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| Decision field | Free + paidThreadloop Sewing Pattern DatabaseGlobalRemove | Open accessYarnSubGlobalRemove | Open accessYarn Database EU Dyers and MakersEuropean UnionRemove | Open accessSwatch-to-Area Yarn EstimatorGlobalRemove |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Decision fit | ||||
| Primary job | Find patterns & fit | Choose materials | Choose materials | Choose materials |
| Also useful for | No additional job recorded | No additional job recorded | No additional job recorded | No additional job recorded |
| Area | Patterns & fit | Yarn | Yarn | Yarn |
| Best for | 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 | Finding independent EU yarn or fibre dyers with off-Ravelry purchase routes | Documenting a bounded sample-to-area yarn calculation when the equivalent area is already known and genuinely comparable with the sample |
| Know before using | 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. | It is one curator's intentionally selective, off-Ravelry-oriented database, inventories change, and paid supporters can receive rotating priority placement; verify availability, fibre claims, shipping, and terms directly. | The worksheet does not establish that a sample represents a project, derive the area of shaped pieces, account for construction or openings, prescribe reserve, supply typical project quantities, round to packages, verify label values, guarantee required quantity, check dye-lot supply, or replace a tested pattern amount. Yarn, tool, maker, strand count, stitch or texture, density, treatment, finishing, planned area, and supply decisions remain project-specific. |
| Practical access | ||||
| For | Makers | Makers | Makers | Makers |
| Location or jurisdiction | Global | Global | European Union | Global |
| Access | Free + paid | Open access | Open access | Open access |
| Format | Community | Reference | Directory | Stitch Authority |
| Source type | Community database | First-party platform | Community database | Stitch Authority |
| Account, payment, and exit | ||||
| Access scope | Sewer searching pattern records or organizing patterns, projects, fabric, notions, and private files. | 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 | 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. | Not yet reviewed at this level. | Not yet reviewed at this level. |
| Free-account boundary | 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. | Not yet reviewed at this level. | Not yet reviewed at this level. |
| Payment boundary | 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. | Not yet reviewed at this level. | Not yet reviewed at this level. |
| Cancellation or exit | 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. | Not yet reviewed at this level. | Not yet reviewed at this level. |
| Saved work and data | 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. | Not yet reviewed at this level. | Not yet reviewed at this level. |
| Source and review | ||||
| What the source establishes | 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. | The individually researched database offers free listings and sortable yarn, fibre, designer, editor, accessory, and location views; the EU page spans multiple countries and direct seller profiles. | The worksheet performs visible proportional arithmetic on user-entered sample dimensions, sample yarn length or weight-derived length, equivalent area, and optional reserve. Craft Yarn Council pattern-writing guidance says yarn amounts and package counts should be recorded in instructions, and its consumer guidance ties project instructions to a stated yarn amount and representative gauge; those sources do not establish a universal sample-to-area method, project range, or reserve. NIST defines 1 yard as exactly 0.9144 metre for the secondary unit display. |
| Linked page reviewed | Jul 28, 2026 | Jul 28, 2026 | Jul 15, 2026 | Jul 28, 2026 |
| Next review due | Jan 24, 2027 | Jan 24, 2027 | Jan 11, 2027 | Jul 28, 2027 |
| Inspect | ||||
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