Join the Fun in the Common Room

One of the most intimidating, but also most fun parts of the Cup is the Common room.  It's a really friendly place, so why do I call it intimidating?   Well, there have been 1699 posts since it was put up for this term.   Yes, 77 pages worth.  This can leave a lot of folks wondering how to even begin, since obviously, catching up with that would be ... challenging.  The best answer is - jump right in.  This is a fabulous group, maybe a little crazy, and very welcoming.  Even when the regulars miss a week or two they often just jump in at the current point, since catching up is a major feat. You will be warmly welcomed. 

So, you're reading all the pride posts, and wondering what advantage there is to wading through the common room entries.  Did I mention that they're fun?  It's also a great place to find out what's going on in other parts of the castle, such as the great hall, as people post links to activities there.  It can link you to other useful places on ravelry, including sales or giveaways on patterns.  People ask questions - and even more people answer them.  These can pertain to classes (where do I put this green plaid dishcloth?), to the cup in general (Will this get me more points as a class or a Mission, if I can't finish it?),  to techniques (how do I keep my interchangeable needles from falling apart?  What's the best way to do a provisional cast-on?), to just about anything else (what's the difference between UK and American fruitcake?).   You might be running into a problem with a particular pattern and get a link to the designer's ravelry forum. There are suggestions for patterns and for KALs/CALs.  Some of the study halls have started as a result of discussions in the common room. There's encouragement when a project is not making any forward progress and congratulations when it is done.   Birthdays are posted there as well as reminders about most of the big Cup events. 

Starting next week, I'll recap some of the highlights here, so if you're out of town or whatever, you can catch up.  In the meanwhile, go on over there and try out the fun. 

But watch out for the cupcakes!