Review :: Learn Crochet Quickly

There are many different accessories, clothes, embellishments, stitches, tips and even a section about Tunisian crochet.  Each section has many patterns.  Each pattern links to a YouTube video.  These videos are done by many different people.  Most are good at what they are teaching.

As you tap a section to see what lovely morsels are there, you get an ad.  When you tap the pattern or tip or technique, you are whisked away to YouTube and an ad will play for at least 5 seconds before you can start the video.  You can usually stop the video after 5 seconds by pressing the skip ad button.

All in all I wouldn't download this app.  It's a directory rather than a how to.  I'd prefer to save the space on my device for patterns and such and search YouTube for the desired pattern, tip, tutorial, teacher.

Review :: Bee Count An Android App

This is a stitch count/row counter with the ability to keep track of pattern repeats, stitch repeats.  New projects can be added.  New items can be added to existing projects.

**WARNING**

Be sure to SAVE your additions, editing, changes before downsizing to answer your phone, if used on your phone, or check time or anything else.  If you don't, you will lose whatever you put in.

I found this out the hard way.  I went to answer a local call only to find it was a telemarketing call and that I lost my additions to my new project.

Review :: Granny Square Crochet

This app is pretty neat.  There are 30 granny squares with patterns.  The patterns are charted not written.  Some are more motifs made into squares than actual grannies, but still a nice assortment. They are shown in gradations and in multiple colors.  There are solids to laces and plenty of texture for all.

There are ideas for using all your squares.  These run the gamut from the generic afghan idea to things like bags, purses, tablet cases, toys, and accessories.  You name it.  Each idea gives you a more blown up picture with a link to get to the pattern.  Usually the pattern is in a blog post. 

There is also a how to section.  This explains a chart, charted pattern and how to know what the chart is showing you.  Pretty handy.  The chart used in the explanation is for a standard granny square.

I like this for the ideas and some of the new and unusual ideas presented.  Almost makes me want to yarn bomb my own mailbox and the fire hydrant in my yard.   Ok.  Maybe not the hydrant. 

Review :: Crochet Bag Ideas

Crochet Bag Ideas.

It is what it says it is in the title.  This app is different styles of bags that are done in different stitches, colors, etc.  There’s an offering of 50 bags.  Some are similar. 

Each photo is clear and concise.  There’s no background clutter which is great for looking at details in the bags.  You can see things like handles and clasps or other types of closures.  Each bag is in different stitches and you can usually tell which stitch it is.  There are many colors throughout the gallery.  Maybe they don’t all appeal to you, but it shows you what can be done to change up the colors that fit your personal palette.

This app is not a pattern source.  There are no patterns here or links to patterns.  This app doesn’t have details for the bags.  There are no gauges listed, no schematics for each bag.  There are no finished sizes.  The yarn choices are yours to make.  You choose the hook size to make a fabric that you like. 

All that being said, I would download this for ideas.  It doesn’t take much room, just 5.00Mb.

Review :: aprendercrochet

The top 4 choices on the front menu take you to the google play store to download more apps.  The rest of the menu choices are taking you to YouTube videos.  The videos are from all over YouTube, not just one specific teacher/designer.  The teachers and designers are good at their video.  However, it is inconsistent.  The same teacher throughout would have kept the same quality for all the videos.

Like the other directory type apps, I won't keep this.  I prefer to search YouTube for various crochet videos myself.

Review :: Crochet Flowers

This app is for ideas only.  It is similar to Crochet Bags Ideas.  There are no links.  No photo tutorials.  No video tutorials.

There are many pictures of flowers that are swirls, overlays, Irish crochet, petal by petal construction.  There are ideas for layout, arrangements, and uses for embellishments.

If I needed ideas for flowers, I might check this out or more than likely I’d visit www.lionbrand.com and search flowers as well as checking www.ravelry.com for flower patterns and embellishment ideas. 

Review :: Crochet 1200

This app is interesting.  The headline in the play store is in English.  However, if you click on the read more button the description comes up in Spanish.  Although perhaps the author/owner of the app should have been a clue.  Uno2y3.

 has 9 sections that are then subdivided into patterns.  It is in Spanish.  However, the titles combined with the pictures allow us to know just what we can find in each section.  Each pattern is a YouTube video.  As long as you can follow the video it doesn’t matter that you can’t understand the words.  The video does start with an ad.

There are baby projects, adult projects, things for the home, accessories, toys, embellishments, basic shapes.  All things considered, the Spanish speech isn’t anything that would deter me from downloading this. I really enjoy this app.  It does require access to your location, photos/media/files, wi-fi connection, device id and call info to be downloaded.  It is 21MB. 

Review:: circular knitting tutorial

Don't bother with downloading this.   I've tried to use this numerous times.   It tells me I need to update the app.  I have the option of now or later.   Update now takes me to the Google play store and install a beginner crochet app.  Later takes me to a new screen where I assume there is supposed to be a list of videos.  There's nothing except a banner ad for games.

Don't bother with this app.

Free apps

No, not appetizers.  I'mchecking out applications for my phone. When I had a Windows phone,  there were few knit and crochet apps for that platform.   I guess I never thought about it in reference to how many different types of cell phones there are in the smart phone arena.   No I'm not going to try to list them all.

What I AM going to be working on is a review of as many free apps as I can find.  Things I will look at is how many ads there are, ease of use, how much space it takes, if a connection is needed for use and how many functions there are in it.  This will be ongoing since I can't fit them all on my phone.

The apps I am starting with are:  needletravel,  Knitmap, Knit companion,  knit ting, all free crochet,  aprendercrochet, bee count, circular knitting tutorial,  craftsy,  crochet 1200, crochet and knit,  crochet bag ideas, crochet flower, crochet lessons for beginners,  crochet patterns and tips, crochet stitches,  crochet videos,  you knits designer, easy crochet patterns,  free knitting patterns,  granny square crochet,  just knit: stitches free, Knit crochet,  Knit tools, knitting chart maker, knitting lessons,  knitting stitches,  learn crochet quickly,  love knitting for baby, row counter, vintage knits stitch sampler.

That's all but 36 apps.  I know,  not because I counted,  but because of the way I have things grouped together.  This is a lot of things to try out and will take some time.  Sadly some are inspiration rather than educational,  but if that's what you want, then that's what you'll get.  And let's dive right in.

Two easy apps are knitmap and needletravel.  I love these.  If you travel,  you will too.  Both are free. 

Knit map is a yarn store finder for the US, Mexico,  Canada and Europe.  It's not completely up to date in the app but if there's internet connection,  the website of the same name can be checked for details.  This uses 14.4mb. 

Needletravel is a yarn store finder for the US and so much more.  Needletravel a website, app, and book.  Each entry is checked each year before reprinting.  The book reminds me of a AAA travel book.  The book (cost $12-$15) is arranged by state, then by city.  The shops have a series of codes describing the type of needlework that shop caters too, Knit, crochet, embroidery,  cross stitch, spinning, weaving,  needlepoint.  This also lists guilds, location and meeting time.  I consult them anytime I travel.  After all, I wouldn't dream of denying myself souvenir yarn. This uses 7.7mb.

I'm not sure how to categorize these first in the list.  They are all ads for yarn shops but aren't ads.  They are very easy to use.  Plug in the state and city and see what comes up.  If there isn't a listing,  Knitmap can pull listings from up to 20 miles as the crow flies from the location you indicate.  Needletravel, on the other hand, can be searched by your current location or by plugging in the city and state or zip code.  These two apps are strictly one function, to find yarn shops.  They do this very well.