I’ve had the itch to work with fibers again lately and have been pulling out my macramé supplies and brushing up on my knotting skills. Macrame was really where my jewelry making roots began back in the 70s, and I still enjoy it for a few reasons:

• It’s a real “hands-on” craft, not many gadgets needed;
• The supplies are minimal and inexpensive;
• And it provides a way to make more components of the finished piece.

Of course, it always brings up nostalgic feelings as I remember knotting a monster plant hanger in my 9th grade arts and crafts class and the cool chokers we all had to wear with our puka beads. I also started pulling out my few macramé books. There still aren’t that many out there today, and I happen to be lucky to have a few classics that I’ve stumbled upon through the years and kept. I remembered, too, that we used to have a couple of them when I lived with my folks. So, I asked my mom to see if she still had any around.

Now, I knew this was a big gamble because my mom is not exactly the sentimental type when it comes to inanimate objects, but she looked and while she didn’t find any knotting books, she did discover a stash of old craft books and magazines like this 1974 Women’s Circle magazine.

What a find! And here is an actual crafts project that I remember doing as a kid. This felt owl refrigerator magnet was a permanent fixture on our fridge for years!

More than the craft projects, though, flipping through the pages and reading some of the articles and ads was a major reminder of how different women’s lives are today, and heck, men’s as well. For example, there are pages and pages of stuff about finding pen pals with people writing in and asking for one as well as giving their home address. There are even pictures of some of the pen pal seekers. In today’s security conscious world, we just would never do that! Need a pen pal? Go to MySpace!

Of course, some of it is also surprisingly similar to what you see in magazines today like an ad that says, “Lose 10 lbs in 10 Days!” or “Women…Start profitable and rewarding hobby-career at home.” Oh, and here’s an ad you have got to love.

I’m still on the lookout for old macramé books and other craft-related books. I found a few gems among the small stack of leftover craft books that my mom still had, but most of what she had – for whatever reason why of all the cool craft stuff she happened to keep these of all things – were t-shirt decorating books. Yes, i did that too, but I don’t feel the urge to do it again!

I have more “crafts from the past” to share with you and have a blog category now for it. So, stay tuned, and feel free to add comments about your own craft blast from the past. I’d even like to see other bloggers post about this topic.