I just picked up cross stitch after a LONG time yesterday and grabbed the app AND I'M SHOOK. It's so AMAZING. Definitely paying for it when the trial is out, it's absolutely doing wonders for me.

what project are you working on? *curious*

Dimensions northern night (the moose and aurora one)

I just spent a couple of hours yesterday setting up Dimensions Winter Cabin and I remember both of these have similar themes and are stunning. It was quite a bit of work since this was the first time I imported a dimensions kit. I didn’t realize I had to manually create all the colors because of the color codes weren’t recognized. But it was still worth it!

i have that one in my stash and every time someone posts it as a WIP I have to stop myself from breaking it open!

The two of them together would look great on a wall. Maybe with all the time you saved with pattern keeper you could start Winter Cabin in no time! 😀

do you know it works on chromebook

Oh man how did you do it? I tried ages ago and never got it to work. I'm also working on Winter Cabin.

During importing there’s a step to set up all of the thread numbers. I went through them one by one and enter dimension’s numbers, then select Custom (default is DMC, the little horse icon), and pick a color that sort of looks right. The kit has a basic description of the colors. I didn’t get all of them right, especially since pattern maker doesn’t recognize H3 as “3 strands of half stitch” but rather just white, so mixed colors are all wacky. (Also, side note, when you link two colors with special instruction, like 12345 H1 + 13345 H2, you have to set the second color to DMC, otherwise the display doesn’t show the second line. I’m sure I could see it if I tap on it or something, but I’m paranoid that during stitching I won’t notice and just use the first number. Hope this makes sense.)

There's a conversion chart for Dimensions to DMC. If you use that, while your legend will show the DMC color numbers, the colors on the chart will look match the Dimensions colors. [**https://www.cyberstitchers.com/stitching\_tools/floss\_conversion\_charts/dimensions\_to\_dmc**](https://www.cyberstitchers.com/stitching_tools/floss_conversion_charts/dimensions_to_dmc) Something you might consider, regardless of what thread brand you use in the legend -- don't pick white as a color for any symbol. Pick a pale gray, ecru or something some other pastel not on the thread list instead. (You could type "white" on the 2nd blend line if you think you might get confused.) If you have a number for white in your floss legend, once you've marked a symbol for white as "stitched," it will essentially disappear from the chart because the completed white stitch doesn't show up on the white background for the chart. That can make it hard to compare your stitching to the on-screen pattern. The second color in a blend doesn't have to be DMC - it can be any of the listed brands OR you can use the second blend line for a specific instruction. The 1st line might be 3847 DMC and the 2nd line might be "3 strands half" or "half with 729." If you use the second line as an instruction, the color on the first line will show on the pattern, while if you just use color numbers, regardless of brand, the color on the pattern will be a blend of the colors on the two lines. And both lines, whether the second is a color or an instruction, should appear on the thread legend.

Personally I don't mind the colors not matching exactly. They're only a guide so that I know I'm not making a mistake anyway. Using the exact color numbers that come with the kit is more important. I would have liked it if Pattern Keeper can combine two custom colors like how it could blend 2 DMC colors. I imagine it was designed that way but there could be a bug. In my app, as soon as I pick a custom color for the second line, the second line doesn't get displayed by default in the legend area. I prefer to keep the text display over showing the right color. But my app is very old, because I had to hack an old tablet and install an old linux OS on it. The number of apps to choose from (and get updated) are very limited. Hopefully they've fixed it by now.

Oh my god this might change my life. I love pattern keeper and I’m working on Winter Cabin too and it’s my first ever paper pattern and I’m managing but it’s HARD. How do you get the original file?!?!

I scanned the paper pattern to get it started. The pattern is too big for my phone camera to get every corner crisp and clear. Mind you there’ll still be some symbols messed up because of all the French knots and backstitching, but it is a big relief that I don’t have to work with that large sheet of paper for the most part. I just wish these pattern makers could do something to release an electronic copy themselves. Like… wouldn’t it be nice if they collaborate with pattern tracker apps (or design their own, I have no problem either way) and allow us to purchase and use copy righted electronic patterns? Us doing this ourselves is so clunky and redundant.

That does make sense; how did you get the step to set up thread numbers? I never got a good enough photo, and my scan via my photo scanner didn't provide a pdf that got me to that step. I saw another comment about an overlay method to get the pdf compatible. Did you do that?

For that kit, the chart is too big for my phone camera. I had to use a scanner and imported them as jpg’s. I didn’t use pdf. I suppose it could work.

Sounds like I need to do some more fiddling. But now I know it can work. Thanks!

