Ravelry is a community site for knitters, crocheters, spinners and weavers. Members keep project notebooks, browse a very large pattern and yarn database, buy and download patterns from independent designers, and talk in thousands of groups. The check above requests ravelry.com from a server outside your network and shows the response, redirects and certificate.
Ravelry is run by a small independent team, so it behaves differently from big platforms when something goes wrong.
What a Ravelry result means
Most of Ravelry is visible only to signed-in members. When the check requests the site, it is sent on to the login page, so a normal result shows a redirect to the account login page with a 200 status at the end. That is the expected outcome and means the site is answering.
A timeout or a server error on that path means Ravelry itself is having trouble. Because the team is small, larger fixes can take longer than on a big commercial service, and news usually appears on the Ravelry blog or in the site’s forums.
Patterns, library and downloads
Patterns are the part people miss most when something fails. Bought and free patterns saved to your account sit in your library, and downloads are served as PDF files. Several different things can go wrong:
- The library loads, the download does not. The file server is slow, or a pop-up or download blocker stopped it. Try another browser or allow downloads from the site.
- The pattern is missing from the library. You may be signed in to a different account than the one that paid. Check the purchase email for the account name.
- A free pattern link leads elsewhere. Some designers host their free patterns on their own websites, so the download depends on that external site.
Saving your purchased PDFs to your own device protects you from any outage. Once a file is downloaded, you can knit or crochet from it offline.
When Ravelry will not cooperate
- Look at the result above
A login redirect with a 200 status means the site is up.
- Sign in again
Expired sessions cause forms, favorites and forum posts to fail quietly.
- Allow scripts for the site
Pattern search filters and the project editor depend on them.
- Clear stored data for ravelry.com
Old cached files sometimes break pages after site updates.
- Try another browser or device
If it works there, an extension or setting in the first browser is the cause.
- Check the blog and forums
Larger issues and planned changes are announced there.
Forums and groups
Ravelry groups are moderated by volunteers, and each group sets its own rules. Missing posts, locked threads and posting limits are usually moderation decisions, not technical problems. If a post does not send at all, copy the text before reloading so that nothing is lost, then sign in again and try once more.
Display modes and the 2020 redesign
Not every Ravelry complaint is about uptime. When the site launched a new design in June 2020, many members reported that the new look gave them headaches, eye strain or nausea, and for a while the site offered a switch back to a Classic version. That Classic option was later retired. What remains are display modes chosen from the menu under your Ravatar in the top right: Merino is the default, and Herdwick Mode, introduced in September 2020, uses lighter buttons and info boxes, a light grey background and no hard drop shadows. If the site loads but feels hard to use, switching the mode is a quicker fix than any troubleshooting.
Third-party apps and the Ravelry API
Ravelry does not publish its own phone app. The apps that many knitters use for row counters, stash lists and pattern libraries come from independent developers and read data through the Ravelry API. Some of them state plainly in their store listings that they are unofficial and not affiliated with Ravelry. That has a practical side. When an app stops syncing, the cause can be the app, its developer’s servers or the API, while ravelry.com itself answers normally in a browser. Check the website first. If it works there, contact the app’s developer instead of Ravelry.
A browser problem on top of all this is easier to spot: the step-by-step tutorial for a browser that cannot reach a website covers the error messages that come from your side of the connection.
Official Ravelry help
- Ravelry blog (Unraveled)blog.ravelry.com
Questions about Ravelry
Why does Ravelry send me to the login page?
Most of Ravelry is for members only. Visitors who are not signed in are sent to the login page, and the check above sees the same redirect. That redirect is normal. Sign in, or create a free account, to reach patterns, projects and forums.
Why can't I download a pattern I bought?
Purchased patterns are kept in your Ravelry library. Open the library, choose the pattern and download it from there. If the button fails, try a different browser, check that pop-ups are not blocked and confirm that you are signed in to the account that made the purchase.
Where does Ravelry post news about problems?
Ravelry announces changes and larger issues on its own blog, Unraveled, and inside the site's forums. It is run by a small team, so announcements may take a little time during an incident.
Why do Ravelry pages load without photos?
Project and yarn photos are stored separately from the text. A content blocker, a slow connection or a temporary image server problem leaves empty frames while the page works. Reload once and try another project page to see whether the issue is general.
Does Ravelry have an app?
Ravelry is mainly a website and works in mobile browsers. Some independent apps connect to Ravelry accounts, but they are made by other developers. If such an app fails while the website works, the problem is with that app.
Why are my forum posts not appearing?
Posts can be held by group moderators, and some groups limit who can post. A post that fails to send at all usually means the session expired. Copy your text, reload, sign in again and post it once more.