Craftsy

The other day Alex and I were turned on to something new. It's called Craftsy. Sort of like Ravelry but multi-disciplined. Along with knitting and crocheting there are projects for quilting, sewing, jewelry making, paper crafts, and more. I know, right! I've also been waiting a long time for this concept to show up on the interwebs.

{As a graphic designer, I will say I'm a fan of their brand. It's retro but not over-done.}

I have set up a free profile for myself but haven't had a chance to add recent projects or patterns in yet. It's going to be fun to have profiles for my quilts, embroidery, etc. There is more to my life than knitting :)

I couldn't find an actual launch date on the site, but some of it is still in Beta so I assume it hasn't been around that long. There are a few areas that I think are sort of weak, but I assume those things will be hammered out in due time. For instance, I want an easy way to search (by name) for my friends who also joined Craftsy and be able to see what projects they have going. You can "follow" crafters once you've found their page, but there is no people-finder search option. I have no idea how to find Alex who is also a member. Marco....

Craftsy project search bar.

The absolute coolest thing is the online class hosting they provide. Wow! If you want to learn how to knit socks, make wire wrapped jewelery, or machine quilt they have a class for that...and more. Each class is priced differently but $29.99 and $59.99 seem to be the norm. There is a preview of the class to give you a taste of what it is like and once you've registered for a class it will always be available for you to replay the lessons. You have access to the instructor and according to Craftsy, they will respond in 1-2 days. I am all over this class thing. As a mom who is often tethered to her house, the ability to sit down and take my class at midnight is really appealing.

Online classes splash page.

On a less-expensive note, their "Workshops" tab is a neat idea. Tutorials on any project under the sun for somewhere between $12-$15. And, like the projects section...users can submit their own tutes for purchase.

Let's face it, no one has a better online experience than Ravelry. User-friendly and seemingly unbreakable. They have us spoiled. But I think I like this Craftsy idea. And kudos to them for trying to find their own way of doing things and not just ripping off Ravelry's format. I'll give them a whirl.

–Cassandra