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 | Free accountFOURSOURCE Supplier NetworkGlobalRemove | Open accessYarnSubGlobalRemove | Open accessPattern Test Brief TemplateGlobalRemove | Open accessKnitting Needle to Crochet Hook Size ChartGlobalRemove |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Decision fit | ||||
| Primary job | Source production | 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 | Production | Yarn | Patterns & fit | Yarn |
| Best for | Searching global apparel and textile production capabilities | Building a substitution shortlist for a discontinued or unavailable yarn before checking quantity, availability, and a representative swatch | Planning a sewing, knitting, or crochet pattern test | Finding the current CYC hook and needle aliases that share one known nominal metric diameter before confirming project gauge |
| Know before using | The company count is a changing platform claim. Search fields, profiles, certificates, locations, and account access do not independently verify the legal entity, factory ownership, capability, capacity, certificate validity or scope, compliance performance, delivery, or project fit. Confirm the site and subcontracting, credentials with issuers, samples, audits when appropriate, specifications, contracts, and commercial terms. | 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 workflow is not a contract or quality certification; local legal duties and technical review may still apply. | A shared nominal diameter does not make a knitting needle and crochet hook interchangeable or predict equal gauge or fabric. The reference is not a physical measurement, manufacturer inspection, UK or Canadian conversion, steel-hook chart, tool recommendation, yarn assignment, or project approval. |
| Practical access | ||||
| For | Apparel brands | Makers | Both | Makers |
| Location or jurisdiction | Global | Global | Global | Global |
| Access | Free account | Open access | Open access | Open access |
| Format | Marketplace | Reference | Stitch Authority | Stitch Authority |
| Source type | Commercial marketplace | First-party platform | Stitch Authority | Stitch Authority |
| Account, payment, and exit | ||||
| Access scope | Not yet reviewed at this level. | Maker comparing a replacement for a named yarn before buying. | Not yet reviewed at this level. | Not yet reviewed at this level. |
| Before an account | Not yet reviewed at this level. | 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. | Not yet reviewed at this level. |
| Free-account boundary | Not yet reviewed at this level. | 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. | Not yet reviewed at this level. |
| Payment boundary | Not yet reviewed at this level. | 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. | Not yet reviewed at this level. |
| Cancellation or exit | Not yet reviewed at this level. | 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. | Not yet reviewed at this level. |
| Saved work and data | Not yet reviewed at this level. | 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. | Not yet reviewed at this level. |
| Source and review | ||||
| What the source establishes | FOURSOURCE's current public network page presents an operator-reported global company count and country or territory search. It says logged-in users can narrow results by compliance certificates, product groups, fabric types, target groups, minimum order quantities, and other fields, with a free-trial and supplier sign-up route. | 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 linked tool or guide is maintained inside Stitch Authority and was checked against its current public interface. | Rechecked July 28, 2026. The lookup reproduces the current public Craft Yarn Council metric and U.S. alias rows, aligns hooks and needles only when their nominal millimetre value matches, and leaves missing rows or aliases unfilled. |
| Linked page reviewed | Jul 21, 2026 | Jul 28, 2026 | Jul 15, 2026 | Jul 28, 2026 |
| Next review due | Jan 17, 2027 | Jan 24, 2027 | Jul 15, 2027 | Jul 28, 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.