Craft Books / Magazines

Dear users, dear authors,
Do you still have traditional craft books / magazines, or do you prefer great downloads from the internet?

Dear Josefa,

if needlework is a true hobby, then you probably also love the books and magazines on the subject. I still have quite a few, some of them older craft books. Since crafts have a very long tradition, they’ve been preserved in print over the years. They’re real treasures. But little by little, I’m parting ways with the ones whose content no longer appeals to me today, such as embroidery or filet crochet.

I used to buy knitting magazines, too, because there was exactly one pattern in them that I liked. But most of the time, I gave up because the patterns were too brief. The patterns in books and magazines aren’t as detailed as the ones we have here. And you can’t just write to an author and ask for clarification.

That’s why, years ago, I ended up at Crazypatterns. Here, I buy exactly one pattern that I really like and that’s described in detail—and I can get in touch with the author.

The bottom line for me is: craft books—yes, for looking up patterns and techniques; magazines—no. I’d much rather get a nice, specific pattern from here.

Best regards, Ina

I have quite a few books on various craft techniques, such as some teddy bear books, which include patterns and very detailed instructions. I bought a knitting guide about 14 years ago when I started knitting again. For a while, I bought a very popular craft magazine, but I haven’t done that in a long time—partly because of space constraints.  Nowadays, I search the web specifically for what I want to make, then I print out the pattern, adapt it to my needs, and that’s that. I haven’t bought any sewing magazines in ages—

Best regards, Inge

Best regards, Inge

Downloads are, of course, a great option. You pick out a pattern, pay for it, and immediately have what you wanted—without having to buy an entire magazine.

But I’ve kept all my old magazines. Most of them are from 1976–77. My daughter was born in January 1977. I did a lot of crocheting and knitting for her.

I only buy new craft magazines in exceptional cases, like for my little doll.

I think anyone who has magazines or books that old isn’t likely to part with them anytime soon.

I’ve also got quite a collection myself and can’t walk past a used craft book without checking whether it might be something for me. I’m also always looking for new ones—at the moment embroidery, as I’ve recently taken it up with renewed passion.

I still have old magazines too—but I wouldn’t buy any more here. So many beautiful pictures, but you end up making very little from them.

I still enjoy holding books in my hands, especially my pattern books. But when I just want to browse, I’m out and about in the vastness of the web.

I have a few books on sewing teddy bears and also on making bags. And I still have lots of teddy bear magazines. So far, I’ve only sewn a few things from them, but I’m sure the urge to sew will come back, and then I’ll be well-prepared.
I get my crochet and knitting patterns almost exclusively here at crazypatterns.

Oh yes.... Craft books.... I could open a knitting library. I have a lot of books, including some “coffee table books”—very large-format books with beautiful photos.... But also a lot of “smaller” ones. Most of them are in English; they simply have the “nicer” books.
I used to collect magazines too, but as Petra already wrote, you end up making very little from them. I then tried to sell the huge piles at a flea market.... in the end, the recycling bin was full.... I kept a few, but somehow they just get in the way too; I haven’t even touched them in the last few years.
Most magazines are just aimed at promoting the corresponding yarn brands anyway. If you want to knit something from them using the original yarn, it can get pretty expensive. Either a very expensive yarn is used, or the yarn is still okay price-wise, but you feel like you need twenty colors, only 25g each or something like that....
These days I only buy patterns that I want to cast on very soon. I still have soooo many in my downloads that I haven’t knitted yet, and there are quite a few more in my favorites list too...

I still have some magazines from my grandma and a few old ones from when I first started. As for books, I’ve published one myself—I wouldn’t do that again or buy one. If anything, just patterns. The text in them is summarized so briefly that it becomes incomprehensible. Just a lot of “content” crammed into a small space to keep production costs down...

Nah, I’d rather buy specific items. I do that very rarely (I’m not great at following patterns 😁), but when I do, it’s always right here.

I once wrote a pattern for a magazine, too. I wouldn’t do it again. They shortened the text so much that it no longer had anything to do with my style of writing patterns.