How Many....

[Nox]

Crochet books do you own?

How many crochet magazine subscriptions?

How often do you use the book/mag patterns vs. finding new patterns?

Show it off! What's your fav crochet book?

 

I am thinking I need some crochet books or a magazine subscriptions. I got some little books at the store, but a lot of the patterns are complicated. I'm just curious if pattern books are a staple for crochet.

[DogCatMom]

I'm not going to count them, but the *one* book currently available that is absolutely a motivator is (the late *sigh*) Jean Leinhauser's Crochet Master Class (Rita Weiss, co-author) introduced me to fields of crochet I had never heard of, a few weeks before I discovered Crochetville. There are ads for this book quite often across the top of the page here at C'ville, so you can click on one and get more information. But it's simply packed with information, inspiration, and imagination.

 

And the other book I have found amazing, in my first involvement with crochet, the enforced long hiatus, and now again, is Creative Crochet, by Louisa Calder and Mary Konior (Penguin Books, 1979). The spirit of improv and "you can do it!" that this book embodies fits right in with today's design-it-yourself and upcycling and recycling ethos. They'll have to pry my cold hands off of this one, on a day which (Lord willing) will be far in the future.

 

DCM

[sopo]

I probably have the least amount on the forum with... absolutely none.

[jessicali]

I probably have the least amount on the forum with... absolutely none.

 

Not quite. I have none either!

[Nox]

Thanks for the advice, DCM! I'll keep an eye out for the books you mentioned.

 

Sopo and jessicali,

Have you seen any good books for crochet?

[Nilliem]

I have a few. 5-6 books for trims, a couple of pattern books and an unknown number of magazines! I don't like subscriptions, because I don't want every issue of every mag. I have a few books I'd like to add to my collection and I do keep perusing each monthly magazine for the stuff I really like.

 

So...several and growing? :-)

[FrLopLady]

I have a bunch..to many. Subbed to a couple of the mags...and I can count how many of the many patterns I've used out of those books... 1

[Cathoms]

I have sooo many that I am afraid to count them.

I was lucky enough to inherit my Grandma's books and a friends books and several other people's parents books that they did not want. I also seem to pick up a few here and there at yard sales. Love to read the books and look at the pictures. Maybe someday when I retire I'll be able to make everything that I tagged in all those books.

[LI Roe]

I think I have around at least250 crochet books , several of the crochet a day pattern calendars and a couple hundred leaflets. I don't subscribe to any crochet magazines, just pick up what I see in the stores if there are anything I like in it. And don't even ask about printed online patterns or the free one page leaflets in the stores. Have dozens of older crochet magazines too, the most current though is Crochet Today, have them all since the premier issue.

 

I actually alphabetized the books, now to work on the leaflets, though at one point I had them in subject order. Well, it is a start. LOL.

 

I can't really pick a favorite book, some I do refer to more than others if I need a quick and easy yet pretty pattern.

 

Does that stop me from buying more??? Heck no, life is too short not to buy my crochet books.

 

Enjoy!!!

 

LI Roe

[CLLinda]

I have too many, too. Books, magazines, booklets, I've got them all. And I keep on buying! Family's not too happy with me.

 

[Nox]

Lol! I guess books are pretty important to the craft even with the patterns ýou can buy online. Thanks to everyone for being so candid! I love to read about all the literature for crochet out there.

[HappyOldCro]

I just got through going through my books so I can list them on my Ravelry page. I have9 hard cover books, 68 soft cover, 13 mags, 1 current digital subscription, 15 binders of printed out patterns from the internet, 6 vinyl presentation covers which are paid for booklets I chose to print out instead of waiting to have it mailed to me. They take up about 35" of space in my bookcase. I would say about 80% of my patterns are vintage.

I use them all the time and will only hunt for a new one when it is something I do not have. I had a whole lot more but have been sending alot to my daughter in order to thin out my collection.

 

Picking a favorite isn't something I could narrow down to one book or pattern. However there are 4 that I have been using the most;

1-Jean Leinhauser's 101 Crochet squares

2-Binder of printed out purse/tote patterns

3-Binder of printed out baby patterns

4-Binder of printed out doily patterns

The printouts are purchased, from my digital subscription and/or free on the net.

