Crochet your way to happiness
By Meg Rivera
ABOUT two years ago, I got my hair cut by a French lady who didn’t understand a lot of English. I just wanted a trim on the sides and for the fringe to be kept long. I don’t know what she understood, but what I was left with was a nasty buzz cut that GI Joe wouldn’t wear out to a bar. It was the worst haircut that I’ve ever had, there was no way I was wearing it out in public.
That night, I sat down in the living room and crocheted myself a hat. It would be a good year and a half before I could wear my hair out again, but in the time before that I wore hats nearly every day. I figured that it was easier to crochet the hats that I wanted instead of buying several. I was very busy for a long time, let me tell you!
If you crochet for reasons other than covering up getting scalped by a bad hairdresser, the internet has three golden nuggets for you to try. These apps bring your smart device into your yarn hobby, and help make the experience look cooler than it did back in your nan’s day. Enjoy!
App name: The Crochet Crowd
App developer: Michael Sellick
Available on: iTunes, Google Play
Easy to use: Think of this app as the Reddit of crochet. This is a great source of patterns, video tutorials and communities for fellow crafters to come together. There’s a direct link within the app that takes you straight to their Facebook page and the forum where you can ask questions.
Overall comment: I like this one because of how well-organized all the different parts are. It was no problem for me to find the patterns I wanted, as well as extra information on adapting the pattern. It’s a bit busy if all you’re looking for is patterns, but it’s pretty good as a crochet community. Three clicks out of five.
App name: Stitchminder
App developer: Quilt2Go
Available on: iTunes, Google Play
Easy to use: Remember when you used to tick off each row of instructions on your patterns? Remember forgetting where you had left off and turning a coaster into a tube sock? This app helps you keep count of where you are in your piece, including a field for you to record round increases.
Overall comment: I was not expecting a lot out of this app, so imagine my surprise when does well at what it was created for. This would definitely keep your patterns unmarked because it tracks how many rounds you’ve completed and how many rounds you’re meant to increase. Simple, but well-executed. Four clicks out of five.
App name: Knitting and Crochet Patterns by Craftsy
App developer: Sympoz Inc.
Available on: iTunes, Google Play
Easy to use: Simple enough. Create a profile on this app, and an entire catalogue of crochet patterns are available to you. You can also sign in using your Facebook account.
Overall comment: This is for the serious crafter, who is willing to shell out some money for quality patterns. The patterns are organized by kind, and you can swipe between each of these easily. Build a “wishlist,” or follow crafters whose work you really like. Not for the novice or the hobby crafter. Three clicks out of five.
