Knitting and Crochet Notes on iPhone: Track Projects, Stash, and Mods

Craft projects span weeks or months. You put a project down and pick it up again. Without notes, you stare at the knitting wondering where you are in the pattern, what needle size you were using, and whether that shawl is still in row 3 of the lace repeat or row 5.

A simple note system solves every one of these problems.

What Crafters Lose Without Notes

The abandoned project problem. You put down a knitting project in November and pick it up in March. The needles have no tag, the pattern is on your phone but you're not sure which PDF, and you've forgotten whether the yarn is Merino or BFL. A project note tells you everything in ten seconds.

The yarn stash duplicate problem. You buy a gorgeous skein of fingering weight yarn — and discover when you get home that you already have the same colourway in your stash. A stash note prevents expensive duplicates.

The modification problem. You made a modification to a pattern — changed the sleeve length, added a short row, swapped a stitch pattern. Without a note, you cannot reproduce the modification for the second sock or the matching hat.

The gauge swatch problem. You swatched before casting on. Six months later you cannot remember what gauge you achieved. A note with your swatch measurements means you never lose that information.

Setting Up Your Craft Note System in Nemos

Core Structure

Active Projects — one note per project currently on the needles or hook.

Finished Objects (FOs) — archive of completed projects with full details. Invaluable for gifting (what size did you make for your niece?) and repeating successful projects.

Queue — patterns you plan to make. Include yarn requirements so you can match against your stash.

Stash — inventory of yarn, fabric, thread you own. Update when you buy and when you use.

Suppliers & Reviews — notes on yarn shops, online suppliers, and specific yarns and dyers you want to remember.

Patterns — notes on purchased or downloaded patterns (not the patterns themselves, but your notes about them).

The Project Note

The core document for any active project:

``` PROJECT: [Name / Pattern Name] Designer: [pattern designer] Started: [date] Target completion: [date / occasion] For: [self / gift for whom — size needed]

Materials: Yarn: [name, weight, fibre content] Colourway: [name or dye lot number] Skein count: [how many skeins purchased] Source: [shop or online retailer] Needle/hook size: [size used — may differ from pattern]

Gauge: Pattern gauge: [stitches x rows per 10cm] My gauge (blocked): [your actual swatch gauge] Adjustment made: [went up/down a needle size, etc.]

Sizing: Pattern size chosen: [S/M/L or specific measurement] Modifications: [any changes to the pattern]

Progress tracking: [Date] [Row/Round/Section] [Date] [Row/Round/Section]

Notes as I go: - [any issues, decisions, corrections to the pattern] - [what is working, what to change if I make this again]

Finishing: Blocked: [yes / no — date, method] Seamed/joined: [date] Ends woven in: [yes / no] Buttons/zip added: [yes / no — source, size]

Completed: [date] ```

The progress tracking section is especially useful for two-at-a-time socks, granny squares, or any repeat element where you need to know exactly where you stopped.

Yarn Stash Inventory

Knowing what you have prevents duplicate purchases and helps you pattern-match:

``` STASH INVENTORY (last updated: [date])

[Yarn Name] — [Colourway] Weight: [lace / fingering / DK / worsted / bulky] Fibre: [content] Meterage / yardage: [per skein] Skeins: [count] Source: [where purchased, approx date] Dye lot: [if relevant — same dye lot kept together] Planned for: [project or "open"] Location: [which basket/box/shelf] ```

When planning a new project, search your stash note first. You may already have the yarn.

The Finished Object Archive

When a project is complete, move it from Active Projects to Finished Objects:

``` FO: [Project name] Completed: [date] For: [who / what occasion] Pattern: [name, designer, where purchased] Yarn used: [name, colourway, meterage used] Modifications: [list changes from pattern] What worked: [what you would repeat] What to change: [if making again] Care instructions: [wash instructions for the recipient] Photo: [taken yes/no] ```

This archive is more useful than it seems. Two years later, when someone asks "can you make another one of those hats?" you have every detail needed to repeat the project.

Knitting-Specific Notes

Stitch Count Notes

For complex lace or colourwork, note your stitch counts at key points:

``` Cast on: [count] After ribbing setup: [count] After body increases: [count] Before armhole shaping: [count] After sleeve cap decreases: [count] ```

If you have to put the project down, you pick it up knowing exactly where you are.

