It's been a while since I posted... but I'm back! I need to get caught up on the projects I've finished in the last year (it's been ten months since my last post!) but for now, I'm going to start a series of posts regarding some great apps for Android users who knit.
The first one I'll discuss is PDF readers for your knitting patterns. I've been eyeing Knit Companion for over a year, and if I were to switch over to iOS, that would be the app that would sway me in that direction. I know people who use it, and I think it is a great tool. They did a kickstarter campaign earlier this year, but didn't get enough funding. Because of this, I kept looking for an alternative.
Knitting Pattern Database sounded like it would work, except that charts get messed up. If they’re inserted into the PDF as images, they work just fine, but if they’re not, they don’t appear at all, as the app cannot render the special characters. I also had issues with some PDF patterns not importing at all, and there are limits to where you can import from. I have lots of PDFs on my laptop that aren’t in my Ravelry library, and I cannot import them.
I’ve used Repligo Reader for some time, and figured out that to keep my place in a chart, all I need to do is draw a horizontal line, moving it up a row every time I finish a row. Worked like a charm! The only problem is that Repligo has been discontinued and is no longer available for download. If I ever replace my phone or tablet, I’ll lose the app. I have to admit to being rather annoyed, because it wasn’t a free app, and now I have to replace it. I tried downloading the apk online, but my antivirus freaked out. I tried downloading the apk from my tablet (where I have the app installed) and installing on another device, but the installation failed… so I had no choice but to find a different app.
Adobe PDF reader doesn't work for my needs, because it doesn't give me the ability to draw lines (or if it does, I haven't been able to find the function). The up side is that it's free, and it's fairly streamlined. I've been using it for a few days, and I'm not really happy with it.
Today, I tried the trial version of ezPDF Reader. I can track where I am in a pattern just like I’m used to, and I can make annotations either using the keyboard, or I can write on the PDF with my stylus. I’m pleased with the app, so I decided to buy the full version as the trial is only good for 15 days. It’s on sale too, at 50% off right now!
