If you are new to the social media phenomenon, you might not have heard of “hashtags.”  A hashtag is the “pound” symbol:  #, accompanied by a word or words that groups together concepts.  Its purpose is to collect similar information from all over into one easily-searchable stream.  It’s most popular on Twitter and Tweeps have used literally thousands of hashtags on every imaginable subject.

Here’s how they work:  you probably know that you have a limited number of characters to post your thoughts on Twitter, 140 to be exact.  (This comes from the limit imposed on text messaging by the servers that run the “SMS” messages.)  One way to become part of the larger conversation is to include a hashtag with your post, and then others who have similar interests can find you.

I use #quotes most often, since I love to find and post quotes related to my interests.  Here are a few more relevant to crafting:

#knit and #knitting are the most obvious.  When you have thoughts, updates, or projects to knit, add that to your post.

#crochet

#craft The most broad of the topics you can use.

#sew

#gifts I love this one, because it’s such a broad category – it could be things you make and things you buy.

#handmade

#ravelry  If you’re part of the huge worldwide community of Ravelry, this is a great way to link your Tweets to your Ravelry thoughts and pictures.

Do you have a favorite hashtag or five?  Tell me, in the comments!