Crochet: An Introduction

Background

A brief history:

• Crochet has historically been used to make both clothes and furnishings
• The word crochet is believed to have come from the French word croc, meaning hook

• Crochet is believed to have come from the middle east originally

• In some parts of Scotland it is known as ‘shepherd’s knitting’

• Lace style crochet is believed to have come from Italy in the 16^th century

• It was taught in Ireland, along with knitting and embroidery, in the early 19^th century and became popular in America as people emigrated

• Queen Victoria received gifts of Irish crochet lace and learnt how to crochet

Types:

• Tunisian Crochet – This type of crochet uses very small stitches to produce a dense material, which can be patterned.
• Broomstick Crochet -This type of crochet consists of crocheted ‘holes’ made using pins, with the size of the pin determining the size of the hole, to create an open fabric.

• Filet Crochet – This is a type of imitation lace, which is usually patterned, using light and shade to create a design. This type of crochet is simple as it only uses 3 different stitches: chain, double and treble stitch, to create an open fabric consisting of square and empty spaces, known as bars and lacets.