My Row Counter: Knit & Crochet

Analysis by Getfullapps

My first impression of My Row Counter: Knit & Crochet was that it is aimed at a very specific frustration: losing your place while knitting or crocheting. That sounds simple, but anyone who has paused halfway through a row, put a project down, or tried to follow a pattern on a small screen knows how quickly a small mistake can become a long unraveling session. This free lifestyle app from Annapurnapp Technologies GmbH brings counting, pattern reading, timing, and project organization into one place instead of leaving everything scattered across paper notes, screenshots, and memory.

I would not describe it as merely a digital tally counter. Its more useful role is as a project companion. You can use it for a quick count, but the stronger experience comes from combining a counter with an imported pattern, a visual marker, and a timer. That combination makes it especially practical for larger projects where progress is measured over many sessions rather than completed in one sitting.

The app has earned a 4.8 average from around 15 thousand ratings, and it has passed one million installs. Those figures do not guarantee that every knitter will love the interface, but they do suggest that the idea has found a substantial audience. I can understand why: the basic problem is common, and the app tries to solve several related problems without requiring a notebook beside your yarn.

Where the first setup can become confusing

I’d begin by setting up just one active project and deciding what the counter should represent before importing or organizing anything else. That makes it easier to tell whether the extra tools fit your habits rather than adding setup for its own sake. The next section looks at how I’d connect the counter, pattern position, and a clear restart point so they remain useful together.

The counter is easy; the complete workspace takes longer

The simplest way to begin is to create a counting task and tap as you complete rows. That part feels familiar almost immediately. The friction appears when you want more than a number. Pattern import, highlighting, a timer, and project details are useful precisely because they add context, but each extra layer asks you to decide how you want to organize your work.

My advice is to resist setting up an entire library before testing one real project. Start with the pattern you are currently making, add the counter you actually need, and check whether the reading and counting flow feels natural while your hands are busy. This small trial tells you more than browsing every option in advance.

There is also a difference between a pattern that is comfortable to read digitally and one that is not. A clean document or clearly arranged pattern can work well with a highlighter. A dense page, a pattern with unusual formatting, or instructions that jump between sections may still require careful manual checking. The app can help you keep your place, but it cannot make an unclear pattern clear.

Importing a pattern is not the same as understanding it

The pattern-import idea is one of the most appealing parts of the app, especially if you normally switch between a pattern and a separate counter. In practice, I would treat imported material as a working copy for navigation, not as a replacement for understanding the instructions. Before starting, I would identify repeats, special rows, and any notes that apply only to a particular section.

This matters because a highlighter can show where you last looked, while a row counter records a numerical step. Those are related but not identical. If a pattern contains repeated sections or several counts within one row, tapping once per completed row may not be enough. A good workflow is to decide in advance what one tap represents. It might be a full row, a repeat, or a larger project milestone. The app becomes much more reliable when the counting rule is consistent.

Check the screen before your hands get busy

Small interface details matter more in a craft app than they do in an app you use casually. If the counter controls are awkward to reach, or if the pattern view requires too much scrolling, you may stop using the advanced tools even though they are technically available. I recommend opening the project, locating the counter, moving through the pattern, and starting and stopping the timer before settling into a long session.

This is also a good moment to decide where your phone will sit. A device lying flat beside the yarn may be easy to tap but vulnerable to being nudged. A phone positioned too far away may force you to stretch or lose concentration. The best arrangement depends on your project, yet the principle is universal: make the next action obvious before you begin stitching.

How I would build a dependable workflow

Once the basics feel comfortable, I’d make the workflow resilient to interruptions by recording a small amount of context, not just a number. A consistent naming habit and a quick check against the stitches can prevent confusion when you return after a break or correct a mistake. Here’s how I’d make those checks part of an ordinary crafting session.

Use one counter for one clearly defined job

The most dependable setup is not necessarily the most detailed one. For a simple scarf, I might use one counter for completed rows and leave the pattern on its original page if it is already easy to follow. For a sweater or a textured panel, I would be more likely to use the imported pattern and highlighter, then keep the counter tied to the section I am actively working on.

That distinction prevents a common mistake: trying to make a single number represent every kind of progress. Row count, repeat count, sleeve progress, and total project progress can all be different. If you combine them without a clear rule, the number becomes difficult to trust. Separate counters or carefully named tasks are more useful than one impressive-looking total.

Use the timer as a planning tool, not a test of productivity

The timer is helpful when I want to understand how much uninterrupted time a section takes or when I am trying to fit crafting into a busy day. It can also make a project feel less vague: instead of thinking that a piece takes “forever,” you can compare the time spent on different stages and plan future sessions more realistically.

I would not use it to judge whether one day was productive. Interruptions, tangles, pattern checks, and fixing mistakes are part of the work. A session that includes careful correction may take longer but save hours later. The timer is most valuable as a gentle record of effort, especially when deciding whether a project is suitable for a short evening session or needs a larger block of attention.

Save a recovery point before changing anything major

One of the strongest practical habits is to record your place before putting the project away. I would update the counter, check the highlighted location, and make a quick note about the next action in the project area if the pattern has a complicated transition. This is more reliable than assuming the visual marker alone will explain why you stopped.

