Thursday, June 5, 2014

COTL Ravelry 101 Lesson #1 - Creating & Personalizing Your Account




Our group seems to be a mixture of those who love Ravelry and those who just don't understand the fuss.  I used to be one of those who just didn't get it but after hearing everyone rave and hopping on from time to time, it's now one of my very favorite places to be on the web and I don't know how I could not have it in my arsenal of crochet tools.

So Melanie and I have created a series for our group called Ravelry 101.

Every month, we will highlight another way Ravelry will become your new best friend.  From the crocheter who has never been on the site to the experienced Raveler, you'll find tips for everyone.  There will be a short version of this in our newsletter but we'll put the longer, more detailed version up on our blog.

If there's something you'd like us to cover, let us know!  Leave a comment here and we'll put it on our "to cover" list.

Enjoy!


http://www.ravelry.com/groups/crocheters-of-the-lakes

So you’d like to enjoy access to thousands of crochet patterns with the click of a
mouse? Ravelry is at your service… but… where to begin?
 

Creating and Personalizing An Account on Ravelry

 

To enjoy all that Ravelry has to offer, you must first creat an account.  A Ravelry account is free and Ravelry does not share your information, so there's nothing to lose and a whole lot to gain.  The only prerequisites are access to the internet and an email address.

To create a Ravelry account, first visit www.ravelry.com.  

You will see boxes to enter your username and password.  Under the boxes, there's a button that says "join now!"  If you click the button, you will go to a page asking you to enter your email address - go ahead and enter your information.  

From there, you must backtrack a bit.  Log into your email account and look for an email from Ravelry.  Follow the instructions in the email.  There will be a highlighted web address to click.

The email link will bring you to a page that asks you to pick a username and password.  You don't have to use your name (if you want to, I suggest sticking to your first name for privacy reasons).  You can create any username you'd like, but be aware that since there are so many existing users, you may have to add numbers to your username to make it unique.  Luckily, a box with alternative suggestions will pop up if you've entered a username already in use.

Once you find a combination you like, click the "Continue" button. 

Now that you've created your username and password, the real fun begins.  

You will be directed to a page that displays a "Welcome to Ravelry" video.  Please, please please take the time to watch this video.  You may also view this video without creating an account by clicking this LINK.  Once you've watched the video, you can begin personalizing your profile.

To personalize your profile, click on the "Notebook" tab in the upper left.  This will bring you to your personal "home" screen.  You will see a link under the red Ravelry logo that says "Update your profiel!"  If you click the link, it will bring you to a screen that allows you to enter in as much or as little of your personal information as you'd like.

Personally, I have found it helpful to enter at least a bit of my personal information as it has helped me network with other crocheters in the area.

I hope this very beginning lesson in using Ravelry is helpful.  If anyone needs help, feel free to ask me at the meetings, either before or after.  I'm happy to help each and every one of you!

-Melanie

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