Is that a kit with a printed pattern? How did you import it into pattern keeper?

there's an import via photo option, and/or you can email the company (Simplicity) for a pdf of the chart! The third, unethical but much easier option is to go on etsy and buy a copy of the chart, upload to PK, and convert the colors from DMC back to the kit colors. I'm messing around with all 3 to get a feel for the app. For some reason the pdf that Simplicity sends requires you to manually overlay the grid for the program to parse, and it looks like the photo option is actually easier , and I'm sure someone better at computers than me can explain why one pdf vs another is PK compatible My next project is an evidently extremely rare OOP kit and I'd rather upload the paper chart via photo than risk anything happening to the original EDIT/UPDATE: I got the OOP kit chart pdf from simplicity/dimensions, and got it to upload PERFECTLY and I'm so freaking excited I could scream!!!

Why is it unethical?

If an unauthorized chart is sold on Etsy, the seller is violating copyright law, and we’re rewarding them by paying for it. As buyers, we’re not doing anything illegal, but it is taking money from the chart designer. Hence unethical.

Oh i missed the part where the Etsy seller was infringing on copyright. Thank you for explaining

I can help with the difference in pdfs. A PK-compatible pdf has code embedded in the chart that tells PK what to do, like symbol/color match and the grid. A standard pdf is really just an image converted to pdf format, without any data code in it. You can convert a standard pdf to PK-compatible by using it as an overlay in Win/Macstitch, but that can take a long time if your pattern is large, because you need to enter data stitch by stitch. Edit - and you’re right, PK is the best. I’m a diehard lover of iThings, but I bought an android tablet just for Pk and don’t regret it.

Interesting!

You can import with photos now.

love that one :)

Ooo that one is so pretty! I've been planning to stitch that one for my mom whenever I finish my current Dimensions Gold wip lol

I hope they get the app available for iOS soon. I keep hearing about how awesome it is

I use Markup R-XP on my iPad and it’s amazing. You can import your patterns, highlight the color your working on, mark them off, adjust a bunch of things to your liking and workflow. I definitely recommend checking it out! There is a nice comparison between the two here: [https://www.reddit.com/r/CrossStitch/comments/12eu280/chat_comparison_of_markuprxp_to_pattern_keeper/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf](https://www.reddit.com/r/CrossStitch/comments/12eu280/chat_comparison_of_markuprxp_to_pattern_keeper/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf)

My issue with markup R-XP is the badly designed UI. It feels clunky and doesn’t follow iOS design guidelines at all. For $11/y I would expect a better layout. I’m using cross stitch saga and while it doesn’t support pdf, lots of designers are willing to send a format that can be imported.

I did a trial for Markup R-XP and had a ton of issues with it mislabeling symbols or highlighting them as a different symbol. I’d think I’d be done with a color, then later find out that nope, I missed one or two stitches because it decided that a triangle was a square when it highlighted a color for me. I went back to marking up my own paper printouts because it was so frustrating.

Yeah. I had where it wouldn’t recognize some because of the backstitching going through it. I’m not sure if it’s a new feature or not, but they have a sensitivity slider when searching for symbols now to help help with the accuracy.

Thanks for the side-by-side review. I noticed 2 things you’ll want to update. 1. PK now allows blends. I’ve not used it, so can’t say if it catches both colors, or if one needs to be added manually. 2. PK’s default is to show page breaks, making it easy to stitch page by page. Like center lines, it can be turned off in chart settings. (I’m also mostly a diagonal stitcher, and do resent having to turn off page breaks and center lines for each chart. I’d rather we could set a preference in master settings, with the option to switch chart by chart.)

Definitely good points to know. I didn’t write the comparison, so I can’t take credit for it. It was done by u/borovy99 I only have iOS, so I haven’t had a chance to check out pattern keeper sadly

I’m so sorry, I didn’t check the poster’s handle. I’m an idiot. 🤦‍♀️

No worries. I just want to give credit to the work they put in to write it up. 😊

Don’t hold your breath for an iOS version. We’ve been told it’s “coming soon” for over 4 years. I don’t believe it will ever happen, and I’m okay with that. I stitch every day with my cheap android tablet in a tablet holder on my stand, and it would be a pain to mount and dismount my iPad several times a day. But for people who don’t use a tablet holder, I absolutely understand the lust for an iOS version.

I don’t have a tablet holder. Usually I stitch in front of my computers with the pattern on one monitor & either work or streaming on the other. https://preview.redd.it/fewnihpxltxb1.jpeg?width=5712&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3cb5cad4e31e7bc9a13c439359b7ae653f10ba46 I’d like to use my iPad but a cheap galaxy tab would be simple, I think.

