LACIS MUSEUM OF LACE AND TEXTILES
2982 ADELINE STREET, BERKELEY CA 94703
Read the COMPLETE ARTICLE HERE
IRISH CROCHET LACE
The mid 1800’s found Ireland in the midst of a devastating famine. A potato blight had obliterated the agricultural mainstay of the nation. The country was in desperate need of a lucrative commodity to lift it out of its declining state.
Lace making was a profitable business, but the traditional methods were too slow to afford the quick relief that the country needed.
In an effort to copy the treasured and exquisite forms found in the valued Venetian Needle lace and the more delicate filigree of Rosaline lace, emerged a distinctive style of crochet that proved to be both quick and profitable.
It soon became known as “Pt. d’Irlande’ in the countries who sought its beauty. It is a style that has earned the right to stand alone, a thing of beauty, to be admired, coveted and collected by the best of collectors. Its delicate filigree and bold relief still speak of dedication, skill and the desire for a better life.
It is generally accepted that it was Mademoiselle Riego de la Blanchardiere who invented the now famous style. She published the first book of Irish Crochet patterns in 1846. It was used and referred to by both the schools of crochet that sprang up and by the ever growing Irish cottage industry.
The distinctive feature of Irish Crochet is its separate motifs joined by either filigree mesh or crocheted bars. Stylized motifs of flowers, shamrocks, and grapevines are arrayed in splendor. It is an artistic mode of crochet that lends itself well to the creative mind. A cord padding is often incorporated into the motif and by carefully adjusting the tightness and the amount of stitches, the stems, leaves and flowers can be artistically manipulated to add ‘life’ to the objects. The pattern is meant merely as a structural skeleton, much is left to the imagination of the worker. Two people, making the same motif, can turn out vastly different products. It is the creative spirit and thoughtful eye that enabled someone to manipulate the pattern to instill vitality into the growing work.
Crochet itself was well adapted to the rigorous life of the peasant people. Cotton thread was cheep and easily laundered.
The technique required only the crudest of handmade tools: the crochet hook. The labor could be done either by the light of day, or in the dim glow of a peat fire lamp helped by a glass globe of water to reflect back what little light it shed.
The lace often became dirty in the harsh conditions of poverty and had to be washed before it was sold.
Particularly fastidious workers would wrap the work in progress and put it under their bed at night. This practice became known as “bedding the work”.
The labor soon became a family occupation. Young and old, women as well as men turned to this new industry to provide life’s sustenance. Within Ireland itself, the lace became known as “relief lace”. A division of labor sprang up.
The technique adapted well to all levels of ability.
Everyone in the family could contribute to the finished piece. One person might make the same motif over and over.
The more difficult patterns were left to the nimblest of hands, while those less agile and creative could work the simpler leaves and stems.
The motifs were brought by foot to a lace-making center in the town. There they were arranged in a studied manner and crocheted together to form everything from collars and cuffs to bodices, dresses and coats.
Clones lace is an Irish Crochet lace, named after the town where it was marketed, developing its own character over nearly 150 years. Cassandra Hand, wife of the local Church of Ireland minister introduced it as a famine relief scheme to this small drumlin region of west Monaghan and south-east Fermanagh in 1847. Within a short period, nearly every family in the area was involved in the production of crochet lace, supplying markets in Dublin, London, Paris, Rome and New York.
Clones soon became the most important center of crochet lace-making in the north of Ireland, while Cork was the leading center in the south.
Irish Crochet lace originally derived from specimens of Venetian rose point, first brought to Ireland in the 1830’s by Ursuline nuns in Blackrock, Cork from France.
Indeed, the crochet lace that developed in Cork is very distinctive.
It comprises very large motifs, joined by thick bars, which are made up of double crochets
stitched over foundation chains.
There are varying accounts of between 12,000 and 20,000 girls being employed in its production from 1847.
Mrs. Meredith was the patron of the Adelaide school for crochet in Cork, which became a depot
where lace was received and sold.
Most families had their own secret and closely guarded motifs.
The family nickname often reflected the motif with which the family was associated, such as the ‘Lily Quigleys’ or the ‘Rose McMahons’.
When neighbors entered a house unexpectedly, the lace was hidden from view. Their special motif was the basis of a family’s income.
Many motifs have gone to the grave due to the secrecy, although pattern makers examined finished pieces in the USA and England and transcribed them in Irish Crochet publications.
Crochet workers delighted in creating new filling stitches, embellishments and motifs, as these would bring them a better income.
