If you’re a knitter or crocheter, chances are you may have heard of Ravelry—but are you using it to its full potential? Ravelry is a great place to purchase patterns and support indie designers. But it’s also the perfect place to organize, track, and manage your knitting projects and yarn stash.

Whether you’re juggling multiple works-in-progress (WIPs) or trying to find the perfect pattern for the yarn you already have, Ravelry can be an invaluable tool. Let’s dive into why every knitter and crocheter should be using it for project and stash management!

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1. Easily Track Your Knitting Projects

Ever started a project, set it aside for a while, and then completely forgotten which needles you were using, which size you were knitting, or where you left off in the pattern? With Ravelry’s project tracking, that’s a problem of the past!

How It Helps:

✔ Record Pattern Details – Link your project to the pattern in Ravelry’s database for easy reference.
✔ Track Your Progress – Update your percentage complete, add notes, and mark important modifications.
✔ Attach Photos – Document your progress so you can look back on your work or share it with the community.
✔ Set Project Status – Mark projects as “In Progress,” “Hibernating,” or “Finished” so you always know what’s on your needles.

Having all this information in one place means no more digging through notebooks or guessing which needle size you were using!

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2. Keep Your Yarn Stash Organized

If you’ve ever bought the same yarn twice because you forgot you already had it, or if you’ve struggled to find the perfect yarn for a project, Ravelry’s stash feature is a game-changer.

How It Helps:

✔ Inventory Your Yarn – Add your skeins to your stash with details like weight, fiber content, colorway, and dye lot. You can easily search for and link yarns in the Ravelry database, so you may not even have to type all of that info out yourself.
✔ Track Leftovers – Keep track of partial skeins so you can use them in future projects. Weigh your yarn to find out how many yards or grams you have leftover so you can stay organized for the next time you want to pick up that yarn.
✔ Find Projects for Your Yarn – Ravelry will suggest patterns that match your stash yarn! Using the Advanced Search tools, you can filter patterns by yarn weight, yardage, what’s in your stash, and more!
✔ Avoid Duplicate Purchases – Check what you already own from the convenience of your phone before buying more.

Having a digital stash makes it easy to see what you have at a glance, helping you make smarter project and shopping decisions.

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3. Plan Future Projects with Ease

With your stash and pattern library all in one place, you can plan your next projects with ease.

How It Helps:

✔ Match Yarn to Patterns – No more wondering, “Do I have enough yarn for this sweater?”
✔ Create a Queue – Add patterns to your queue and prioritize your next knits.
✔ Save Pattern Notes – Write down ideas for modifications or special yarn pairings.
✔ Read Others’ Pattern Notes – Not sure about the way a pattern photo looks? Read other knitters’ notes on their projects to see what issues they encountered when knitting that pattern! Or see how others have customized the patterns so you can copy them if you want!

This makes planning a breeze, whether you’re working on holiday gifts, a seasonal wardrobe, or just your next fun project.

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4. Connect with the Knitting Community

While tracking projects and stash is a great organizational tool, Ravelry also offers a social aspect that makes knitting even more fun!

How It Helps:

✔ Join Groups – Find like-minded knitters and participate in knit-alongs.
✔ Ask for Advice – Get help with tricky patterns or yarn substitutions.
✔ Get Inspired – Browse other knitters’ projects to see different yarn choices and modifications.

Knitting is more fun when you can share your progress and learn from others, and Ravelry makes that easy.

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5. Stay Accountable and Inspired

One of the biggest benefits of tracking your projects and stash is that it helps you stay accountable and motivated.

How It Helps:

✔ Reduce Unfinished Projects – Seeing your WIPs online and in one place reminds you to finish them, all while your physical projects are neatly tucked away in their project bags.
✔ Challenge Yourself – Set goals, like finishing a sweater or using up stash yarn.
✔ Celebrate Progress – Looking back on completed projects can be incredibly satisfying!

If you love goal-setting, Ravelry can help you stick to your knitting resolutions—whether that’s finishing long-lost WIPs or finally tackling that ambitious lace shawl.

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Final Thoughts: Why You Should Start Using Ravelry Today

Ravelry isn’t just for finding patterns—it’s an essential tool for knitters who want to stay organized, track their progress, and make the most of their yarn stash.

If you haven’t yet explored the project and stash features, now is the perfect time to start! Your future self will thank you when you can easily find the perfect yarn for a project or pick up a WIP without any confusion.

I didn’t know about all of these features until I watched Copycat Stitch’s Youtube Video about Ravelry. Click here to watch it for yourself!

Do you use Ravelry to track your projects and stash? What’s your favorite feature? Let me know in the comments!