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 accessKnitting Stitch LibraryGlobalRemove | Open accessHook & Needle Diameter ReferenceGlobalRemove | Free + paidThreadloop Sewing Pattern DatabaseGlobalRemove | Open accessYarnSubGlobalRemove |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Decision fit | ||||
| Primary job | Learn techniques | Learn techniques | Find patterns & fit | Choose materials |
| Also useful for | No additional job recorded | No additional job recorded | No additional job recorded | No additional job recorded |
| Area | Techniques & repair | Yarn | Patterns & fit | Yarn |
| Best for | Learning or comparing knit structures | Checking which U.S. alias the current Craft Yarn Council table gives a known metric package size before confirming project gauge | Searching current and out-of-print sewing patterns | Building a substitution shortlist for a discontinued or unavailable yarn before checking quantity, availability, and a representative swatch |
| Know before using | A foundational library, not yet an exhaustive stitch encyclopedia. | 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. | 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. | 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. |
| Practical access | ||||
| For | Makers | Makers | Makers | Makers |
| Location or jurisdiction | Global | Global | Global | Global |
| Access | Open access | Open access | Free + paid | Open access |
| Format | Stitch Authority | Stitch Authority | Community | Reference |
| Source type | Stitch Authority | Stitch Authority | Community database | First-party platform |
| Account, payment, and exit | ||||
| Access scope | Not yet reviewed at this level. | Not yet reviewed at this level. | Sewer searching pattern records or organizing patterns, projects, fabric, notions, and private files. | Maker comparing a replacement for a named yarn before buying. |
| Before an account | Not yet reviewed at this level. | Not yet reviewed at this level. | Browse the pattern database, guide, designers, publications, and public community areas without creating an account. | Search a named yarn, inspect suggested substitutes, and filter by fibre and approximate price band without creating an account. |
| Free-account boundary | Not yet reviewed at this level. | Not yet reviewed at this level. | A free account needs no card and supports a stash, wishlist, projects, reviews, and personal organization. | The checked core substitution route does not require an account, and the FAQ does not offer user-entered yarn records. |
| Payment boundary | Not yet reviewed at this level. | 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. | 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. |
| Cancellation or exit | Not yet reviewed at this level. | 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. | There is no account or recurring plan to cancel for the core route. The newsletter has a separate unsubscribe link. |
| Saved work and data | Not yet reviewed at this level. | 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. | 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. |
| Source and review | ||||
| What the source establishes | The linked tool or guide is maintained inside Stitch Authority and was checked against its current public interface. | 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. | 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. | 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. |
| Linked page reviewed | Jul 15, 2026 | Jul 27, 2026 | Jul 28, 2026 | Jul 28, 2026 |
| Next review due | Jul 15, 2027 | Jul 27, 2027 | Jan 24, 2027 | Jan 24, 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.