I gave MOD Zhurnal a try and last week, the magazines arrived in the post! I got the two all-crochet issues, No. 533 and No. 524.

My new Russian-language crochet fashion magazines: MOD Zhurnal 524 and 533, and Duplet 124.

The MOD Zhurnal magazines are rather different from the Duplet magazines. While the colour model photos in Duplet are not accompanied by the actual patterns for making them, the MOD Zhurnal models have patterns. However, one must bear in mind that the patterns are in Russian language and in crochet symbols.

To show you how the MOD Zhurnal models and patterns are presented in the magazines, I will provide here one example.

Here is model no. 4 from MOD Zhurnal 533.

Model no. 4 from MOD Zhurnal 533.

And here (below) is a snapshot of the pattern for the modelled top. I have edited this image so that the texts and charts from the other models are not shown on the page. This will make the patterns less confusing.

Pattern instructions, charts and schematics for model no.4.

The above pattern includes the written instructions (in Russian language), the symbol crochet chart for the motifs, and a schematic showing the measurements for the top (left, right from and back sections) and the sleeves.

If you don’t read Russian, you will have to rely mostly on the photos and crochet symbols charts and schematics to make this top. You should be able to crochet the motifs and have some knowledge and experience of joining the motifs together with crochet netting.

Often, I use the motifs in Duplet and MOD Zhurnal for making my own designs of clothes and accessories. Here is an example where I used the motifs shown above to make a choker. It is a fairly simple appropriation of the motifs.

The choker is tied at the back with simple crocheted string with beads.

I finished this choker in one evening. I used a crochet hook size 1mm and dk weight baby camel yarn. The motifs consists of: (1) large lacy leaf, (2) small lacy leaf, (3) normal leaf, (4) large flower with curled and flat petals, (5) small flower with curled petals.

Here is another view of the choker showing the motifs and their arrangement (below). As you can see, there are two large lacy leaves, two normal leaves, one large flower and one small flower. Plus a chain with beads for ties.

Here is how I arranged the motifs together to form the choker. Experiment with other arrangements.

To read the crochet symbols, you must become familiar with what the individual symbols stand for. Refer to this chart from Duplet magazine, and a previous blog post, Learning to Read Crochet Symbols the Duplet Way.

Luckily, some of the models in MOD Zhurnal magazine are accompanied by detailed photographic step-by-step. For example, the same MOD Zhurnal 533 include a netting join tutorial of this beautiful dress designed and created by Olga Krivenko.

Modifications

Did I make any modifications to the patterns in the magazine?

Yes, but only very minor ones. I omitted the dc’s for the stem nearest to the lacy leaf so there is a small hole there. I prefer this to a solid stem.

The finished motif choker.

Anyway, I am very happy with this new piece of crochet jewellery and there are many more motifs and inspiration from MOD Zhurnal.

If you would like to make this crochet jewellery using a written version of this pattern, just let me know so I can try and write down the pattern. Nevertheless, I consider it best for crocheters to start reading both written and symbol patterns and to get right into modifying as the first step to making your own designs.