Crocheted or knitted cell phone case... practical or not so much?

Hi,

does anyone here have experience with crocheted or knitted cell phone cases? I see some nice ones here. But first, I’d like to know if they’re actually practical for everyday use.

Thanks!
Best, Melanie

Hi there, Melanie! Well, I crocheted a cell phone case for my daughter three years ago. I sewed a lining inside and attached a zipper as a closure.
The cell phone case is indestructible. It’s really been through a lot (nightclub trips, parties, chaotic days, etc.), but it still looks almost exactly like it did on the first day :)
I’d love to make something like that again and think it’s definitely worth it.
Best regards, Carola

Hi Melanie,
I actually have a crocheted cell phone case myself—in beautiful, bright colors.
It still looks great even after a long time of use.
My cell phone case is simply crocheted in rounds and has a nice finish at the top.
The case can be easily closed with a loop and a button.

People very often comment on my cell phone case.

In my experience, crocheted items are a bit sturdier than knitted ones. That’s why I chose the crocheted version.

Best regards, Petra
 

Hello Melanie,
A few weeks ago I designed this phone plus tablet pouch for my husband using Catania yarn, without a lining or zipper. It’s crocheted with hdc, and it still has the same firmness as it did at the beginning, and still looks like new.
Since he uses his phone for work, it’s constantly in use. He’s super happy with it; it also had to be a little owl :- ) )
If you like, you can take a look in my shop
Best regards
Monika
 

Hey there, I now have 10 phone cases—all different, not just in appearance but also in how they close. Two of them are currently in use—one by me and one by my husband—and my father-in-law, my brother, and some close friends are also using them. Since I crocheted them in 2013 and 2014 and they’re still in use—not just by me—they seem to be both practical and durable.

I made sure to use good-quality yarn that won’t scratch the screen—yarn that can take a beating. For example, my husband takes his phone, including the case, into the workshop, so the phone case has to be able to withstand that, and so far, it has.

So go ahead and give it a try—you can’t go wrong with a crocheted or knitted phone case. The important thing is to use good, durable yarn and a secure closure so the phone doesn’t slip out.

Can you get your phone out of the case quickly enough when you want to answer a call?
 

Yes, I only have knitted or crocheted phone pouches.

muetzekatze: Whether you can get your phone out of the pouch quickly depends mainly on the closure. Buttons take a little time. I prefer magnetic snaps and Velcro closures. I also made a bag out of elastic yarn—it’s snug but stretchy and doesn’t need a closure. I could get my phone out of it quickly.

Mellifrost: It’s definitely worth trying! It’s definitely fun!

Thanks to both of you—I think that helps me out.
A magnetic clasp wouldn’t be my first choice, though, because I always worry that the magnetic button might physically damage the phone or cause some kind of damage inside due to the magnetic force, but I have to admit, I honestly don’t know anything about that kind of thing. If you’ve had good experiences with it, then the magnetic button can’t be that bad.

My friend also crocheted herself a cell phone case. She used really thick yarn and—as described above—added a loop and a really eye-catching button to close it.
I hardly ever use my phone myself, so I don’t want to make a case for it just yet, but if I did, I’d definitely use pretty thick yarn—and crochet it. I think the case would then provide great protection for your phone!

Have fun making it!
Angela

@Angela
why is the thick yarn so important? I think I’m a little lost on this one.

Thick yarn is a good choice because the case won’t warp as easily and will always hold its shape well. It also provides good protection for the screen. If you want to play it safe, use the “Tunisian” crochet method. Pieces made using the “Tunisian” crochet method are extremely dense and are guaranteed not to warp. If you close the cell phone case with a hook-and-loop fastener (hook and loop tape!), you’ll have a closure that’s easy and quick to open—and just as quick to close again. You can even take it a step further and leave two parallel slits on the back of the case through which you can thread a belt. That way, you can securely attach your cell phone to your belt.

You don’t necessarily need thick yarn; the important thing is that the case “FITS WELL”. The phone should fit snugly inside the case, without being too loose or too tight. Then you don’t really need a closure either.

@uschimaus
When you say "thick yarn," how thick do you mean? I mean, what yarn yardage do you have in mind?
Your pattern sounds good. I’ve tried Tunisian crochet with a regular crochet hook—it’s fun—but I imagine it’s even more fun with a special hook. Is Tunisian crochet sturdier and more dimensionally stable than single crochet?
I hadn’t even thought of the Velcro closure idea, but I like it.

@ursulapetra
Your case is very decorative.

@muetzekatze
I’m not thinking about yardage. I’m thinking about hook sizes 4–6 (it’s listed on the label of your yarn).  Tunisian crochet is definitely much sturdier than single crochet, since you work off the yarn once and then pull it through again afterward. That ensures it holds its shape. Nothing warps at all anymore. And it looks great!!!!!!!!!!!!! Velcro is awesome. Simple, cheap, easy to attach, durable.

Thanks, Uschimaus
my problem is this:
I broke my smartphone—the battery just stopped working completely. Otherwise, the phone is fine, but without a battery, it’s useless. It’s a built-in battery, too—that wasn’t a smart idea, going with a built-in battery.
Well, anyway, I want to buy a new phone, and as everyone knows, those things aren’t cheap, so I want it to last a while. That’s why I had the idea of a phone case.
I used to have one—it was bought, with padding and everything, but it had a magnetic clasp that was pretty stiff. So whenever the phone beeped—if it even had reception while it was inside the case—the padding was great for the phone but bad for reception; and with that slightly stiff magnetic clasp, it always happened that by the time I’d got the phone out of the case—which was also lying at the bottom of my handbag, since the case didn’t have belt loops, and I thought keeping it in my trouser pocket was too much hassle—the call had already gone to voicemail. That’s pretty annoying, as you can probably imagine.

But when I get a new smartphone, it’ll need good protection. I’ve been looking at these phone cases on Amazon, but I don’t know if they’re any good because I’ve never had one like that before.
I mean, finding a pattern for a phone case shouldn’t really be a problem—there are plenty out there.
It needs to be durable and also easy and quick to open.

Let’s say I were to crochet a kind of case using Tunisian crochet or single crochet, like the one ursulapetra showed above, but with an overlapping flap that you simply pull over the top of the phone from the back and then tuck into the front of the case—would that hold up? I’d just like to avoid a Velcro closure, simply because both the cats and I are constantly shedding hair, and I really don’t feel like constantly picking hair out of the Velcro. Those things attract hair like magic, and if there’s too much hair in it, the Velcro just doesn’t hold properly anymore.