Magazines for Thread?

[HomekeepingGran]

I know there used to be several magazines devoted to thread crochet on the market — back in the days before I was interested in thread, of course, so I didn't buy them. Sigh. Nowadays I can only find other types of mags locally and I honestly don't know what to shop for online. Can any of you tell me what publications to look for? I'm finding myself interested in large doilies/table toppers the most. Maybe a small tablecloth? Charts would be nice although not mandatory.

[texasredhead]

The most popular one in the days of thread was Magic Crochet. I had an entire collection that I sold at a garage sale that I wished I had kept!!! But, you can find them online. Just google Magic Crochet.

[Sandy Jo]

Yes, Magic Crochet is the only name I can think of off hand,

I only have a few that luckily were found at tag sales, and

now I am not sure if it is still being published or no any more.

 

Workbasket usually offered something in thread to crochet,

at least the older issues did. Good luck with your search.

[Krakovianka]

In addition to Magic Crochet, there was Decorative Crochet. I used to buy those, and still have quite a few--some were gifts.

 

Those were published by a European company--I remember there was a French editor. A lot of the magazines I buy seem to draw from the same "pool" of patterns. I have found a couple of patterns that are exact duplicates (including the photographs) between old Decorative Crochet magazines and the ones I buy at the newsstand every month.

[hhensler]

These are not magazines, but books that you may find enjoyable...if you can follow a chart.

 

Check out the links...you are able to browse through some sample pages...

 

 

This one is filled with doilies:

 

http://www.yesasia.com/us/crochet-lace-doily/1004830355-0-0-0-en/info.html

 

This one is Irish Crochet:

 

http://www.yesasia.com/us/irish-crochet-lace-motifs-128/1004835190-0-0-0-en/info.html

 

This one is filled with pineapple doilies:

 

http://www.yesasia.com/us/pineapple-lace-stitch-doily/1010665907-0-0-0-en/info.html

[HomekeepingGran]

Thanks, everyone. I googled "Magic Crochet" yesterday and there are a number of them available. Oddly, I kept seeing the same issues for sale over and over — wonder why? Heather, I looked at your books and will think about them. I understand the Japanese are doing phenomenal work in both knitting and crochet so these might be excellent resources.

 

Maybe I just need to learn to design my own. (Ha. Right.)

[lisalu]

I LOVED Magic Crochet (and Decorative Crochet). I have about 25 issues that I still treasure. If you want to get some back issues, try ebay I have seen them there.

 

There are some amazing patterns in those mags from the Japanese designers. They are all worked from charts and they have spoiled me for any other kind of pattern. No way will I do intricate thread patterns from written instructions.

 

Magic Crochet has lots of small tablecloths and table toppers. If you want, I can search through my issues. I can let you know which issue has what you're looking for so you will know what to look for on ebay....and/or I MIGHT loan out the issue if I could be sure I'd get it back.

[papersmiles]

Magic Crochet was a terrific "threadie" magazine. I subscribed to it for several years and ultimately gave them away to a friend who lost all her patterns in a "flood". I sure wish I had saved some of the patterns in them now. But, this summer I ran across a yard sale that sold a whole box of crochet books/mags for 10 bucks and contained over a hundred pamphlets, mags and books. Included in the "treasure chest" were about 30 Magic Crochet magazines which made my heart really swell. That was my BIG yard sale purchase and feel it was dollars well spent.....YIPPEE!!!!!

[threadlover]

I have all the MC and DC magazines and wouldn't part with them for the world. I bought the ones I didn't have on ebay. It took awhile to get them all, but I'm so happy I did. I just love looking thru them.

 

Marcia

[Debbi-a1]

I love MC and DC. I liked MC best because the picture was on one page and the pattern on the other (unless it was a longer or harder pattern). The only thing I didn't like was almost all the table cloths and bedspreads were for advaned or experienced or top expect crocheters (and the pattern fit those discriptions too) and I would have like one for beginners or even intermediate just to try and maybe make. I found a few from other magazines though.

 

Old Time Crochet magazine also had some thread.

 

If there was a thread magazine today, I'd probably buy it too.

 

Check out these links for thread patterns:

Doilies, over 700 patterns - a blog that lists several of them.

Celt's Vintage Crochet - mostly doilies and table cloths and more from older patterns.

 

Oh also, if you're looking for a particular pattern, such as an Irish Lace table topper, and can't find it, come here and someone here might be able to help you find it.

