What with The Needlepoint Book app coming out, there are now plenty of stitch dictionaries available for your smartphone or tablet.
Some of the ones available include:
SuZy’s Portable Stitches 1 & 2
Ruth Schmuff’s Stitches vol 1-3
Sandra Arthur’s Shapes of Needlepoint 1 & 2
Stitch Landscape
Please remember that not all of these may be available for your hardware/software combination.
In using them I’ve learned a few things:
- Not all apps act alike. An app is a program you run or an ebook you read on your tablet or smartphone. Ebooks are significantly easier to create than actual applications. The quality of all of these can differ greatly. Do not expect all of them to work the same way.
- Check on the sleep time. If you tend to use your tablet in public places (I do), you might have a relatively short sleep time. When you are using these stitch diagrams, you want to be able to look at them often. If you have to wake up and unlock the device often, you’ll find using them irritating.
- Stitch someplace where you can set up your device. It could be using a stand on a table near your chair, or you may have an accessory to hold your tablet. In any case make sure it can sit steadily at a level that is comfortable for you to see.
- Make sure your device is charged. There is nothing worse than the device dying when you need to refer to a diagram. Make sure it’s charged or that there is a charger nearby.
- Make the most of your stitching time by doing research first. If your set-up is awkward or if you have the stitching ready to go in front of you, you may shortchange your time looking for stitches. Make your life easier by doing the research before you get everything set up, whether on the device or in print.
All this being said, I still prefer looking through the books (I get more ideas this way) and photocopying the stitches I want. But it’s going to be great for trips.
About Janet M Perry
Janet Perry is the Internet's leading authority on needlepoint. She designs, teaches and writes, getting raves from her fans for her innovative techniques, extensive knowledge and generous teaching style. A leading writer of stitch guides, she blogs here and lives on an island in the northeast corner of the SF Bay with her family
Barbara West says
I may have to get a smartphone after all. Kindle apps are sadly lacking for needleworkers.