iPhone Apps For Knitters-- YAY!

I don’t know about you people, but I am an iPhone junkie. I don’t even like talking on the phone much. But I do love having an all-purpose gadget—computer, game device, calculator, much needed GPS, and iPod—in my bag at all times.

For those of you unfamiliar, I’ll tell you one of the coolest things about the iPhone. You can install all sorts of applications— from incredibly silly games to highly practical gadgets— that range from free to 99c to… well, I’m not sure what the high end is. And yes, there are even apps for knitters.

StitchMinder is a free iPhone app that can keep track of rows completed, what pattern row you’re on, pattern repeats and increase rows. Very, very helpful. I became instantly addicted and used it constantly when I was working on a (for me) complicated sweater pattern.

I also bought KnittyBag for 99c, a total bargain. I can use it to keep track of all the needles I own so when I’m at HCW wondering if I have those size 2 DPs some pattern calls for—and I’ve done that a lot, forgetting to bring my needle bag— now I can check my iPhone.

KnitGauge is another 99c app you can use when you don’t have a tape measure handy. When you bring up the program, you can lie your iPhone sideways on a swatch and drag screen images of needles to match up with your knitted stitches. Voila: gauge calculated!

I have this belief that knit-geeks were the original tech-geeks, long before the days of harddrives and software, or even electricity for that matter. Think about it—all the number crunching and measuring and calculating that has gone into knitting for centuries. Computer whizzes have nothing on Aran pattern designers. So I really like how these apps bring the two worlds together—makes excellent sense.