10 Apps Every Knitter Should Have

Knitting is a technique that has been around for hundreds of years, which we know based on things like scraps of knitted socks found in Egypt and the paperwork for knitting-related patents. In today's modern era of the internet, social media, and smart devices, it should come as little surprise that knitters have also developed mobile apps that allow them to carry their knitting journals with them no matter where they go. How? In the form of knitting apps. Think of an app as just another tool at your disposal. You can use an app to keep track of your favorite yarn, its yardage for certain projects, and its cost at different retailers. When it comes to choosing a knitting app, look for ones that will help you learn new techniques, measure gauge, count stitches, and store a virtual library of projects and patterns that you can access at any time, from anywhere.

Here, ten we think every knitter will love.

knitCompanion (iOS, Android)

KnitCompanion is an app has a 4.8 star rating in the App Store in iOS. With this app, you can track your row and progress along the way, keep a color and count for every project, link to Ravelry (a social network for knitters) and Dropbox, and much more. Basic is free, but the "Essentials" and "Setup + Essentials" features require a paid annual auto-renewing subscription.

Ravit-Ravelry on the Hop (iOS)

A husband and wife team created the Ravit app that links to the Ravelry API. Basically, this means that the app connects to your Ravelry account. You can browse or search to find different knitting patterns, keep track of your yarn, and have it handy when you go to the yarn shop and snap photos of your projects to upload to Ravelry for future reference.

Stash2Go (iOS, Android)

Stash2Go is another app that connects to your Ravelry account. The app lets you find your projects and favorite patterns, and you can search for yarn stores to find your preferred fiber for a project. Stash2Go is available on multiple platforms and has five languages (English, German, Finnish, Swedish, and Norwegian) pre-installed.

Alpaca (iOS)

Alpaca has a 4.6 star rating in the App Store and provides access to Ravelry in the palm of your hand. Pretty much everything that you can do in Ravelry can be done in Alpaca, so you can take your knitting journal with you wherever you go.

Knitci (Android)

If you love conversations with other knitters on Ravelry, then the Knitci app is for you. It's an Android app that connects to your Ravelry account and lets you stay connected with your knitting friends all over the world. You can use the app to find the perfect yarn for a project and even see when your local yarn shop is open.

LoveKnitting (iOS)

With LoveKnitting, keep PDF knitting patterns wrinkle-free by storing them in your app instead of in your knitting workstation. You can upload patterns from both Ravelry and LoveKnitting to keep in your favorite knitting collections. In the Projects section, you can save your projects and keep track of your rows, and more.

JKnit Pro (iOS)

Think of JKnit Pro as a GPS for your knitting projects as it guides you through the pattern and adjusts if you tweak the pattern or frog it and need to re-do a section. Row-by-row instructions for patterns make this an app that knitters of any level will love. The app connects to KnitPoint for uploading free and paid PDF patterns. Keep your project materials and logs at your fingertips.

Knit and Crochet Counter (iOS)

With Knit and Crochet Counter, counting your rows and keeping track of your stitches has never been easier. Now you can also send your counters to Facebook and Twitter as well as to Ravelry. Counters also go up to 9,999 and the voice prompts for the screen elements have been improved for accessibility.

Skein (iOS)

Skein is the yarn shopping assistant you never knew that you needed. The app connects to Ravelry's extensive database to make it easy to find the yarn you need for a project in just a few taps. It also connects to Ravelry's list of yarn shops so that you can find a shop even on vacations. Up for a little yarn tourism? (Yes, please!)

Chart Minder

Most apps are available on smartphones and tablets, but Chart Minder is best in a browser on your laptop. (You can, of course, connect to it on any of your other devices. All you need is a web browser.) Take photos of your projects to create knitting charts in seconds, and you can also draw patterns by hand. With this app, you can see immediately see what effect that your yarn and gauge will have on your design. Track, personalize, and export your charts.