[vonnie]

I love MC and DC mags and have lots of them, they are about all I crochet out of...... I to wish there was SOMETHING with at least SOME thread projects, I would love some new mags...

[HomekeepingGran]

I am going to be on the lookout for Magic Crochet and Decorative Crochet mags. Thank you, everyone, for the recommendations! And thank you, Debbi, for the blog with all the doily patterns linked. I put that into my favorites and will look over it the next few days. Celt's Vintage Crochet is one I already knew about and like to use.

 

If you had told me years ago that I would be hooked on thread crochet I would have told you, "Nah, I seriously doubt it." — Who knew it would be so fun?

[Krakovianka]

The disappearance of Magic and Decorative Crochet is the reason I buy all the Polish thread magazines every month. Who knows how long they will be around? I'm building a pattern collection that I intend to keep and use for life. When I look at that heavy pile, though, and imagine carting it around forever, I am seriously tempted to scan them onto the computer. It would probably only take two years...(and meanwhile I keep buying more).

[lisalu]

I love MC and DC. I liked MC best because the picture was on one page and the pattern on the other (unless it was a longer or harder pattern). The only thing I didn't like was almost all the table cloths and bedspreads were for advaned or experienced or top expect crocheters (and the pattern fit those discriptions too) and I would have like one for beginners or even intermediate just to try and maybe make. I found a few from other magazines though.

 

One of the things I like best about Magic Crochet was that it did have advanced patterns. I could find all the beginner patterns I wanted in publications like Annie's Attic. Magic Crochet always had at least a few easier patterns in each issue, but I loved the challenging patterns that tested my skill. If it said "top expert" then I HAD to give it a try!

[HomekeepingGran]

One of the things I like best about Magic Crochet was that it did have advanced patterns. I could find all the beginner patterns I wanted in publications like Annie's Attic. Magic Crochet always had at least a few easier patterns in each issue, but I loved the challenging patterns that tested my skill. If it said "top expert" then I HAD to give it a try!

I've seen the same thing with a sewing magazine, lisalu. Threads was always mainly for advanced seamstresses but they made a lot of changes to make it simpler. They lost many of their longtime readers in the process, too. I think it helps the magazines to develop their niche and then once they have that loyal readership, they probably do best to keep it. As far as crochet goes, I don't know if I would classify myself as an expert of any kind, but I do prefer a somewhat more challenging pattern although I can be awfully dense about directions sometimes. Something I would like to see in crochet publications is charts. It's not hard to learn to read them and they sure are easier to follow than lines of text with all the abbreviations crochet directions carry.

[lisalu]

I've seen the same thing with a sewing magazine, lisalu. Threads was always mainly for advanced seamstresses but they made a lot of changes to make it simpler. They lost many of their longtime readers in the process, too. I think it helps the magazines to develop their niche and then once they have that loyal readership, they probably do best to keep it. As far as crochet goes, I don't know if I would classify myself as an expert of any kind, but I do prefer a somewhat more challenging pattern although I can be awfully dense about directions sometimes. Something I would like to see in crochet publications is charts. It's not hard to learn to read them and they sure are easier to follow than lines of text with all the abbreviations crochet directions carry.

 

CHARTS! Literally a picture is worth a thousand words. The most complicated pattern in the world makes sense when you can SEE it charted out. And even a simple pattern can be frustrating when you are plodding through line after line of instructions.

 

Recently I made simple pattern where EVERY SINGLE LINE began with

 

"Sl st in ch-1 sp of first V-st, ch 4, 1 dc in same sp"

 

Yeah, I got it, I begin every row with a V-st. You don't have explain it to me EVERY time! Give me charts any day.

[DEMET]

I too have Magic, Decorative and crochet monthly (almost all of them)

Also Japanese books are very good for thread corchet. All of them are charted, easy to follow.

 

Few sellers on ebay are selling brand new Japanese thread crochet books. One of them offering free shipping from Japan.

 

I think the seller is pomadour24

 

Demet

[HomekeepingGran]

I too have Magic, Decorative and crochet monthly (almost all of them)

Also Japanese books are very good for thread corchet. All of them are charted, easy to follow.

 

Few sellers on ebay are selling brand new Japanese thread crochet books. One of them offering free shipping from Japan.

 

I think the seller is pomadour24

 

Demet

Thank you, Demet. I'll have to look into these. Your work is so splendid, it's nice to get a recommendation from you.

