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| Decision field | Open accessPattern Grading & Size-Run Validation RecordGlobalRemove | Open accessYarnSubGlobalRemove | Free + paidThreadloop Sewing Pattern DatabaseGlobalRemove | Open accessCraft Yarn Council StandardsUnited States · North AmericaRemove |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Decision fit | ||||
| Primary job | Find patterns & fit | Choose materials | Find patterns & fit | Check standards |
| Also useful for | No additional job recorded | No additional job recorded | No additional job recorded | No additional job recorded |
| Area | Patterns & fit | Yarn | Patterns & fit | Standards |
| Best for | Auditing inherited grade rules or controlling a new multi-size pattern release from approved targets through sample evidence | Building a substitution shortlist for a discontinued or unavailable yarn before checking quantity, availability, and a representative swatch | Searching current and out-of-print sewing patterns | Resolving yarn and pattern terminology |
| Know before using | The record does not create a production grade, supply universal increments or breakpoints, validate a CAD file or fit population, reproduce licensed standards, or replace qualified anthropometric, pattern, technical-design, fit, quality, accessibility, safety, statistical, and user-research review. | 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. | 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. | These are voluntary industry guidelines, not law, a licensed test method, or proof that a yarn, hook, needle, pattern, size, or care instruction suits a project. Publishers, manufacturers, and regions may use different names, aliases, chart symbols, size tables, and weight systems. Confirm the actual pattern key, measured tool diameter, yarn label and specifications, body or garment measurements, gauge, care evidence, and destination-market requirements. |
| Practical access | ||||
| For | Apparel brands | Makers | Makers | Both |
| Location or jurisdiction | Global | Global | Global | United States · North America |
| Access | Open access | Open access | Free + paid | Open access |
| Format | Stitch Authority | Reference | Community | Reference |
| Source type | Stitch Authority | First-party platform | Community database | Industry organization |
| Account, payment, and exit | ||||
| Access scope | Not yet reviewed at this level. | Maker comparing a replacement for a named yarn before buying. | Sewer searching pattern records or organizing patterns, projects, fabric, notions, and private files. | 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. | Browse the pattern database, guide, designers, publications, and public community areas without creating an account. | 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. | A free account needs no card and supports a stash, wishlist, projects, reviews, and personal organization. | 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. | 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 | 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. | 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 | 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. | 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 | The guide cites current ISO body-table, size-designation, and garment-measurement boundaries plus two peer-reviewed studies that tested the relationship between conventional grade rules, anthropometric evidence, and garment fit; it requires product-specific target deltas and validation instead of publishing universal increments. | 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. | 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. | The Craft Yarn Council's current gateway publishes its yarn-weight system, crochet and knitting chart symbols and abbreviations, project levels, body-size tables, hook and needle aliases, care symbols, designer guidance, downloadable symbols, and a guideline PDF. The Council says yarn companies, tool manufacturers, publishers, and consultants developed the guidance to improve consistency in labels and patterns and asks industry participants to adopt it. |
| Linked page reviewed | Jul 27, 2026 | Jul 28, 2026 | Jul 28, 2026 | Jul 21, 2026 |
| Next review due | Jul 27, 2027 | Jan 24, 2027 | Jan 24, 2027 | Oct 19, 2026 |
| Inspect | ||||
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