I can see why you’d like an iOS version, I would in your shoes. I went even cheaper, with an ONN tablet from Walmart. Works a treat for PK. Whatever brand you choose, Black Friday is just weeks away. Just saying. 😀

I’m struggling to get PK to install on an older Galaxy tab - I’m an iOS gal and could be used error. I’ve messaged them for help several times and gotten no reply. If I knew I could get it to work, I’d happily buy a cheapo generic or even a newer tab!

Although it’s been a while, iirc it installed pretty easily for me. But I know where you can get real help! Join the Stitching With Pattern Keeper FB group. There are some very savvy PK users there. I’m 100% certain they can help. Simply mention that you’re an Apple lover and not at all familiar with Android tablets.

That’s a really helpful suggestion. Than you so much!

Finally figured it out - no idea how but it’s on there. Holy heck it’s slow though. I think I’m going to pick-up a new (refurbished) Acer :) No need for name brand!

Hey…. There’s an idea!!

I went to eBay and got a used Samsung tablet just so I could use PK. I think it cost me around $40. Just make sure you’re buying from someone with positive ratings.

That’s a good suggestion. Thank you

You’re welcome!

I run it off my laptop using Blue Stacks since it requires an android emulator still. I think you can use it on a mac too via blue stacks. I couldn’t wait for the iOS version to come out.

I'm so interested in it, but I have some apprehensions. I'm currently working off my laptop, and doing a blackwork project. I'm curious on how that would work for me. I'm assuming I can just pull PDFs into the program.

Blackwork doesn't work at all in Pattern Keeper. So if you primarily do that, just keep working with the PDF.

Awwww, I will have to wait, I'm about halfway through one blackwork with another on deck. Thank you so much for the information though!

But for future reference, you can upload the pdfs into Pattern Keeper. A few pdf patterns won't work, but you can kinda tweak it a bit to get it to work. I've generally had decent luck with a 80% success rate of no issues.

I’m having trouble doing this, (converting PDFS) but you’ve given me some inspiration to work a bit harder at it. I’m pretty new at cross stitch, so I’m afraid I’ll miss something and not catch it until I’ve already stitched quite a bit!

Try knit companion. You can zoom on the pdf, and drag horizontal and vertical lines through it.

Y'all are amazing people, thank you so much!

Blackwork patterns don't work because PK doesn't show backstitching - which is all you'll see in a blackwork pattern.

I recently started using pattern keeper after being apprehensive(mainly I don't have a tablet and like paper patterns) but I found out you can use an android emulator to get pattern keeper onto a laptop! You get a trial period as well before you buy pattern keeper as well which is nice if you're on the fence.

PK is a godsend!! It's starting to be a big deal breaker for me if a pattern is not PK compatible Can't even think about going back to highlighting PDFs or printing patterns

Is there a reason Pattern Keeper isn’t on iOS?

I went to their website because I have apple as well. Apparently it is in early development so I signed up for their newsletter so I can add it when it becomes available.

It had been in early development for years already Before I got a tablet just for PK. It will never be released on iOS.

Ah, I was just going off what the website said.

The iOs comparable product is called Markup R-Xp

It's one developer that created and supports the app (unless something changed recently), and she's not an iOS developer by background. This started as a side gig for her, and even at $9 a user she's not racking in a ton of cash (this is still a pretty niche hobby).

It's a lot harder for a hobbiest developer to publish to the Apple App Store than the Google Play Store. To publish to the Play Store, you need any Linux/Mac/Windows computer and a free google account. To publish to the App Store, you need an Apple device and a $100/year developer license. If you're not already in the Apple ecosystem, there's a significant financial investment in addition to an annual fee to maintain an iOS app.

I use Goodnotes in iOS and I love it

That’s what I’ve been using for years. I went to switch to a new iPad, and the newest version of GoodNotes only allows you to edit 5 documents and after that you have to pay an ongoing subscription fee.

I paid for Goodnotes once, I wish that was still the model

I recommend Noteful as a non-subscription fantastic alternative!

I recently bought a cheap tablet just for Pattern Keeper. Love that app!

I did the same! I saw all the amazing reviews and ran to eBay. 😆

Same. Best idea ever.

I read Kindle and I was extremely confused about the colors lol I assume is a tablet more than an e-reader right?

