Frequently Asked Questions

Getting Started

1. What is SKEINORA, and who can use it?

SKEINORA is a browser-local crochet planning and learning website. Its 26 tools cover stitch studies, motifs, charts, amigurumi components, layouts and material planning. Learners and experienced makers can use it to inspect design decisions, with responsibility for checking the resulting construction and sample.

2. Do I need crochet experience?

You can read the guides without prior experience, but interpreting a generated pattern requires basic stitch and counting knowledge. Begin with the beginner guide, choose a small example and learn the terminology before attempting a large piece. A chart cannot demonstrate every hand movement or diagnose your tension.

3. Are the tools free to use, and do I need an account?

The current website provides these tools without a payment or registration step. There is no account-based project library or cloud synchronization. Keep your own exported copies of work you want to retain; using the website does not establish a storage subscription or a promise that every feature will remain available indefinitely.

Using Crochet Tools

4. How do the generators and calculators work?

Each tool uses the settings supported on its own page to produce a chart, count record, placement study or estimate. Read its instructions and limits: a flat stitch grid, a radial construction and a layout calculation represent different things. Change one setting at a time and compare the written output with the diagram.

5. How should I interpret estimated results?

Treat them as planning information tied to the entered assumptions. Check units, repeat boundaries, corner treatment and the meaning of each measurement. A plausible total does not prove every insertion point is correct. If an output conflicts with the construction notes, preserve the settings and report the exact discrepancy before proceeding.

6. Why can actual yarn usage differ?

Fiber, stitch structure, hook, tension, tails, joining, borders and sampling can change consumption. Even yarns carrying the same weight category may have different lengths per ball. Base an estimate on a representative sample, inspect the stated allowances and compare available ball lengths with the total required length.

7. Can I use the tools for different projects?

Yes, where the tool’s construction and inputs match the proposed project. For example, a motif layout can support a blanket plan, while a color chart can explore a panel. That does not mean a chart automatically supplies shaping, garment fit or structural strength. Consult the worked studies and test the relevant details.

Crochet Knowledge

8. How do I choose a hook and yarn?

Use the yarn label as a starting reference, then consider the fabric you need. A compact toy fabric and a flexible scarf may need different choices. Sample with the intended stitch, examine splitting and drape, and adjust the hook if necessary. The materials guide discusses practical comparisons.

9. What is gauge, and why make a swatch?

Gauge describes stitches and rows over a measured distance. Make a sample larger than the area you measure, avoiding distorted edges. Wash and dry it according to the yarn’s care instructions when finished dimensions matter. Use the gauge guide to connect that sample with the dimensions in your plan.

10. How does yarn weight affect a project?

A thicker yarn commonly produces a larger fabric unit with a suitable hook, but the category alone cannot predict dimensions or consumption. Compare fiber, ball length, stitch structure and measured gauge. Substituting yarn may require new stitch counts, a different layout and a revised purchase estimate rather than a simple ball-for-ball replacement.

11. How do I improve stitch consistency?

Practice a short section with the same yarn and hook, count regularly and compare the middle of several rows. Notice whether turning chains, edge stitches or joins are changing your count. Consistency usually benefits from a repeatable hand movement and periodic checks. See common pattern mistakes before assuming every uneven edge is a calculation error.

Projects and Planning

12. How do I estimate yarn requirements?

Measure a representative swatch and its consumption, then use the relevant inputs in the Yarn & Project Calculator. Keep units consistent and account for pieces with different textures separately where appropriate. Review the estimation guide; an allowance reduces uncertainty but does not guarantee enough yarn.

13. How do I plan project dimensions?

Begin with the required finished size and your measured fabric units. For joined motifs, consider seam widths and borders as well as the number of blocks. The Blanket Layout Generator can help arrange measured pieces. Check the plan with joined samples, since identical round counts do not establish matching physical sizes.

14. What should I check before starting?

Confirm terminology, materials, sample gauge, repeat compatibility, construction sequence and finishing method. Read beyond the first row to locate later joins or shaping. Keep a copy of the settings and note what you changed after sampling. Projects involving heat, loads, fit or small parts require safety decisions that a planning preview cannot certify.

Data and Privacy

15. Are my inputs saved automatically?

Working settings are held in the current page while you use it. Save project writes a named record to the skeinora IndexedDB database in this browser. There is no server project account. Browser storage can be cleared or become unavailable, and the page session is not an independent backup. See the Privacy Policy.

16. Can I export and restore my data?

Tool pages provide JSON export and restore controls; My Projects also offers exports. Use the corresponding tool to restore a compatible file. SVG and print references help you read a design, but they do not replace an editable JSON backup. Check a downloaded file before clearing site data or changing browsers.

17. Does SKEINORA upload my images or project settings?

The current application processes selected JSON and supported image files in your browser, without an application upload endpoint. Ordinary page requests still reach the host, and email or external links involve other services. A local-only design workflow is not a claim that visiting a website creates no network metadata.

18. How can I delete saved work?

Open My Projects on a tool page and use Delete for a selected record, or remove the site’s stored data through your browser settings. Export needed backups first. Deleting browser records does not delete JSON files, screenshots, printouts or email attachments that you have separately created or shared.