Download APK Yarnie Crochet and Knitting Latest Feature Review & Known Issues

I first opened Yarnie Crochet and Knitting on a bus ride home with twenty minutes to spare and a half-finished scarf in my bag. The opening screen did not shout for attention. It showed my project, my place in the pattern, and a row counter that was exactly where I had left it. I closed the app feeling curious rather than tired, and that feeling brought me back the next day. After several weeks of daily use, including a blanket project that ran to more than a hundred rows, I have a clear picture of what this maker companion does well, where its newest features help, and where it still trips people up.

This review answers the title directly. You will get the real feature set as it works today, the latest additions worth knowing about, the known issues users keep reporting, and practical fixes for each one. I also compare Yarnie with the other crochet apps people usually weigh it against, so you can judge whether it fits the way you actually make things. If you crochet or knit on the sofa, on the train, or in ten-minute gaps between other tasks, this is written for you.

What Yarnie Crochet and Knitting actually does for makers

Yarnie is a companion app for people who crochet and knit, built around one simple idea: your hands should be on the yarn, not on your phone. It keeps your patterns, your row counts, your yarn stash, and your project notes in one place, so a session can start in seconds. You open the app, tap the project you are working on, and the counter, the pattern, and your notes are all waiting. That sounds basic until you have tried juggling a printed pattern, a separate counter app, and a notebook at the same time.

The app covers both crafts in one install. Crocheters get stitch and row counters, pattern reading tools, and a stitch library. Knitters get the same counters plus support for the chart-style and written instructions that knitting patterns tend to use. You can run several projects at once, which matters because most makers I know have at least two things on the go: one easy project for tired evenings and one demanding project for weekends.

Row counter and stitch counter tools in Yarnie

The row counter is the heart of the app and the tool you will touch most. Each project gets its own counter, and you can add extra counters for repeats, increases, or a second piece of the same project. Tapping anywhere on the counter area adds one row, and a long press or a dedicated button steps it back when you miscount. I tested this on a ripple blanket with a twelve-row repeat, running one counter for the total rows and a second counter for the position inside the repeat. That pair of numbers told me everything I needed at a glance, and I stopped losing my place at the end of a row.

Counters can be linked to a project, renamed, and reset independently. That matters for garments, where the front, back, and sleeves often sit at different row counts. The app also keeps a running tally of time spent on a project, which feeds into the project notes if you want to know how long a blanket really took. A small vibration or sound on each tap is available in settings, and I turned the sound off on the bus but kept the vibration on so I could count without looking at the screen.

Setting up your first counter without confusion

Start from the project screen, add a counter, and give it a name that means something in a week, not just today. “Sleeve left” beats “Counter 2” when you come back after a gap. Set the starting value to zero unless you are joining a project mid-way, and add a second counter for the repeat before you begin rather than halfway through. I made the mistake of adding the repeat counter late on my first blanket and spent ten minutes reconstructing where I was. Two minutes of setup at the start saves that entirely.

Counting on the move and with one hand

The large tap area is a genuine advantage when your other hand holds a hook and yarn. You can tap with a knuckle or the side of your thumb, and the counter still registers. That said, the tap area shares the screen with other controls, so a clumsy tap can occasionally land on the wrong button. Locking the counter during a focused session prevents that, and I use the lock whenever I am counting through a long repeat. If the screen rotates or the phone sleeps mid-row, the count stays put, which is exactly the behaviour you want from a tool you trust.

Pattern reader and PDF import in Yarnie

Yarnie can open patterns from files on your device, including PDFs, and lets you read them inside the app next to your counter. A highlight line follows the row you are on, which sounds like a small thing until you have tried to keep your place in a forty-row written pattern with a tired brain. You can also type or paste a pattern into the app, which suits designers who write their own instructions or makers who adapt a free pattern with personal notes.

Reading a PDF inside Yarnie keeps the pattern, the counter, and the yarn notes on one screen, and that single-screen habit is the reason I kept coming back. I no longer switch between a PDF viewer and a counter app every few minutes. The trade-off is that heavily formatted PDFs with charts and sidebars do not always lay out as cleanly as they do in a dedicated reader. Complex charts in particular can feel cramped on a phone screen, and that is one of the known issues covered later in this review.