Showing posts with label Crochet articles. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Crochet articles. Show all posts
Thursday, 20 August 2015
History of Crochet
History of Crochet
January 9, 2010
Lisa Keipp
Denver Crochet Examiner
Read ORIGINAL POST HERE
Shepherd’s Knitting
Depending on who you ask, crochet developed as a practical work and as an art form at different times throughout the world. In the Northern areas - Norway, Finland, Scandinavia, Northeastern Europe and even Scotland – a practical, useful style know as “shepherd’s knitting” was developed. Originally done only with the fingers, hooks made of fish bone, wood and broken metal tools repurposed through filing a hook into the broken tool – old spoons, broken combs, grooming tools for animals.
The finger method was first documented in Sweden, but use of a tool to do the job was first documented in Scotland in 1812 in the memoirs of Elizabeth grant, who remembers her great grand uncle wearing clothing made by his wife, who used such a tool made from a broken tortoiseshell comb.
Shepherd’s knitting is done as continuous piece of work in the round, in which a single slip stitch is worked into the front or back loop of the former round. In England in the mid 1800s, this was considered single crochet- different than our single crochet – and the first step ever mastered by a beginner. This makes a very tight piece of work, and was commonly used for gloves, scarves and hats- practical work.
Tambour Work
A second development in crochet was developed out of tambour work. Tambour work is done on muslin, netting or other even weave fabric with a tiny hook, often known as a “crochet”. The fabric is stretched in a hoop, and a design is drawn on the fabric. Then the hook is placed through the fabric and draws up a loop of thread from below, and each successive loop is drawn up through the last loop, creating a form of chain stitch that looks very similar to that made in embroidery. A very nice tutorial can be found here: http://embroideryaddict.blogspot.com/2008/08/chain-stich-in-tambour-work.html Modern examples of this can be found in the bridal aisle at a fabric store; though it is now machine done, it is still similar to the early works. Tambour work began in Turkey, China, Persia, and India and was not found in Europe as a practice before 1750.
Claims are made that fancy crochet work done with thread stemmed from this earlier practice, as someone somewhere in Europe decided to forego the fabric and start making stitches and designs purely out of thread, mimicking tatting.
Tambour tools are still readily available, and were hard to discern from the earliest crochet hooks on the market in the mid 1800s. Both had a handle made of wood, bone or metal; each handle had interchangeable hooks of different sizes. The main difference is in the handles – crochet hook handles are straighter, due to needing to be held at an angle, while the tambour hook, held straight up and down, has a rounded, teardrop handle. Some tambour hooks even have a small ‘latch’ on them to keep the thread from coming off the hook; the precursor to rug hooks.
Crocheted Lace and Irish Lace
A third and fourth development for crochet were the French Revolution and the start of the Industrial Revolution. The French Revolution created a collapse of the old guild structures and crochet evolved from tambour work as the new form of lace making; called simultaneously "frivolitaire" and "Punto en Aria" – stitch made in the air. Women everywhere throughout France crocheted as a symbol of their freedom from the old tyranny. However, this crocheted lace soon fell out of favor, and there was a return to bobbin lace, since it was daintier. Crocheted lace did come back into popularity in Ireland during the potato famine of the mid 1800s, and was a cottage industry supported by the queen of England, who created a market in her court and other courts for the new “Irish lace”.
Crocheting became immensely popular through the latter part of the 19th century, especially among the upper classes, spreading from Europe to America, and ladies of every class took up crocheting as a popular form of home decoration, accessorizing clothing, and making the clothing itself. Crocheting soon became as popular as knitting as a pass time for young ladies, and crochet hooks of every kind were available of wood, bone, ivory, steel and silver, from plain and practical to nicely turned or engraved pieces made as much for show as for practicality.
Double crochet hooks were not uncommon; some had different sized hooks and others had the same size hook on either end for Tunisian crochet, which is first discussed in the 1840s.
Printed Patterns
The earliest known printed patterns available are from 1824 in a women’s magazine called Penelope from Holland, which was printed from 1821 through 1833. These magazines were highly popular in Germany, and in the 1840s, the publication of books devoted solely to crochet exploded, translated into several languages and distributed to several countries. One of he most noted crochet designers was Mlle. Riego de la Branchardiere of England. Between 1846 and 1887, she published over 100 books on needlecraft, many of which were on crochet.
Ladies magazines in the U.S. always had crochet or knitting patterns included. However, the early patterns often made assumptions that the reader was highly skilled in crochet already, and were not often very precise. However, of benefit was the drawing accompanying the patterns from the 1860s onward; these drawings were highly detailed and precise; you can replicate the pattern just by looking at the drawing of it. One of the things to remember when using old crochet patterns is the difference between our single crochet and their single crochet.
