(Brief) History of Crochet

Crochet has made its mark in history for hundreds of years, with different variations by different groups of people, for example the French crochet lace and England had chain lace. Crochet has been found in the culture of Guiana Natives as well!

The word crochet comes from the word croc or croche, the Middle French word for hook, which is exactly how yarn is transformed in crochet, it’s also similar to the word krokr which is the Old Norse word for hook.

The origin of crochet is thought to be found in Chinese needlework, which is an ancient form of embroidery, this was called tambour. Later at the end of the 18th century, tambour went through an evolution into crochet by discarding the fabric and working on the stitch itself.

The early crocheters would have made things like rugs and personal decorations for special events like marriage or birthdays and make ornaments as well. In Victorian times flowerpot holders, visiting cards, mats, purses and hats became common. From the 1900 to 1930 women would crochet afghans, rugs, cozies and cushions. Potholders also became very common.

With so much history between today and the first crochet patterns, differences of course exist, for example early crochet patterns had them go through the back loop rather than both loops, this was useful for making thinner items such as table runners. Another difference is that both the yarn and hook were held in one hand but today we hold both in opposite hands instead. One similarity however is that crochet hooks have actually not changed much, with us still using the same shape and sizes that many women would have used.