Yep, I bought a refurbished fire for cheap just for pattern keeper. It's basically just a really cheaply made tablet that uses a modified Android OS specific to Amazon. Side loading it is a bit of a pain, but ultimately worth it. Especially since I apparently can't count to 10 consistently.

Kindle Fire is a small tablet. Kindle Paperwhite is just an e-reader. Hope this clears up any confusion.

Cleared up now, thanks!

Technically it’s no longer called the kindle fire, just Amazon fire but the original name has stuck anyway lol(in my brain too!).

I got a used Samsung tablet from eBay. It’s another good option.

I use it on my phone and I'm so glad I have it for my current WIP (magic country stitch Jurassic Park) - I don't think I could've even started it without the app 😂

It's changed my life.

Is Pattern Keeper on Kindle any different than say, me opening a PDF in GoodNotes and using my iPad?

Not used Goodnotes, but PK can show me all the stitches of a particular colour, tell me how long I've spent stitching today/ on this pattern, what percentage of the work I have done and how many stitches total for each colour/. And probably lots of other stuff as well!

Ohhhh that’s really cool! And really surprising that it has Kindle capabilities, thanks for sharing!

If you want to use it on Kindle, you need to download the Google play app first. I used this: [https://www.howtogeek.com/232726/how-to-install-the-google-play-store-on-your-amazon-fire-tablet/](https://www.howtogeek.com/232726/how-to-install-the-google-play-store-on-your-amazon-fire-tablet/) and it worked well.

I haven’t used pattern keeper but I’m trying out the iOS equivalent Markup R-XP, I can say the major difference is if you want the symbol highlighted for you or not. Personally the piece I’m doing has a ton of confetti so the symbol being highlighted helps a lot since I do cross country and I can do them all at once without missing any, but if you’re doing a piece with just blocks of the same color I think Goodnotes is just fine since it’s not as easy to get lost or miss symbols. I would recommend getting pattern keeper or markup to try though, I believe both offer a free trial for about a month before you pay so you can see if you like it

Oh wow! Yea it seems like it’s very different and very functional, thank you for sharing some info about it

I only started using PK easler this year and it's so hard for me to work with paper patterns now. I have a few wip that aren't compatible and I just don't have the motivation to stitch them now. I do a lot of my stitching on my commute or lunch hour and being able to just pull out my phone for the pattern is so handy!

Isn't it amazing??

I have pattern keeper on my tablet, and I love it! Also, I've started taking pics if the screen so I have the different color sections on my phone. This way I can stitch in public without having my tablet. More complicated, but still way better than paper.

Is there a Pattern Keeper-like app for iPhones or iPads?

Pattern keeper is only android at the moment. But it’s an app to load in your patterns, and it will digitalize everything. So you can zoom in, highlight a symbol you’re working on, and mark them off when you’re done. They also keep track of your time, stitches, etc. I have iOS, so I use a similar program called Markup r-xp.

I didn't like Markup r-xp, on my iPad, I was using Goodnotes and just annotating it but it was quite clunky, especially when you have hundreds of dots and lines showing where you've stitched. I bought a cheap pre-owned Galaxy Tablet, purely for using the Pattern Keeper app, and I really like it. Still use my iPad for literally everything else though. I don't like the android OS at all, but the app itself is fab.

for large, complex projects it's a life-saver.

Maybe my google skills are failing me, but I can't find any information on whether or not you can only view patterns in their B&W symbols? I prefer to stitch using the coloured chart.

Not sure I understand your question, but what I thought was cool about this app was that you could tap the symbol and it would highlight all the boxes that required this color and light them up in that color. So yes, it uses color. Just a guess at what you were asking here. If not, sorry in advance.

Thanks for replying. Sorry I wasn't clear. Most of the patterns I purchase include a black and white chart of the pattern, and also a chart with the blocks filled with the appropriate colour as well as the symbol. I've attached a zoomed in section of a pattern showing what I mean. https://preview.redd.it/snbfcwyd3cyb1.png?width=191&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5b724e0adb3a3920b13058e088c4c06fdbf5b3fd

Oh, I see. Maybe others can chime in because I am not 100 percent sure. But I believe it does support the color. You can upload whichever you want to use would be my guess. Admittedly, I am in the process of setting mine up still. You get a 30-day free trial before you pay and it's only 9.00 for the paid version.

Ty! Good luck getting it set up. Hopefully it goes smoothly. :)

If I find your answer, I will update you. Ty as well.

Thank you!

I just got a kindle fire! What did you do to get it on it?

https://stitchingdaily.com/install-pattern-keeper-on-amazon-fire-tablet/

Yes, this is all you need. I just found this site as well and was going to share it with you. This walks you right through it and if you have a bit of computer savvy, you shouldn't have a problem getting it done. It took me about 30 minutes or so.