Modification Notes

When you deviate from a pattern:

``` MODIFICATION — [Project] — [Date] Original pattern instruction: [exact text] My modification: [what I did instead] Reason: [fit issue / preference / yarn requirement] How it worked: [verdict — would repeat / would not repeat] ```

Modifications documented contemporaneously are accurate. Modifications reconstructed from memory months later are guesses.

Pattern Error Notes

Patterns sometimes contain errors. Note them for your own reference and for potential Ravelry errata submission:

``` PATTERN ERROR — [Pattern name / designer] Page / Row: [location] Error: [what the pattern says] Correct: [what it should say, or your best guess] Source: [Ravelry comments confirmed this / I discovered it / designer acknowledged] ```

Crochet-Specific Notes

Crochet projects benefit from the same note structure but have different tracking needs:

Granny square projects. Note the total square count needed, how many you have completed, and the join method you are using:

``` GRANNY SQUARE PROJECT Total squares needed: [count] Squares completed: [running count — update each session] Colours: [palette used] Join method: [flat slip stitch / JAYG / sew together] Layout: [sketch or grid notation] ```

Amigurumi. Note stitch counts at each increase/decrease round:

``` Round 1: 6sc in magic ring (6) Round 2: inc x6 (12) Round 3: [sc, inc] x6 (18) ... ```

Tracking rounds in the note means you never lose your place even if you put the project down mid-piece.

Supplier and Yarn Review Notes

Build a personal directory of suppliers and yarn reviews:

``` SUPPLIER: [Shop name] Type: [online / local] Speciality: [indie dyers / specific fibre / kits] Recommended by: [or how you found them] Orders placed: - [Date] [what purchased] [experience] Would order again: [yes/no/conditions]

YARN REVIEW: [Brand + Name] Weight / Fibre: [details] Texture: [soft / scratchy / woolen-spun / worsted-spun] Drape: [drapey / structured] Splitty: [yes/no] Pill prone: [yes/no] Care: [machine wash / hand wash / dry clean] Value: [price per 100g or per skein — fair / overpriced / bargain] Verdict: [buy again / use for specific projects / avoid] ```

Over time this becomes a personal buying guide that is far more useful than generic yarn reviews because it is based on your own hands and your own projects.

iPhone-Specific Advantages for Crafters

Photo with note. Photograph your work-in-progress alongside the note. Your gauge swatch. Your finished object blocking on the mat. The yarn label. These photos are retrievable years later.

Quick capture mid-project. The stitch count that has been in your head for ten minutes? The modification you just decided? Capture it immediately. The floating button means you do not need to put the project down and navigate.

Apple Watch dictation. Your hands are occupied with needles or a hook. Raise your wrist and dictate the row count.

Share Sheet from pattern apps. Reading a pattern PDF in iBooks or a browser — share a section to your project note as a reference quote.

Offline. Notes work in your armchair with the wifi off. No connectivity needed to add a row count or a modification note.

Shortcuts automation. Build a "New Project" shortcut that creates a pre-populated project note template with today's date.

FAQ

Can I use Nemos to store patterns? Nemos is best for notes about patterns, not the patterns themselves. Store PDF patterns in Files app or a dedicated pattern manager like Ravelry. Your Nemos project note links the pattern (by name) to your personal notes about making it.

How do I track multiple active projects without getting confused? One note per project with a clear title: "ACTIVE: [Project Name]". Your Active Projects folder shows all current projects at a glance. Complete projects move to the Finished Objects folder.

Is there a better app specifically for knitting? Ravelry is the best dedicated community and pattern database for knitters and crocheters. Row counters like Row Counter or Knit Companion are useful for in-session tracking. But for your personal project notes, modifications, stash inventory, and supplier reviews, a flexible notes app you use daily is more reliable — you will actually keep it updated.

How should I handle yarn from my stash that is no longer available? Keep the stash note for discontinued or handspun yarns. Note the fibre, weight, and remaining yardage — this helps you find substitutes when planning projects for that yarn.

What if I run out of yarn mid-project? Note the dye lot from your remaining skeins immediately. Contact the supplier or search online with the dye lot number. The later you leave this, the harder it is to find a match — and your project note has the dye lot because you recorded it at the start.

Related Reading

• How Hobbyists Use iPhone Notes to Level Up Their Craft
• How to Organize Notes on iPhone: A Practical System
• Garden Notes on iPhone: Build a Planting Log That Actually Gets Used
• Best iPhone Note-Taking Apps for Getting Things Done

Sources

• Ravelry community forums. "Project tracking best practices." ravelry.com, 2024.
• Stoller, Debbie. *Stitch 'n Bitch: The Knitter's Handbook*. Workman Publishing, 2003.
• Chin, Lily. *Knit and Crochet with Beads*. Interweave Press, 2004.
• Lion Brand Yarn. "How to Read a Yarn Label." lionbrand.com, 2023.
• WoolWarehouse. "Yarn weight guide." woolwarehouse.co.uk, 2024.