Crochet Today
Crochet today, just as in the past, has faced its ups and downs, gaining in popularity and then losing ground, only to be revived again. It seems that crochet –and all handworks – and their popularity can be directly linked to the current state of the economy. Crochet was highly popular in the 1930s for practical purposes, turned a bit to the frivolous in the 1940s when patterns for toys gained in popularity, waned again only to be revived in the 1970s and today.
Today, crochet is seen as a practical skill, an art form and is even used to make political and social statements.
Sources:
http://chestofbooks.com/reference/Dictionary-of-Dry-Goods/Tambour-Work.html
http://www.iainabrach.org/BlogItem.asp?ID=6
http://lace.lacefairy.com/Lace/ID/TamboutID.html
Lis Paludan Crochet History and Technique 1995 Interweave Press
January 9, 2010
Lisa Keipp
Denver Crochet Examiner
Read ORIGINAL POST HERE
Shepherd’s Knitting
Depending on who you ask, crochet developed as a practical work and as an art form at different times throughout the world. In the Northern areas - Norway, Finland, Scandinavia, Northeastern Europe and even Scotland – a practical, useful style know as “shepherd’s knitting” was developed. Originally done only with the fingers, hooks made of fish bone, wood and broken metal tools repurposed through filing a hook into the broken tool – old spoons, broken combs, grooming tools for animals.
The finger method was first documented in Sweden, but use of a tool to do the job was first documented in Scotland in 1812 in the memoirs of Elizabeth grant, who remembers her great grand uncle wearing clothing made by his wife, who used such a tool made from a broken tortoiseshell comb.
Shepherd’s knitting is done as continuous piece of work in the round, in which a single slip stitch is worked into the front or back loop of the former round. In England in the mid 1800s, this was considered single crochet- different than our single crochet – and the first step ever mastered by a beginner. This makes a very tight piece of work, and was commonly used for gloves, scarves and hats- practical work.
Tambour Work
A second development in crochet was developed out of tambour work. Tambour work is done on muslin, netting or other even weave fabric with a tiny hook, often known as a “crochet”. The fabric is stretched in a hoop, and a design is drawn on the fabric. Then the hook is placed through the fabric and draws up a loop of thread from below, and each successive loop is drawn up through the last loop, creating a form of chain stitch that looks very similar to that made in embroidery. A very nice tutorial can be found here: http://embroideryaddict.blogspot.com/2008/08/chain-stich-in-tambour-work.html Modern examples of this can be found in the bridal aisle at a fabric store; though it is now machine done, it is still similar to the early works. Tambour work began in Turkey, China, Persia, and India and was not found in Europe as a practice before 1750.
Claims are made that fancy crochet work done with thread stemmed from this earlier practice, as someone somewhere in Europe decided to forego the fabric and start making stitches and designs purely out of thread, mimicking tatting.
Tambour tools are still readily available, and were hard to discern from the earliest crochet hooks on the market in the mid 1800s. Both had a handle made of wood, bone or metal; each handle had interchangeable hooks of different sizes. The main difference is in the handles – crochet hook handles are straighter, due to needing to be held at an angle, while the tambour hook, held straight up and down, has a rounded, teardrop handle. Some tambour hooks even have a small ‘latch’ on them to keep the thread from coming off the hook; the precursor to rug hooks.
Crocheted Lace and Irish Lace
A third and fourth development for crochet were the French Revolution and the start of the Industrial Revolution. The French Revolution created a collapse of the old guild structures and crochet evolved from tambour work as the new form of lace making; called simultaneously "frivolitaire" and "Punto en Aria" – stitch made in the air. Women everywhere throughout France crocheted as a symbol of their freedom from the old tyranny. However, this crocheted lace soon fell out of favor, and there was a return to bobbin lace, since it was daintier. Crocheted lace did come back into popularity in Ireland during the potato famine of the mid 1800s, and was a cottage industry supported by the queen of England, who created a market in her court and other courts for the new “Irish lace”.
Crocheting became immensely popular through the latter part of the 19th century, especially among the upper classes, spreading from Europe to America, and ladies of every class took up crocheting as a popular form of home decoration, accessorizing clothing, and making the clothing itself. Crocheting soon became as popular as knitting as a pass time for young ladies, and crochet hooks of every kind were available of wood, bone, ivory, steel and silver, from plain and practical to nicely turned or engraved pieces made as much for show as for practicality.