You just go to the Play store and download the app.

There is no play store on the kindle fire tablet....and it tried to go to the app do its self, but wont go on.

Oh, really? Sorry then. I didn't know that.

Hope I didn't just buy one I can't use - LOL.

Oh no. I love mine. I just need to figure it out. Lol

Found this with a quick search: [**https://youtu.be/P9iNfZseizE**](https://youtu.be/P9iNfZseizE) Not sure if Reddit will let you post YouTube, but if not, do a search.

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Meh I think it depends on the user and how they interact with the interface. A PDF reader is simple and more straight forward, but I think the Pattern Keeper user interface has merits too

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What features is pattern keeper missing for you? Just curious bc I also use a PDF editor, but I've been considering switching over.

The reason to use it is the auto highlight of all stitches of one color.

Yay! Welcome to the PK Club! I try and spread the word about this app to every stitcher, especially those who do BAPs, because it’s the best and such a time saver.

It's honestly a life saver and even when I mess up, it still helps me to keep on track!

Makes stitching so much faster and easier to track, I love it

Pattern Keeper is really the reason I've gotten so hard back into cross stitch. No way was I ever going to be able to manage a large pallet pattern, my brain is organized for it.

I wrote the comparison referenced by u/ScreamingCat14. And you all have valid points. In many ways, PK is easier to use than Markup. I used to use PK and was very happy with it until i tried to load a Scarlet Quince pattern. SQ, at that time, was not PK certified. So obviously the load didnt work. I had tried to used SQ's proprietary software, which will not work with any non-SQ pattern, and found it quite difficult to learn. Maybe that's on me. But Markup loaded the SQ pattern, including the blends, perfectly the first time. i did not need to make any color or blend adjustments. I put the SQ project aside for personal issues. I am now working a pattern i developed with Thread Bare. I had bought the original pattern from an etsy vendor who did not generate the pattern correctly. As an aside, the pattern is in the public domain, so no copyright issues there. I took a pic of the original artwork, ran it through Thread Bare, and generated a pattern which, again, would not load into PK. But Markup accepted my generated pattern no problem. I agree with those of you who find Markup to be not as fluid in the UI as PK. I have several times inadvertently caused a symbol to use a color for another symbol. That was/is not the problem of the software. That is my user error. The Markup user needs to be careful use of the Zoom, Symbol, and Markup controls and if i press the wrong symbol i can easily get it mis-marked. And i am not as deliberate as i should be. And fixing that is difficult because i dont usually realize i've made a Markup mistake until i'm far away from the source of the boo-boo. I choose to ignore that because in the end when the pattern has been completed all the symbols and colors will have been taken care of. My preference for Markup, therefore, is it's ability to load a pattern that i generate thru Thread Bare. And because of my recent issue with the etsy vendor's pattern layout, i will not buy from etsy again. If i find public domain art that i like i will create the pattern myself. So definitely use PK. It's good stuff. But when PK wont load, as it does for my independent patterns, Markup could be of help to you

Pattern Keeper was the best money I ever spent. I work far more efficiently and quickly. I also recommend Thread Organizer (paid for both apps)

I read that a lot too, but I only have printed patterns without pdf and when I had the free trial it was impossible to convert them correctly 😕 I think I won't be able to use it for many years

That app is literally the best thing that ever happened to me for this hobby 😍😍

I am hooked just from reading your post! Thanks so much for sharing. Now I have to purchase a tablet and does anyone know how much the APP is after the free trial?

Disregard the price question - it says 9.00 for lifetime. I'll take it!

Whoop - my tablet arrives today! Can't wait to try it out. Any suggestions for first timers?

I want to ask a different question about using technology with stitching. Normally I work in a quite compact way. I just put my hoop on a cushion on my lap, stick the page I am working between the needleminder on my hoop and stitch away marking the stitches I did with a marker. And when I have to stand up I put aside the whole setup and then come back and take all of them again on my lap and go on. Isn’t it hard to add another gadget to this set up? I mean where do you put the kindle or ipad?? Don’t they slip away etc? Sorry for asking this but as an adhd person who is obsessed with such small details and usability this is somehow important for me… 🤦🏼‍♀️

I sit on the L side of a sectional with an armrest on my right side that I sit the tablet on ( it has one of the cases that folds over to prop it up) . I mostly spread out, so aside from the tablet, I have a pako thread organizer and scissors next to me, and then my project in a q snap that I just hold