We've all had that time where we have a knitting emergency when the yarn shops are closed and all of our knitting friends are disposed. What do you do then? The internet is a great resource for knitting help but sometimes it can be hard to sift through it all and find what you really need. 

Since we have definitely been in this position we have a few resources that we would like to share with you as our go to places for knit emergencies. 

KnittingHelp.com is a great place to go if you're learning to knit or you need a refresher on an technique that you are trying to master this website is full of videos, patterns and even a help forum.

Knitty.com has a great section called Techniques with Theresa where they have tutorials on everything from cast ons to bind offs. They are great picture tutorials if you prefer static images to video. 

Knit Witch - I stumbled upon these YouTube videos a while back and they are one of my go to resources. I didn't realize that she also does crochet videos. She has them all listed on her website. 

Cat Bordhi is not only an amazing knitter, but she has amazing resources. Some of her videos are more advanced and offer some insight into the techniques and why she does things the way she does. She often offers improvements to old techniques that are not quite mainstream yet. 

Do you have a knitting resource that you just can't live without? 

There are two apps that I am unwilling to live without. One of them is brand new and shiny, the other one an oldie but a goodie.

First, lets talk about StashBot by Hannah Fettig. Have you ever walked into a store and found yarn that you absolutely love but you don't have a pattern in mind? StashBot helps you out by estimating the amount of yarn you would need for your project. You select the item (hat, mitts, sweater), the gauge (check the ball band for a rough estimate) and the size you would make and viola! StashBot gives you a yardage. This $4.99 app will save you from under or over buying yarn when you're out shopping. The downside to this app is that it is only currently available in the Apple App Store. They do have an Android version in the works but I'm not sure of its launch date. 

The second app I want to talk about is Knit Companion. I have been using this app for a while now but clearly I didn't read the fine print. Up until recently I was simply using the app as a pattern reader. I finally decided to check out their short tutorial video after a podcaster raved about the app. I have discovered that you can use the app not only to track your progress on a pattern with a nice line, but it has several built in row counters too. There is a highlight function so you can mark the size you're working on And the whole thing is easy to use. I will no longer need to print out my patterns or charts, I can simply launch my pattern in Knit Companion and keep track of my progress there. If you upgrade the app you can merge multiple charts and add a legend. You can also do more customization of your projects. The downside to this app is that it is only available on Apple devices and you can't sync projects between devices. For a free app this one is a beauty!

Are there any apps that you can't live without?

If you've been knitting for any amount of time, we hope that you've discovered Ravelry. It's the most glorious place for knitters to go on the internet. It is a free website that has a multitude of tools to help keep you inspired in your knitting. 

Beyond a huge pattern resource, Ravelry has all sorts of tools to make your life better. 

Projects - this is pretty basic. It allows you to keep track of all of your projects. You can track the pattern, yarn, and needles you used and you can also make notes of anything you loved or didn't love about the project. 

Stash - This is also a pretty basic feature but it is a great resource. When you have your yarn stashed in Ravelry then it can be used to suggest yarns when you're looking at patterns. You can also see how to best enhance your stash. You can tell if you have more of one weight of yarn than others, or if you tend to buy lots of one colour of yarn and perhaps you are a little shy of another colour. You can also stash fibre and hand spun yarns. Really it's just nice to see all of your squishy goodness in one place!

Your pattern highlights - This is a great feature found on the right hand side of the patterns tab. Ravelry keeps track of the projects you knit, and the things you 'favourite' and suggests other patterns you may like. It is a great tool to see what new patterns are available that you might like without spending time searching. 

Sales & Promo Thread - This is another great place to keep an eye out on Ravelry. It is in the Pattern forums. Often designers will offer their patterns for free or at a discount when they first come out. Many of them post in this thread. If you monitor it daily it only takes a minute to go through and you can often get a free pattern out of the deal. 

What are some of your favourite features on Ravelry?