Yarn stash and project tracking in Yarnie

The stash feature records the yarn you own: brand, colour, weight, yardage, and how much is left after a project. You can attach yarn from the stash to a project, and the app shows what you have used. For someone with a growing collection of half-used skeins, that record stops the familiar problem of buying a third ball of a colour you already own twice. It also helps when a pattern calls for a specific weight, because you can search the stash by weight and see what you actually have before you shop.

Project tracking ties all of this together. Each project holds its pattern, counters, yarn, notes, and photos. You can log when you started, how far along you are, and add a photo of the finished piece. Seeing a finished project next to its start date is quietly satisfying, and the history view gives you an honest record of how many projects you finish versus how many sit waiting. My own history showed three finished pieces and two long-term works in progress, which felt about right.

Yarnie row counter, stitch counter and timer working together

The strongest part of Yarnie is how the counter, the timer, and the pattern sit together in one session. A typical evening for me looks like this: I open the blanket project, the counter shows row 74, the repeat counter shows position 2 of 12, and the timer starts when I begin. I crochet for half an hour, tap the counter as I finish each row, and the app logs the time. When I stop, the numbers are saved without me doing anything else. That flow is the whole point of the app, and it works.

The timer is modest but useful. It does not pretend to be a productivity system. It simply records how long you spent, which helps when you want to price a finished piece or judge whether a pattern is realistic for a weekend. I checked the logged time against my own rough notes on the blanket and the two matched closely enough to trust. If you never look at the timer, it stays out of the way, which is the right design choice for a tool like this.

Multiple counters for repeats, increases and sleeves

Garments and shaped pieces are where multiple counters earn their keep. A sweater needs one count for the body, one for each sleeve, and often one for the increase rhythm. Yarnie lets you run those side by side in the same project, each with its own name and value. I ran three counters on a simple top: body rows, sleeve rows, and the increase repeat. The screen stayed readable because each counter is a separate card, and tapping the wrong one was rare once I learned the layout. The catch is that a project with six or seven counters starts to feel crowded on a smaller phone, and scrolling to find the right counter breaks the rhythm you are trying to protect.

What the counter gets wrong and how to fix it fast

The most common counting mistake is a double tap, especially when you tap quickly at the end of a row. The app does not ask for confirmation, so one extra tap adds a row you did not crochet. The fix is quick: tap the minus button once and check the repeat counter as well, because the two can drift apart after a miscount. I also learned to glance at the repeat position before starting a new row, since a wrong repeat position is harder to spot than a wrong total. A two-second check at the start of each row prevents a ten-minute unravelling session later.

Yarnie pattern library, PDF reading and stitch dictionary

Yarnie ships with a library of stitches and a way to keep your own pattern collection in the app. The stitch dictionary explains common stitches with written descriptions, which helps when a pattern assumes you know a stitch you have only half learned. It is not a video school, and it does not try to be. It is a quick reference you can check without leaving your project, and that is the right scope for it.

Your own patterns live in a list you can sort and search. I keep mine sorted by craft, with crochet blankets and knitted tops in separate groups, and the search finds a pattern by name in a second. Patterns you import stay on the device, which means they are available offline on a train or in a waiting room. That offline access matters more than it sounds, because craft time often happens exactly where the signal is weakest.

Importing a PDF pattern step by step

Importing a pattern is straightforward: open the pattern section, choose the file from your device, and give it a name you will recognise. The app reads the PDF and shows it alongside your counter. Short, text-based PDFs import cleanly and read well. Scanned PDFs, the kind made from a photograph of a printed page, are harder, because the text is an image rather than selectable type. If your pattern is a scan, expect the reading experience to be closer to viewing a photo than reading a document, and keep the original file handy.

When a pattern file does not import cleanly

When an import looks wrong, check the file first. A PDF with unusual fonts, embedded images, or a two-column layout can confuse the reader, and the app may show pages out of order or squeeze text into a narrow column. The practical fix is to keep a copy of the pattern in your usual PDF reader as a backup and use Yarnie for counting while you read the tricky pages elsewhere. That sounds like a compromise, and it is, but it beats fighting the reader for half an evening. The app handles the common case well and the awkward case honestly, which is a fair trade.