My fav places to search for a particular pattern (even though you did not ask) are; CPC,

Annie's Attic, Antique pattern Library. I also check out the Yarn webs like Lion Brand, Bernat, Coats and Clark, Red Heart and a few others. If it is a vintage pattern, can't beat ebay when hunting. But in all reality, I rarely have to hunt on lline anymore...

, glad I had this already written down, .

[magiccrochetfan]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who doesn't want to count my books

I do have fewer than 250 though!

 

If for some reason i had to only keep 2 books, it would be Crocheting in Plain English by Maggie Righetti, and the Harmony Guides to Crochet---oops that'd be 3 books because the ones I have are a 2 vol. set.

 

Other favorite books of mine are Complete Photo Guide to Crochet by Margaret Hubert. All of these use symbol diagrams as well as written instructions, and the Righetti book does an excellent job of explaining how to use and understand written and diagrammed patterns (reading it is also like having a long conversation with a very knowledgeable crocheter). I now avoid books that don't include symbol diagrams, though I still have some older written-only books. I have a growing collection of Japanese books that are diagram-only.

 

I don't subscribe to any magazines because i don't like waiting, i just buy them when i see them in the store.

 

It amazes me that I can look at an older book and see new things i haven't noticed before. I also see the origins of a lot of new design ideas in older books/magazines, and I like to see old sttich patterns used in new ways.

[krazycrocheter]

I have one pattern book that my nana has had since forever. If I find one that I like for cheep like 3 or less I will get it. But usually I don't buy crochet books or mags. I just basically get my patterns and information off the internet. I do have a huge amount of patterns I have printed out off my computer though. Hope this helps.

[TheChaoticCrafter]

I just got my first crochet book in 21 years...i collect cross stitch books more

[HomekeepingGran]

I have more knitting books than crochet, mainly because a few years back I used books to teach myself to knit. If one book didn't make sense often another would. However, I do own some of both.

[DebraKay]

Don't have time to count all of mine! I would say 4-5 rubbermaid tubs full of them plus a few sacks here and there and a magazine rack full. That is not to mention my online magazine subscriptions and files and files full of pdf patterns! I will not live long enough to crochet half the patterns I have but if I need to make something, chances are, I have the pattern! But I still wind up seeing things I just have to buy!

 

I have all this and I once did a purge of all of my crochet books and magazines. When I got heavily into decorative painting, I needed the room and sold it all. Then a few years ago, I decided I wanted to crochet again.... I became obsessed with getting my book stash rebuilt and I think I have as much or more than I did before.

[Bailey4]

Lol! I guess books are pretty important to the craft even with the patterns ýou can buy online. Thanks to everyone for being so candid! I love to read about all the literature for crochet out there.

 

Much depends on what you want to make, too. I love to make toys and doll clothes and have lots of the current published books while using vintage sites to increase my collection. However, most of the stuff being published is e-patterns now for toys.

 

I have started collecting older magazines like the Annie's various series that I love from vintage sites. I still purchase Crochet World and Crochet Today as they also carry doll and toy patterns.

 

Over the last year I have started to make afghans so I have purchased some books. I have found some patterns in magazines and lots through the vintage used market. Many are variations on the theme, but some are easier to read than others.

[craftyone]

Too many to count; and too many to ever have time to make it all:hook:lol

[Daniella]

I LOVE books! I've seen a couple that look nice, and I want them, but I know I don't really need any.

 

I have one beginner book by red heart that is a handy guide with basic stitches and techniques, plus a few patterns. I JUST bought a crochet book at the store (Coats and Clark Vintage Home, something or other) yesterday for my daughter to give me for my birthday, haha!

[ks_jessica]

Crochet books do you own?

4

 

How many crochet magazine subscriptions?

2

 

How often do you use the book/mag patterns vs. finding new patterns?

The afghan I'm crocheting now is from patterns I found in a book that I bought

 

Show it off! What's your fav crochet book?

201 crochet motifs, blocks, projects and ideas by Melody Griffiths