Double crochet hooks were not uncommon; some had different sized hooks and others had the same size hook on either end for Tunisian crochet, which is first discussed in the 1840s.
Printed Patterns
The earliest known printed patterns available are from 1824 in a women’s magazine called Penelope from Holland, which was printed from 1821 through 1833. These magazines were highly popular in Germany, and in the 1840s, the publication of books devoted solely to crochet exploded, translated into several languages and distributed to several countries. One of he most noted crochet designers was Mlle. Riego de la Branchardiere of England. Between 1846 and 1887, she published over 100 books on needlecraft, many of which were on crochet.
Ladies magazines in the U.S. always had crochet or knitting patterns included. However, the early patterns often made assumptions that the reader was highly skilled in crochet already, and were not often very precise. However, of benefit was the drawing accompanying the patterns from the 1860s onward; these drawings were highly detailed and precise; you can replicate the pattern just by looking at the drawing of it. One of the things to remember when using old crochet patterns is the difference between our single crochet and their single crochet.
Crochet Today
Crochet today, just as in the past, has faced its ups and downs, gaining in popularity and then losing ground, only to be revived again. It seems that crochet –and all handworks – and their popularity can be directly linked to the current state of the economy. Crochet was highly popular in the 1930s for practical purposes, turned a bit to the frivolous in the 1940s when patterns for toys gained in popularity, waned again only to be revived in the 1970s and today.
Today, crochet is seen as a practical skill, an art form and is even used to make political and social statements.
Sources:
http://chestofbooks.com/reference/Dictionary-of-Dry-Goods/Tambour-Work.html
http://www.iainabrach.org/BlogItem.asp?ID=6
http://lace.lacefairy.com/Lace/ID/TamboutID.html
Lis Paludan Crochet History and Technique 1995 Interweave Press
Crochet for the lifelong learner
Crochet for the lifelong learner
By Charles Voth
Read the ORIGINAL POST HERE
Textile historians tell us that crochet is a relatively young craft. The time to put crochet on the map and develop this craft even further is at hand. As a teacher, and a lifelong learner, I want to encourage the reader to join, or continue (depending where you find yourself) the journey of learning more about crochet. If it takes a village to raise a child, it takes a flock of crocheters to raise the profile of our craft.
I’ve heard crocheters comment, with slight bemusement, that knitters always seem to need classes to learn anything. New classes are always being procured for knitters, while crochet classes just don’t seem to fill up and are often cancelled. Some crocheters are quick to say that they know everything there is to know about crochet, and what they don’t know they’ll learn from the internet, videos, or books. So it becomes a vicious cycle, and crocheters stay on the fringes of the greater picture of yarn users.
I can’t believe that out of the hundreds of thousands of crocheters out there, a majority have decided they are not life-long learners when it comes to our craft. I’d like to share with you some characteristic behaviors of those individuals who choose to be life-longer learners.
First, a crocheter who is a lifelong learner takes the stance of being a beginner. They don’t consider themselves experts, even if they have several decades of expertise to their name. They know that once they consider themselves experts, they will have closed themselves off to growth and development. Instead they keep an open mind, one which sees and grasps opportunities to learn something new… a new way to turn a row, a new stitch combination or a new place to insert the hook.
Lifelong learners are able to look at crochet from different vantage points, the finished piece, the pattern stitch and gauge used, and the isolated stitches that are the bottom-up bits and pieces. She would see how the stitches are combined at the micro level affect the overall composition, drape and look of the finished piece. They see how new challenges, problems, puzzles, and opportunities in their crochet work connect to prior ones. If a crocheter reshapes a garment to fit her physique, she will take note of the problems and the solutions that she eventually found and draw upon that experience the next time she reshapes a garment. The particular situation, structure, stitch pattern will be different, but the process she went through the first time will be an invaluable resource.
Lifelong learners learn “just because” Learning for learning’s sake might involve trying a granny-square in half-double’s or treble crochets just to see what needs to change when it’s not the usual double-crochet. Or taking a class in garment finishing just because it’s there and available. A life-long learner sees how one crocheter makes a picot stitch with a different technique than their own, and rather than say, “It’s wrong, they try it out themselves, for the heck of it.
“Why?” is the characteristic question of the curious crocheter. Why can’t I get row tension consistently? Why does the alpaca content of the yarn make the garment in the pattern look so much nicer than the yarn I chose to use? Why are there US and UK terms for crochet? And so on. Being curious about the crucial and the more mundane aspects of our craft is what helps this kind of crocheter continue to grow and learn.