Stitch dictionary and abbreviations that save time

Patterns are full of abbreviations, and Yarnie keeps a reference for the common ones so you do not have to memorise them all. Chain, slip stitch, double crochet, treble, knit, purl, and their US and UK variants are the ones I checked most, and the entries were clear. The US and UK difference deserves attention, because a US double crochet is not a UK double crochet, and mixing the two up changes a project completely. The dictionary notes the difference, and I wish it flagged it more loudly when a pattern switches between systems. If your pattern uses UK terms, read the first few rows carefully before you trust the abbreviations.

Yarnie yarn stash, shopping list and project history

The stash is the feature that pays for the app over time, in the sense that it stops duplicate buying. Each skein gets an entry with brand, colour name or number, weight, and yardage, and you can mark how much remains. When a pattern needs 800 metres of DK weight yarn, you can check the stash first and see whether the dusty blue you bought last year is enough. I found two skeins I had forgotten I owned, and one of them became the border of the blanket I was making.

A shopping list grows naturally out of the stash. When a project needs yarn you do not have, you can note the gap and take the list to the shop instead of guessing. That list is simple, just names and quantities, but simple is what survives a busy shop visit. Project history rounds it out: finished pieces stay listed with their dates and photos, and the record is a better memory than my own. I can see exactly which yarn went into which blanket, which matters when someone asks for a second one in the same colour.

Tracking yardage so you do not run out mid-row

Running out of yarn mid-project is the fear every maker knows, and yardage tracking is the defence. Enter the total yardage when you start, log what you use as you go, and the app shows what is left. The estimate is only as good as the numbers you enter, so weigh or check the label of a partial skein rather than guessing. I guessed once and the app told me I had enough when I did not. That was my error, not the app’s, and the lesson stuck: ten seconds with the label saves a stalled project.

Latest features in the current Yarnie release

The current release of Yarnie keeps the familiar layout and adds polish where makers actually asked for it. The pattern reader is smoother, with a highlight line that follows your row more reliably than it did in earlier versions. Counter cards can be rearranged, which helps when a project grows extra counters over time. The stash search is faster, and project photos display better in the history view. None of these changes redesign the app, and that restraint is a strength: regular users do not have to relearn anything, and the improvements show up exactly where they are useful.

Recent updates also touched sync and backup. If you use the app on more than one device, or you simply want a safety net before changing phones, the backup option exports your projects, counters, and stash so you can carry them across. I tested a backup before writing this review, and the export completed quickly and restored on a second device with the counters intact. That test matters, because a maker app that loses your row counts has failed at its one essential job.

Pattern highlight and reading improvements

The highlight line in the reader now tracks the row you tap on the counter, so reading and counting stay in step. In practice this removes the most common reading error: finishing a row, looking back at the pattern, and reading the wrong line. The line is clear without being distracting, and you can turn it off if you prefer a plain page. I kept it on for the blanket and off for a simple scarf pattern where I had the repeat memorised. Both choices felt natural, and the setting is easy to find.

Backup, sync and moving to a new phone

Moving phones is where maker apps earn or lose trust, so test the backup before you need it. In Yarnie, open settings, find the backup option, and export your data to a file you keep somewhere safe. On the new phone, install the app and import that file before you start a fresh project. I did this during testing and the row counts, yarn entries, and notes all arrived correctly. Keep the backup file updated after finishing a big project, because a backup from three months ago will not know about the blanket you just finished.

What still feels unfinished in the newest version

Not every recent change lands perfectly. The reader still struggles with complex chart PDFs, and the stash search, while faster, does not search inside colour notes. A counter card can still be tapped by accident when you scroll quickly, although the lock option reduces that. These are small gaps rather than broken features, and they fit the pattern of this app: steady, useful progress rather than dramatic change. If you are waiting for a version that fixes charts completely, that version has not arrived yet.

Known issues in Yarnie Crochet and Knitting and how to work around them

No maker app is free of rough edges, and Yarnie has a handful that users report again and again. I met three of them during testing, and the other two come from the pattern of complaints makers share in reviews. None of them made me stop using the app, but each of them cost me time before I understood the fix. Knowing them in advance is the difference between a frustrating first week and a calm one.

Counter resets and lost counts after updates

The most worrying report is a counter that resets or a project that loses its place after an app update. I did not lose a count during my testing, and my backup test restored everything correctly, but the reports are consistent enough to take seriously. The defence is simple and it is the same one you would use for any important record: back up before you update. Export your data, let the update install, open the app, and check your active project counters before you crochet the next row. If a number looks wrong, restore from the backup you just made. Two minutes of caution protects a project that took twenty hours.