[JHablinski]

@ homekeepingGran Interweave Crochet ran several articles by Dora Ohrenstein on thread work taking place in Eastern Europe these days in their Summer 2011 issue which grabbed my attention and, I’m afraid may have infected me with a compulsion to try my hand at Irish Crochet. Pray for me! It appears I am not alone in appreciating these articles, I just received my Fall issue and there is an article and patterns for Irish Crochet Roses. Ms. Ohrenstein in her articles also mentions a Ukrainian print magazine titled Duplet in English. It isn’t available by subscription in the US today, but several sites on Esty offer copies for sale. I have to say, seeing some of the work featured made me think I don’t know how to crochet at all. They were very nice & very impressive.

[Momcrochets]

I also wish Magic Crochet, and the fantastic charts therein, was still around!! the 4 or 5 that I do have, I love looking through. Maybe someday we'll discover a new thread-crochet mag available in the US...:dream

[Sofia]

I so jealous that there seem to be many European magazines devoted to thread crochet - Polish, Moja Robotki, Robotki Reczne, and others, Ukranian, couldn't translate :-) , Spanish, French 1000Mailles..... I see them on the internet and drool.

Creative Yarn Source )http://creativeyarnsource.com/) has some of the Spanish ones but I would give a lot to be able get some of the Polish ones. THe quality and designs are lovely.

They are all diagrams so not speaking the language is not a barrier.

OH well.

[sunnywolfgar]

I also have MC n DC crochet magazines- not the whole set yet. Still working on it..since 1999 I entered the computer era, and buy them on

E-bay or other sites when money permits. I am getting there to getting it completed. I do have a few from the country Mexico before it started to get bad down there. I have a few from Poland, and Germany. If the USA had thread crochet books like what MC & DC had I sure sign up for the monthy mailings. YEP I sure would in a heart beat. I miss getting them in the mail. I hear that Thread magazines are still being sold over seas I think France or England. Why can't we get them over here? If we could get a mailing subscription I would do it , sure be cheaper buying 1 magazine here and there. I would LOVE it if MC and DC would start up again. ah maybe someday in the meantime we can still dream. llololol....

 

Every now and then I would DREAM in my sleep I am going to the mail box and it was taking forever to get my magazine. then one day I got my DC or MC and I was so excited, go back in the house made my tea, got kids in school , come back home and had my Tea and cookies with DC or MC time. I say to my self oh I love this Doily etc, I would use such and such color, maybe change the border or maybe not do the whole doily. I make notes and put them in that page...lol

 

well my kids are out of school now and are married, and have grandkids..

 

but I still miss those mailbox days its been 18 -19 years for me... we had moved alot and my last magazine I got was 92 or 93. I do miss those exciting days. lol...

 

isn't that silly of me I am 52 now lol.....

[specialK]

I know this is a old topic, but girls, I have to share that I spent several hours yesterday going thru old MC and DC books! I have so many things I want to try but seems like I'm always making something else in yarn and not thread. Thread is my love and I taught myself how after spotting a copy of White Crochet in the grocery store. That was a mag that only came out once a year and had beautiful mostly thread projects. I have about 4 different years and a Christmas issue and wish I had more. I found myself yesterday drooling over bruges lace. It looks so complicated but I'm going to see if I can hunt up some basics and try it out. Any ideas?

[magiccrochetfan]

I know this is a old topic, but girls, I have to share that I spent several hours yesterday going thru old MC and DC books! I have so many things I want to try but seems like I'm always making something else in yarn and not thread. Thread is my love and I taught myself how after spotting a copy of White Crochet in the grocery store. That was a mag that only came out once a year and had beautiful mostly thread projects. I have about 4 different years and a Christmas issue and wish I had more. I found myself yesterday drooling over bruges lace. It looks so complicated but I'm going to see if I can hunt up some basics and try it out. Any ideas?

 

Bruges is not really that hard to do. it is much harder to describe in words than to do. Do you have M Hubert's book Complete Photo Guide to Crochet? It has a nice pattern in Bruges and a short explanation of how it is done. Crocheting School a Complete Course also shows in step by step photos how to do it, there it is called Belgian Lace. Either book is probably available from your local library.

 

Do look for a pattern that has the stitch symbol diagrams, like MC and DC always had. if you can use the symbols at all, this will be much easier than a written only pattern.

[magiccrochetfan]

here is a ravelry project page for the pattern in the Hubert book http://www.ravelry.com/projects/MarieInNYC/sparkling-wave-scarf