiration to some adventures in liquid intoxicants.

What's great about this group: Some creative cocktail ideas.

Update (26 October 2023)

While there are several Facebook groups for cocktail recipes, it's unsure whether this incarnation connects to any of them. 

Gorgeous Graveyards

The so-called festive season seems to have brought out something dark and weird in me, but it remains fascinating, therefore, I will continue. This group is dedicated to explore the inherent beauty of graveyards. Topics on the discussion board include 'Weird Experiences in Cemeteries', 'Ghosts captured in Photos', 'TIPS FOR NIGHT TIME PHOTOGRAPHY' and 'Death and Burial Customs'. One thread details the meanings of various symbols used on gravestones. There are over 1500 images in the gallery and some of them are very artistically done.

What's great about this group: I've spent the past two hours looking at the beautiful photographs, and I'm very reluctant to leave.

Update (24 October 2023)

While I can't be hundred percent certain that this is the same Facebook group, there is still a community called Gorgeous Graveyards where members (there are 1,1000 of them) share photos that capture the beautiful solitude of graveyards. Go here to visit or join. 

DMA : The Dead Malls Association

Would the saving of our planet's natural resources result from the death of consumerism? Or should we try to save these temples of greed at all costs? Or should they be left to die of disinterest once they have outlived their purpose? Members of this group believe that dead malls should be preserved. There are just over a 100 images in the gallery, and two past events to visit and re-invigorate a selected mall. Perhaps we should care a little. For Christmas, hug your nearest dying mall. Show it some love.

What's great about this group: We are what we consume...

Update (24 October 2023)

This Facebook Group no longer exists, but there is a Facebook page for Dead Malls, which you can find here. The page has 13,000 followers.