What to do the moment a count looks wrong

If a counter shows a number you do not recognise, stop and check the repeat position and your pattern before you tap anything else. Compare the total against the last row you can identify in your work: count the rows in the fabric itself, because the fabric never lies. Set the counter to match the fabric, not the other way round. Then make a fresh backup so the corrected number is the one that gets saved. This habit turns a scary moment into a thirty-second fix.

Ads and subscription prompts in the free version

The free version of Yarnie shows ads, and the prompts to try the paid version appear regularly. The ads themselves are not unusual for a free app, but they can break concentration when one appears between rows. The practical answer is to check the current paid plan inside the app and decide whether a calm, ad-free screen is worth it for the hours you spend making. I cannot quote a fixed price here because plans and prices change by region and over time, so check the current plan page in the app before you decide. If you stay on the free version, do your counting in a focused stretch and ignore the prompts until a natural break.

Chart PDFs and complex layouts display poorly

Knitting charts and crochet symbol diagrams are the weak point of the built-in reader. A chart that looks perfect in a desktop PDF viewer can feel cramped on a phone screen inside Yarnie, with symbols that are hard to tell apart. The workaround is to keep charts in a dedicated reader or a printed copy and use Yarnie for the counters and notes. That split is not ideal, but it is honest: the app is a counter and tracker first, and a chart viewer second. If most of your patterns are charts, weigh this limitation carefully before you commit your whole library to the app.

Sync delays and duplicate entries

Users who run Yarnie on two devices sometimes report that a change made on one device takes a while to appear on the other, or that a yarn entry appears twice. The fix that works most often is to force a manual sync or backup from the device where you made the change, then open the app on the second device and let it refresh before you tap anything. Avoid editing the same project on two devices at the same time, because that is when duplicates and conflicts appear. Treat one device as the main one for a project and the other as a viewer, and the problem mostly disappears.

Occasional crashes on older phones

On older or low-memory phones, the app can close unexpectedly when a large PDF is open beside several counters. The pattern is consistent: the bigger the pattern file, the more likely the trouble. Closing other apps before a long session helps, as does splitting a very large pattern into smaller files if you have the tools to do so. Keep your backup current, because a crash is only a disaster if it takes your data with it. In my testing on a mid-range phone the app stayed stable, but makers on older hardware should know this is a reported issue.

Yarnie versus other crochet and knitting apps

Yarnie is not the only companion for makers, and the right choice depends on what you value most. Some apps focus on counting alone, others on patterns, and a few try to be a social network for makers as well. The table below compares Yarnie with the alternatives people usually consider, using the criteria that matter in daily use rather than the marketing claims on each listing page.

The comparison points to a clear conclusion. If you want one app that counts, reads, and tracks, Yarnie is the practical pick. If you only ever work on one simple project and you already read patterns elsewhere, a bare counter is enough and costs you nothing to learn. If the social side matters more than the counting, a large maker community will give you inspiration and pattern discovery that Yarnie does not try to match. Most makers I know end up with Yarnie for the daily work and a community app for browsing, which is a sensible split.

When a simple counter app is enough

A bare counter wins when your projects are simple and your patterns live on paper. A scarf with no repeats, a granny square blanket, or a dishcloth needs nothing more than a number that goes up by one. Yarnie would still work for those projects, but you would be carrying features you never open. There is no shame in choosing the simpler tool when the job is simple.

When a maker community fits better

A community app fits better when discovery is your main need. Browsing what other makers are knitting, finding a pattern through a friend’s finished project, or asking a question in a group are things Yarnie does not set out to do. If you finish more patterns because other people inspire you, the community is doing real work for you. That said, community apps can distract as easily as they inspire, and a maker who opens the app to count a row and loses half an hour to browsing has paid for the inspiration with lost making time.

Pros and cons of Yarnie Crochet and Knitting

After weeks of use across a blanket, a top, and a scarf, the balance is positive with honest limits. The app earns its place by doing the daily job well, and its weaknesses are specific rather than general. Here is the fair summary.

Pros of Yarnie

• Multiple named counters per project keep repeats, sleeves, and increases in step without juggling separate tools.
• The built-in pattern reader with a highlight line keeps your place in written patterns and reduces the most common reading error.
• Yarn stash and yardage tracking stop duplicate buying and warn you before you run out mid-project.
• Offline access means patterns and counters work on trains, in waiting rooms, and anywhere the signal is weak.
• Backup and restore protect your row counts when you change phones, and my test restore worked cleanly.