For example, imagine that I finish a few rows during a lunch break, then return to the project several days later. The counter may tell me the row number, but I may still need to know whether I had just completed a repeat, was about to increase, or had paused after checking a note. A short project note bridges that gap. It turns the app from a passive counter into a restart system.

What to do when the count no longer matches the fabric

If the displayed count seems wrong, I would not immediately delete the project or start tapping rapidly to correct it. First, I would compare the fabric with the pattern and identify the last row I can verify confidently. Then I would adjust the counter to that known point and continue with a slower rhythm.

When the error is only one or two rows, it may be tempting to rely on memory. That usually creates more uncertainty. A better recovery method is to find a visible landmark: a change in texture, an increase, a decrease, or the beginning of a repeated section. Once that landmark is matched to the pattern, the counter can become trustworthy again.

If the highlighted position and the counter disagree, I would prioritize the physical work over the screen. The fabric is the final record of what was actually made. The digital marker is there to help you navigate, not to overrule a clearly visible stitch pattern.

When a project seems to disappear from your routine

Sometimes the problem is not that the app failed; it is that the project was created in a way that makes it hard to recognize later. Clear names help, particularly if you have several similar items. “Blue cardigan sleeve” is more useful than a vague label, because it tells you what you are opening and what kind of count to expect.

I also prefer to keep the active project simple. If I create too many temporary counters for every small action, the workspace can become harder to scan. A focused project with a meaningful row counter is easier to resume than a collection of unnamed entries that all look alike.

When the app is not the cause

Crafting apps are often blamed for mistakes that begin elsewhere. A pattern may use a different definition of a row from the one you assumed. A circular project may count rounds differently from a flat piece. A repeat may require several taps even though the fabric advances only once per completed row. These are interpretation issues, not necessarily counting-app issues.

Before changing settings or rebuilding a project, I would read the pattern’s terminology carefully and decide what the counter should represent. If the designer asks you to repeat a sequence several times within one row, the useful count may be repeats rather than rows. If you are working in rounds, naming the counter accordingly avoids confusion later.

There is also the physical reality of a phone screen. Bright yarn, dim rooms, glare, and tired eyes can make any digital pattern uncomfortable. If reading the screen is slowing you down, a printed pattern or a larger display may be the better choice. The app can still handle counting while the instructions are read elsewhere, but forcing every part of the process onto a small screen is not always efficient.

Likewise, if you mainly make very small, uncomplicated projects, a basic physical row counter may be faster. A pencil mark on a printed pattern can be perfectly adequate when the project has only a few rows. This app earns its place when the value of organizing patterns and recovering your place outweighs the extra setup.

Who will get the most from it

I think the best audience includes knitters and crocheters who work on several projects, pause frequently, or follow patterns that are difficult to keep open beside the work. It is also a good fit for anyone who has tried using a generic tally app and found that a number alone does not preserve enough context.

People returning to a project after a day or a week may appreciate the combination of a counter and a visual reading position. Beginners can benefit too, but I would encourage them to learn the pattern’s structure first rather than expecting the app to teach every technique. It helps manage progress; it does not replace instruction, stitch knowledge, or checking the fabric.

The app is less convincing for someone who wants a completely paper-free, highly automated crafting experience with no manual decisions. You still need to choose what to count, verify that the pattern is being followed, and correct the record when your physical work changes. Experienced crafters may see that as normal, while users seeking total automation may find it limiting.

How it compares with the usual alternatives

Compared with a paper notebook, this app is better at keeping a pattern and a running count close together. A notebook remains more flexible for sketches, unusual abbreviations, and free-form notes, but it is easier to lose the exact place where you stopped. The app’s advantage is structured continuity.

Compared with a generic tally counter, it offers more context. A generic counter can be quicker for a short task, yet it does not naturally connect the number with a pattern position or a project session. The dedicated design makes more sense when counting is only one part of the job.

Compared with a printed pattern, the app is more portable and easier to update during a session, but paper can be more comfortable for long reading and does not depend on a charged device. I would not throw away a printed copy just because this app is installed. I would use whichever format makes the instructions easiest to verify, while letting the app handle the count when that is where it adds the most value.

Cost, access, and the overall feel

My Row Counter: Knit & Crochet is free to download, with optional in-app purchases ranging from less than a dollar to fifteen dollars per item. That makes it reasonable to try without committing money first. I would spend time with one project before buying anything, because the free experience should answer the central question: does this counting and pattern workflow fit the way you craft?

The app is rated for Everyone, which matches its practical, non-game lifestyle purpose. It has been available since January 31, 2018, and the continued audience suggests that it is not a short-lived experiment. Still, longevity does not remove the need to test the current workflow on your own device and with your own patterns.

My final view is favorable, with one condition: use it as a flexible record-keeping tool rather than an authority. Its real strength is the connection between counting, pattern navigation, highlighting, and session timing. Its main weakness is that those tools require thoughtful setup. If you define what each counter means, name projects clearly, and verify the fabric when something looks wrong, it can remove a surprising amount of mental clutter from knitting and crochet.

I would recommend it to a friend who regularly loses track of rows or moves between multiple projects. I would skip it for a tiny, one-evening piece where a pencil is quicker, or for anyone unwilling to make a few setup decisions. For everyone in between, this is a useful free starting point: not a substitute for reading a pattern carefully, but a practical way to remember where your hands left off.