If you’ve been following me on Facebook, you may have noticed the tag #CAL. Who is CAL? CAL is not a who, but a what. CAL stands for Crochet Along. CALs can take many different forms, but usually it is a bigger project that you are given part of a pattern each week for a certain number of weeks.

For the past two years, I have done the CAL offered by Moogly. This crochet along gives a pattern for a 12″ square every other week until you have 24 squares. This year, I have chosen a fall pallet. Last year, I used peach and green.

Each square in this CAL is very detailed, changing color on nearly every row. Each square takes 3-4 hours to crochet.

Why CAL? These crochet alongs introduce me to new stitches and techniques that I might otherwise never learn. They are challenging, and they’re meant to be. Sometimes I find a square that I want to use for an entire afghan.

As I was looking up ways to use  up some yarn I already have, I came across another CAL. This was from last year, so I am not waiting for patterns, but rather crocheting each square as I have time. It is fun experimenting with different colors and color placement.

This CAL is called the MandalaCAL from The Lavender Chair. So far, it has been a lot of fun. Of course, whenever I do a project to use up leftover yarn, I end up buying more yarn to complete the project! Have you ever participated in a CAL? Link it up in the comments!