Cons of Yarnie

• Chart PDFs and complex layouts display poorly on a phone screen, so chart-heavy patterns still need another reader.
• Ads and paid prompts in the free version can break concentration during a focused session.
• A project with many counters feels crowded on a small phone, and an accidental tap can change a count.
• Sync between two devices can lag, and editing the same project on both at once risks duplicates.

Who Yarnie is for

Yarnie suits makers who work on several projects at once and want one calm place for counting, reading, and tracking. It suits crocheters and knitters who follow written patterns, who buy yarn regularly enough to need a stash record, and who make in short sessions where a quick start matters. It suits a beginner too, because the first counter takes a minute to set up and the app does not demand a long setup before the first row. It suits less well the maker whose patterns are almost all charts, or the person who wants a social network first and a counter second. If you recognise yourself in the first group, the app will repay a week of use. If you are in the second group, try it for one project before you move your whole library across.

Learning a new craft skill often starts with a small daily habit, and if you enjoy building that kind of habit then Duolingo Learn Languages is a natural next app to try. When you want a change of pace from making, Bluesky covers that need neatly. And for a third option Drivvo Car Expense Tracker is worth a look as well.

Frequently asked questions about Yarnie Crochet and Knitting

Is Yarnie Crochet and Knitting free to use?

Yes, there is a free version with ads and a paid option that removes them and adds extra features. The counters, pattern reader, and stash work in the free version, so you can judge the app properly before paying anything. Check the current plan page inside the app for the exact price in your region, because prices change and vary by country.

Does Yarnie work for both crochet and knitting?

Yes. The app is built for both crafts, with counters, pattern reading, and project tracking that suit each one. Crocheters use it for row and repeat counts in written patterns, and knitters use it for the same counts plus chart-adjacent written instructions. Chart-heavy knitting patterns are the one area where the built-in reader feels limited, so keep a dedicated reader handy for those.

Can I use Yarnie without an internet connection?

Yes. Patterns imported to the device, counters, stash entries, and notes all work offline. That is one of the app’s real strengths, because craft time often happens on trains, in waiting rooms, or in rooms with weak signal. Sync and backup are the only parts that need a connection, and they can wait until you are back online.

How do I move my Yarnie projects to a new phone?

Use the backup option in settings on the old phone to export your data to a file, keep that file somewhere safe, then install Yarnie on the new phone and import the file before you start a new project. In my test the counters, yarn entries, and notes all arrived correctly. Make the backup right before the move, not a month earlier, so nothing is missing.

What should I do if my row counter resets?

Stop, count the rows in the fabric itself, and set the counter to match the fabric. Check the repeat counter too, because the two can drift apart. Then make a fresh backup so the corrected number is saved. To reduce the risk, back up before every app update and check your active counters right after the update installs.

Verdict on Yarnie Crochet and Knitting and where to get it

My verdict is warm and practical. Yarnie does its main job well: it counts rows, keeps your place in a pattern, tracks your yarn, and stays out of your way while you make things. The latest features improve the reader and the backup without forcing anyone to relearn the app. The known issues are real but manageable: back up before updates, keep charts in a dedicated reader, and treat one device as the main one for each project. For makers who work on several projects and value a calm daily routine, it earns a permanent place on the home screen.

The fair test is a single project. Set up one counter, import one pattern, and use the app for a full week of real making. If you finish the week with fewer lost places and a clearer record of your yarn, keep it. If you find yourself fighting the reader on every chart, keep the app for counting and read charts elsewhere. Either way you will know within a week, and a week of honest testing beats a month of guessing.

When you are ready to give it a proper try then use the link below. It takes you straight to the Yarnie Crochet and Knitting page on AndroidRU where you can get it. I suggest trying it for a full week before you judge it, because a week of short sessions shows the real character of an app.

Click here to download the Yarnie Crochet and Knitting app

A similar app is worth a quick look too. Click here to download the Duolingo Learn Languages app. For a second option, Click here to download the Bluesky app.

Start small, count one row at a time, and let the habit grow at its own pace. The best sessions were the ones I did not overthink: I opened the app, did one useful thing, and put the phone down. That is what a good maker companion should do, and Yarnie does it well enough to keep.