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Compare textile resources.
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| Decision field | Open accessYarnSubGlobalRemove | Free accountFOURSOURCE Supplier NetworkGlobalRemove | Open accessKnitting Needle to Crochet Hook Size ChartGlobalRemove | Open accessPattern Grading & Size-Run Validation RecordGlobalRemove |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Decision fit | ||||
| Primary job | Choose materials | Source production | Learn techniques | Find patterns & fit |
| Also useful for | No additional job recorded | No additional job recorded | No additional job recorded | No additional job recorded |
| Area | Yarn | Production | Yarn | Patterns & fit |
| Best for | Building a substitution shortlist for a discontinued or unavailable yarn before checking quantity, availability, and a representative swatch | Searching global apparel and textile production capabilities | Finding the current CYC hook and needle aliases that share one known nominal metric diameter before confirming project gauge | Auditing inherited grade rules or controlling a new multi-size pattern release from approved targets through sample evidence |
| 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 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 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. | 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. |
| Practical access | ||||
| For | Makers | Apparel brands | Makers | Apparel brands |
| Location or jurisdiction | Global | Global | Global | Global |
| Access | Open access | Free account | Open access | Open access |
| Format | Reference | Marketplace | Stitch Authority | Stitch Authority |
| Source type | First-party platform | Commercial marketplace | Stitch Authority | Stitch Authority |
| Account, payment, and exit | ||||
| Access scope | Maker comparing a replacement for a named yarn before buying. | Not yet reviewed at this level. | Not yet reviewed at this level. | 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. | Not yet reviewed at this level. | 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. | Not yet reviewed at this level. | 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. | Not yet reviewed at this level. | 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. | Not yet reviewed at this level. | 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. | Not yet reviewed at this level. | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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. |
| Linked page reviewed | Jul 28, 2026 | Jul 21, 2026 | Jul 28, 2026 | Jul 27, 2026 |
| Next review due | Jan 24, 2027 | Jan 17, 2027 | Jul 28, 2027 | Jul 27, 2027 |
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