A few weeks ago I was approached by Mary Beth Klatt, the mastermind behind Yarn U, to review the app she developed. As someone that works at a yarn shop, I was very interested to see what the app had to offer, and if it could be of use to us at the shop.
But really, this app isn't made for yarn experts (assuming employees of yarn-dedicated shops are at some level an expert at yarniness). The app at its core is a yarn catalogue, made up predominantly of American-distributed yarns organized by weight, manufacturer, and confusingly, "distance".
Once you get used to the interface, the content of the app is really nice. I can sort through thousands of types of yarn by weight (though not fibre content from what I can figure) to see what some yarn options are. While I like having that kind of information at my disposal, the distance information is misleading. Each yarn has its manufacturer's location attached, not the yarn's availability at an actual shop. So let's say I was looking for fingering weight yarn and fell in love with Tough Love Sock by SweetGeorgia Yarns. When I click on the yarn to look at its information, I see that it is 1860 miles from me in Texas.
Which ... isn't true, because my shop, Hill Country Weavers, carries it. There's a similar issue with Brooklyn Tweed's SHELTER yarn, which is a bit of a bummer, because HCW is one of about 9 brick-and-mortar shops carrying the yarn. (And one of our shop's patterns from our SHELTER collection is the featured image...)
If I had to make a suggestion, I would either include a list of shops carrying the yarn (a crazy idea for an app like this; the databasing would be way too exhaustive and not worth it), make it clear that the locations are the manufacturer's primarily, or just remove that data altogether.
That aside, the amount of information at a knitter/crocheter's disposal in this app is quite staggering, especially considering that essentially one person compiled all the data. But it is by no means comprehensive: there are hundreds of yarn companies with hundreds of distributors and thousands of shops out there that cary them. But for someone that doesn't have a dedicated LYS nearby, this app is great for finding out yarn options. I wish the quick info on each yarn entry contained fiber content and weight information rather than a blurb about its quality; I'm guessing most people are going to fish through this app for yarn replacement ideas and not just to browse for fun.
One thing I really like about this app is being able to track favorites with the little heart button, being able to email yarn info with the "forward" button in the bottom right corner, and having a comment system.
I think there are still some major structural changes needed, like ditching the online map (what good is it for consumers to see the locations of manufacturers, none of which sell directly to the consumer?) and the photo slide-show (yarn pr0n does exist, but I don't think that's someone people really look for in an app they've paid for ... also it bogs down the app and probably takes up memory space that could be used for more yarn data!), having all the pictures be of the skeins and yarn info having secondary pictures of finished projects (hopefully not grabbed from Ravelry users or pattern designers without credit!), and finding a way to include the manufacturer's name in the title of the yarn, or making it obvious who the manufacturer is in any type of search. But if you approach this as a learning tool, particularly if you're a new knitter/crocheter and want to know what's out there, this is a good app for you. But you may not want to pay $2.99USD for yarn research when you can pop on Ravelry for free ...
Until Ravelry releases a mobile app (apparently in development forever) or has a mobile site (probably won't happen, though YarnPhone! is cool), Yarn U is a good resource to have for people without an LYS who are thinking about yarn when away from the computer. The app has some serious potential but has a lot of growing to do. This is an incredibly ambitious app, and once it gears itself more towards yarn consumers this will be an essential app for the fiber obsessed. It will very soon be worth its $2.99 USD pricetag.
But really, this app isn't made for yarn experts (assuming employees of yarn-dedicated shops are at some level an expert at yarniness). The app at its core is a yarn catalogue, made up predominantly of American-distributed yarns organized by weight, manufacturer, and confusingly, "distance".
Once you get used to the interface, the content of the app is really nice. I can sort through thousands of types of yarn by weight (though not fibre content from what I can figure) to see what some yarn options are. While I like having that kind of information at my disposal, the distance information is misleading. Each yarn has its manufacturer's location attached, not the yarn's availability at an actual shop. So let's say I was looking for fingering weight yarn and fell in love with Tough Love Sock by SweetGeorgia Yarns. When I click on the yarn to look at its information, I see that it is 1860 miles from me in Texas.
Which ... isn't true, because my shop, Hill Country Weavers, carries it. There's a similar issue with Brooklyn Tweed's SHELTER yarn, which is a bit of a bummer, because HCW is one of about 9 brick-and-mortar shops carrying the yarn. (And one of our shop's patterns from our SHELTER collection is the featured image...)
If I had to make a suggestion, I would either include a list of shops carrying the yarn (a crazy idea for an app like this; the databasing would be way too exhaustive and not worth it), make it clear that the locations are the manufacturer's primarily, or just remove that data altogether.
That aside, the amount of information at a knitter/crocheter's disposal in this app is quite staggering, especially considering that essentially one person compiled all the data. But it is by no means comprehensive: there are hundreds of yarn companies with hundreds of distributors and thousands of shops out there that cary them. But for someone that doesn't have a dedicated LYS nearby, this app is great for finding out yarn options. I wish the quick info on each yarn entry contained fiber content and weight information rather than a blurb about its quality; I'm guessing most people are going to fish through this app for yarn replacement ideas and not just to browse for fun.
One thing I really like about this app is being able to track favorites with the little heart button, being able to email yarn info with the "forward" button in the bottom right corner, and having a comment system.
I think there are still some major structural changes needed, like ditching the online map (what good is it for consumers to see the locations of manufacturers, none of which sell directly to the consumer?) and the photo slide-show (yarn pr0n does exist, but I don't think that's someone people really look for in an app they've paid for ... also it bogs down the app and probably takes up memory space that could be used for more yarn data!), having all the pictures be of the skeins and yarn info having secondary pictures of finished projects (hopefully not grabbed from Ravelry users or pattern designers without credit!), and finding a way to include the manufacturer's name in the title of the yarn, or making it obvious who the manufacturer is in any type of search. But if you approach this as a learning tool, particularly if you're a new knitter/crocheter and want to know what's out there, this is a good app for you. But you may not want to pay $2.99USD for yarn research when you can pop on Ravelry for free ...
Until Ravelry releases a mobile app (apparently in development forever) or has a mobile site (probably won't happen, though YarnPhone! is cool), Yarn U is a good resource to have for people without an LYS who are thinking about yarn when away from the computer. The app has some serious potential but has a lot of growing to do. This is an incredibly ambitious app, and once it gears itself more towards yarn consumers this will be an essential app for the fiber obsessed. It will very soon be worth its $2.99 USD pricetag.
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