Knitting

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Craftsy Launches Pattern Browser App

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craftsy appAs its first foray into mobile browsing, Craftsy announced today that it has launched a free app for the iPhone that will allow users to browse — but not buy — knit and crochet patterns.

So far the app is only for knitting and crochet, and users cannot buy patterns directly in the app because Craftsy would have to pay a percentage of sales to Apple. Craftsy does not make any money from pattern sales from its site.

With the app you can search for patterns, add free patterns to your library and mark patterns you’d like to purchase later by adding them to your wish list.

In addition to the app, Craftsy recently went through a redesign that makes it easier to find patterns you want, including a category menu that makes it a lot easier to find patterns of interest to you.

Do you ever shop Craftsy for patterns? I haven’t looked at much there and would love to hear your thoughts if you do.

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Comments

  1. I have taken a few of their classes and they are great. Well described,good pictures, the teachers take it slow and easy so you have enough time to understand. I recommend them highly.

  2. I have bought several patterns from Craftsy and also downloaded several free patterns – all great.

Have you read?

Knit a Sweet Hood Covered with Flowers

I happen to live in the Northern Hemisphere, but I know we have a lot of Southern Hemisphere friends, too, who are heading into the cooler months as we are warming up. Whichever one of the seasons you’re in, you might want to  stitch up this sweet little hood.

This pattern by saskie&co is called snug hood and it uses two colors of yarn to make a close-fitting pixie style hood (almost a balaclava but it doesn’t cover your face, though there is a neck covering portion to keep you a little warmer). You can use the fingering weight wool and mohair held together that are called for in the pattern, or use a single strand of DK weight yarn.

The neck portion and the edging around the face are worked in ribbing in a single color, while the body of the hat includes an allover colorwork flower pattern. The project is worked both flat and in the round and there is colorwork that is knit flat, which means you’ll have to purl in colorwork (which some people don’t like; also, you can’t see what you’re doing as well on the back of the work).

The pattern comes in one size and the colorwork is charted. Testers noted this is a quick and easy project and a great way to learn some new skills (chart reading, working stranded colorwork flat) if you’ve never tried those things before. They noted the hood is cute, comfortable and warm, and a few said it didn’t take as much yarn as the pattern suggests, so bear that in mind if you’re trying to use stash.

Speaking of the pattern notes, check out all the cute color variations in the projects on Ravelry. From pink and red to blue and white to gray and cream, there are lots of great options to think about.

You can buy this pattern on Ravelry.

[Photo: saskie&co]