Compare two to four resources
Compare textile resources.
Review access, scope, source evidence, and limitations side by side before choosing what to inspect next.
This is a working table, not a ranking, recommendation, or provider approval.
Selected resources
4 resources selected.
Swipe the table sideways to inspect all 4 routes
| Decision field | Open accessYarnSubGlobalRemove | Open accessYarn Substitution PlannerGlobalRemove | Free + paidThreadloop Sewing Pattern DatabaseGlobalRemove | Open accessHook & Needle Diameter ReferenceGlobalRemove |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Decision fit | ||||
| Primary job | Choose materials | Choose materials | Find patterns & fit | Learn techniques |
| Also useful for | No additional job recorded | No additional job recorded | No additional job recorded | No additional job recorded |
| Area | Yarn | Yarn | Patterns & fit | Yarn |
| Best for | Building a substitution shortlist for a discontinued or unavailable yarn before checking quantity, availability, and a representative swatch | Turning a known project length and candidate package size into a transparent buying estimate while keeping specimen, finished-fabric, care, and supply decisions separate | Searching current and out-of-print sewing patterns | Checking which U.S. alias the current Craft Yarn Council table gives a known metric package size before confirming project gauge |
| Know before using | A suggested match is a data-based shortlist, not proof that the yarn suits the pattern or maker. Records can be incomplete or wrong, price bands are approximate, availability varies by country and seller, and shade-level matching is unavailable. YarnSub says affiliate status does not change suggestions, but equally rated matches are ordered by brand popularity. Confirm required gauge, total length, fibre behavior, construction, care, colour, dye lot, accessibility, price, availability, and seller terms, then make and assess a representative swatch before committing. | The tool does not verify label values, convert between metres and yards, identify fibre or yarn diameter, assign a yarn-weight category, predict gauge or fabric, prescribe reserve, guarantee required quantity, check dye-lot supply, score candidates, or approve a substitution. A representative treated specimen and project-specific fabric, care, wear, comfort, supply, and quantity review remain required. | Community members add and quality-control the records, so confirm sizing, measurements, fabric suggestions, format, availability, errata, license, and purchase terms with the designer or publisher. Adding an entry to a stash does not provide the pattern files. Saved searches and private PDF storage are paid Plus features, and a listing or review does not establish pattern accuracy or fit. | The reference is not a dimensional measurement, manufacturer inspection, UK or Canadian conversion, steel-hook chart, tool recommendation, yarn assignment, gauge result, or proof that a proposed tool will produce the required fabric. |
| Practical access | ||||
| For | Makers | Makers | Makers | Makers |
| Location or jurisdiction | Global | Global | Global | Global |
| Access | Open access | Open access | Free + paid | Open access |
| Format | Reference | Stitch Authority | Community | Stitch Authority |
| Source type | First-party platform | Stitch Authority | Community database | Stitch Authority |
| Account, payment, and exit | ||||
| Access scope | Maker comparing a replacement for a named yarn before buying. | Not yet reviewed at this level. | Sewer searching pattern records or organizing patterns, projects, fabric, notions, and private files. | Not yet reviewed at this level. |
| Before an account | Search a named yarn, inspect suggested substitutes, and filter by fibre and approximate price band without creating an account. | Not yet reviewed at this level. | Browse the pattern database, guide, designers, publications, and public community areas without creating an account. | Not yet reviewed at this level. |
| Free-account boundary | The checked core substitution route does not require an account, and the FAQ does not offer user-entered yarn records. | Not yet reviewed at this level. | A free account needs no card and supports a stash, wishlist, projects, reviews, and personal organization. | Not yet reviewed at this level. |
| Payment boundary | No subscription is presented for the core route. Affiliate retailer links and optional donations help fund the site; equal-rated matches are ordered by brand popularity. | Not yet reviewed at this level. | Plus adds PDF pattern storage, collections, saved searches, bulk editing, and other workflow features on monthly or annual billing. | Not yet reviewed at this level. |
| Cancellation or exit | There is no account or recurring plan to cancel for the core route. The newsletter has a separate unsubscribe link. | Not yet reviewed at this level. | Cancel through an in-account link. Paid features remain through the current billing cycle, then the account returns to free features. | Not yet reviewed at this level. |
| Saved work and data | YarnSub does not expose an API and does not accept user-entered yarn details. Use the data-issue link on a yarn page for corrections. | Not yet reviewed at this level. | The terms say submitted materials remain yours, but the checked public pages do not explain a full export or how stored PDFs behave after downgrade. Keep originals outside the platform. | Not yet reviewed at this level. |
| Source and review | ||||
| What the source establishes | YarnSub's official FAQ says its matching software compares gauge, texture, yarn weight and density, fibre content, and fibre qualities such as drape and softness. Discontinued yarns remain searchable as starting points but are excluded from suggestions. Result filters can exclude animal, animal-derived, synthetic, or plant fibre groups and use a subjective $ to $$$$$ price indicator. The site does not accept user-entered yarn details, individual shade cards, or expose an API. Each yarn page provides a data-issue route. | The planner performs visible arithmetic only on user-entered project length, reserve, package length, package mass, and price. Its connected source-reviewed guide cites the current Craft Yarn Council category, FAQ, WPI, and hook-and-needle guidance plus ASTM and ISO linear-density sources, and explicitly separates label comparison from substitution approval. | Threadloop's official guide describes an independent, fully crowdsourced database covering available and out-of-print sewing patterns. Its search supports pattern type, fabric type, age group, body type, cup size, level, format, file features, language, measurements, availability, and other filters; members can also track a stash, wishlist, projects, reviews, and discussions. Current terms state that the free plan requires no card, paid upgrades start billing immediately, cancellation retains paid features through the current cycle, and the account then returns to free features. | Rechecked July 27, 2026. The lookup reproduces the current public Craft Yarn Council metric and U.S. alias rows and follows the Council's warning that company letter and number labels vary; blank aliases remain blank instead of being inferred. |
| Linked page reviewed | Jul 28, 2026 | Jul 16, 2026 | Jul 28, 2026 | Jul 27, 2026 |
| Next review due | Jan 24, 2027 | Jul 16, 2027 | Jan 24, 2027 | Jul 27, 2027 |
| Inspect | ||||
How to compare
Use the rows to narrow your next check.
- Choose resources that could solve the same job.
- Eliminate access, scope, or jurisdiction mismatches.
- Read each limitation before following the source.
- Verify project-specific claims with the source or provider.