One of the things that I’ve been working on this year is a Ravelry API that allows developers to create applications that connect to Ravelry.
I know that a lot of you want better ways to use Ravelry from your phones and I wanted to tell you about some of the cool things that have been created by other developers and during the last few months.
In case you haven’t heard, we aren’t developing official Ravelry apps for Android, iPhone, Windows Phone or other individual devices. Ravelry is only 4 people and I’m the only programmer and we just can’t support apps for both iPhone and Android. Instead, I’m doing two other things: I’m building and improving the API (a way to connect programs to to Ravelry) and working with developers who want to write Ravelry-related applications to make sure that we’re providing the things that they need and want. I’m also working on a Ravelry Mobile site that is designed for small mobile devices.
We’re pretty excited about the cool applications that Ravelers have created so far. Here is a roundup of things that are especially for mobile:
Ravelry Mobile
The Ravelry Mobile site (m.ravelry.com) is designed to work especially well with small touch screens and slower connections.
It works on iPhone, Android, and Blackberry 6 and higher.
We’re slowly adding features and we hope that it will eventually be a faster and more fun way to use Ravelry from your mobile device.
It’s very much a work in progress but here are afew useful things that you can do today:
-
Look up patterns and view the pattern information
-
Download pattern PDFs that are free or in your library, purchase patterns that are available as Ravelry Downloads
-
Browse the forums, reply, and edit posts
-
Look at your queue and projects
-
Upload project photos (this requires an extra free app)
m.ravelry.com
Wooly
Wooly is the first Apple iOS app to provide on-the-go access to your Ravelry Notebook. Built by a couple of real knitters with Love for all you fiber fans out there.
Features include:
- View and edit your Project details and add Project photos
- Access your Queue and each queued project’s details
- Access your Stash and each stashed yarn’s details
- View a list of your Friends, their Projects and their project details
- Add Photos to your Projects and Stash
- Built in photo editor allows you to make enhancements to your photos before uploading them directly to Ravelry
- Edit and update information about Projects in your My Projects list
The knitters behind Wooly (MenKnitToo & dstys) want you to know that we’re here for the long haul…like that never ending scarf you’re knitting. Contact us through the in-app feedback system and get a nearly instant response about your ideas and feature requests.
Please join our Ravelry Group with over 900 members and say hello!
itunes.apple.com
Stitch
Stitch is a Windows Phone 7 app that will allow you to access your Ravelry information on the go! You can see your projects, queued projects and the patterns for both of these from the slick Windows Phone styled interface. You can view free patterns on the phone, and you can also upload photos to your projects making it even easier to share your work with the world.
Stitch is completely free and is an open source project which is continually being worked on and improved to add new features – for more information check out the website at http://stitch-app.com
stitch-app.com
Ravulous
Ravulous is an Android app which uses the Ravelry API to offer a couple of potentially useful knitterly things on-the-go. It’s no substitute for the amazingness of the Ravelry website, but here are some things you can do from your pocket:
- Upload photos to projects and stashed yarns straight from your phone’s camera or gallery! (Requires Ravelry Photo Uploader, a separate free app)
- Receive notifications when you get new Ravelry messages and unread forum replies
- Search for patterns and yarns by name, and look at photos and yardages required
- Look at your queued projects, with recommended yarn and yardages required – handy for yarn shopping!
- See your project details and edit your project notes
- Admire your stash
Ravulous works on both phones and tablets and is in both the Google Play Store and the Amazon Marketplace. Come and say hello in the Ravulous group if you want to find out more!
ravulo.us
Yarma
Yarma is an iOS camera app designed to work with your Ravelry notebook. Take a picture of your latest WIP, FO or new yarn, apply filters to finesse your image and upload it direct to the relevant project or stash!
Designed to work with iphone & ipod touch, it will also work on your ipad.
itunes.apple.com
Ravelry Photo Uploader
Upload your photos directly to Ravelry.com from your Android phone or tablet!
Works with:
– Ravelry mobile site
Go to m.ravelry.com to find out more…
– Ravulous
Take a photo with your phone’s camera, or choose one or more photos from your gallery, and select Share with Ravulous. Your photos will be uploaded to Ravelry, and you can add them to a project or stashed yarn!
play.google.com
KnitKapp
KnitKapp is the full-featured, cross-platform app for knitters that doesn’t require a Ravelry account. But if you do, you unlock the power of a Ravelry-fueled knitting life! Manage projects, yarn stash, needles & hooks on the go, and use the handy tools in the app to keep track of in-progress projects. As the Ravelry API expands, so will this app. Keep an eye on this space!
knitkapp.primordialsoup.ca
County Plus
Knitting / crochet row counter.
Super simple user interface, with a big friendly number to tell you what row you’re on. Tap the screen at the end of a row to count up or down. The phone stays awake while you’re on the counting screen, so you don’t have to keep turning it back on again.
The Plus version allows you to have multiple row counters going. Ravelry users can also import your current WIP names, and edit your project notes. (Press menu on the first screen to sync with Ravelry – other counters you have set up separately won’t be overwritten).
You can also share finished projects on Twitter/Google+/Facebook/email/whatever other sociable type apps you have installed on your Android device!
play.google.com