A lifelong learner chooses more than one avenue or mode of learning. It may be online videos, it may be a Chain Link conference, or it may be a cosy shared stitching time with a crochet mentor. Books and photos may be one’s preferred way of learning, but a lifelong learner will leave the comfort of her books and venture out to a stitching circle, or someone who has never used the internet will start on the wondrous journey of discovery available through the immense resources online.
A final key behaviour of the life-long learner is one who teaches others. They may not be formally certified and promoted as traveling teachers, because that’s not everyone’s cup of tea. They do, however, love to share and nudge, and steer other crocheters to understanding and grasping a new skill. They may teach a newbie or a veteran, and they do it with infectious joy and empathetic patience.
What kind of crocheter are you? Have you decided you don’t need to learn more? You’ve arrived. You’re done. There is nothing anyone else can show you? Or are you a lifelong learner?
If you’re interested in adopting these behaviours of a lifelong learner in your crocheting, try the following suggestions. Reflect on each behaviour separately and see how you measure up. Perhaps you already do some of them in part. That’s great! But where are the gaps? Once you’ve identified which ones you’d like to get better at, try them out. Share this article with a crocheting friend and talk about it together. Challenge and cheer each other on as you learn. Find other crocheters who already are lifelong learners and model yourself after them. Ask them how they overcame some of the roadblocks that you may be feeling are in your way to becoming a lifelong learner in crochet.
If you’re a blogger, blog about it; if you’re in online forums start discussion threads about it. If you’re in a guild, check to see if any guild members feel in the same rut you feel yourself to be. Now that there is so much ease of access to designers, find them on Ravelry and ask them where they teach or if they teach. Go to your local yarn store (if possible with 3 or 4 others in tow) and ask them to find a teacher for you (tell them about the designers you chatted with on Ravelry, ¦or offer to teach yourself. If big box stores are all you have in your area, why not ask the local community adult education venues if you could teach a class there. Again, look online at the offerings of online classes and see if that’s a learning mode that suits your style, or better yet…adopt a new learning style that’s out of your comfort zone.
If you are near one of the large yarn fairs like Stitches or fiber fairs like Maryland Sheep and Wool festival, attend them, and more importantly bring other crocheters along. What about approaching the organizers en masse with requests for learning opportunities that explore more than the basics? Vogue is running a big education event in NYC this coming January. Crochet is part of it. This is an amazing opportunity to put crochet education on the map alongside knitting. Can you imagine the setback for crochet if it’s poorly attended and the classes are cancelled?
I trust you feel my passion for learning in the above words. Please share your stories of lifelong learning with me at any time. Share how you are joining the movement to build a history of crochet. You can find me as on Ravelry and Crochetville and in other social media online. I hope you have caught a bit of my enthusiasm for learning. So some of you may wonder if I think knitters make better lifelong learners than crocheters. I don’t really think so, but for whatever reason, if there is a collective voice of lifelong learners of crochet, it is too quiet, too muzzled, and it’s time to take our hooks and turn them into new tools for learning.
By Charles Voth
Read the ORIGINAL POST HERE
Textile historians tell us that crochet is a relatively young craft. The time to put crochet on the map and develop this craft even further is at hand. As a teacher, and a lifelong learner, I want to encourage the reader to join, or continue (depending where you find yourself) the journey of learning more about crochet. If it takes a village to raise a child, it takes a flock of crocheters to raise the profile of our craft.
I’ve heard crocheters comment, with slight bemusement, that knitters always seem to need classes to learn anything. New classes are always being procured for knitters, while crochet classes just don’t seem to fill up and are often cancelled. Some crocheters are quick to say that they know everything there is to know about crochet, and what they don’t know they’ll learn from the internet, videos, or books. So it becomes a vicious cycle, and crocheters stay on the fringes of the greater picture of yarn users.
I can’t believe that out of the hundreds of thousands of crocheters out there, a majority have decided they are not life-long learners when it comes to our craft. I’d like to share with you some characteristic behaviors of those individuals who choose to be life-longer learners.
First, a crocheter who is a lifelong learner takes the stance of being a beginner. They don’t consider themselves experts, even if they have several decades of expertise to their name. They know that once they consider themselves experts, they will have closed themselves off to growth and development. Instead they keep an open mind, one which sees and grasps opportunities to learn something new… a new way to turn a row, a new stitch combination or a new place to insert the hook.
Lifelong learners are able to look at crochet from different vantage points, the finished piece, the pattern stitch and gauge used, and the isolated stitches that are the bottom-up bits and pieces. She would see how the stitches are combined at the micro level affect the overall composition, drape and look of the finished piece. They see how new challenges, problems, puzzles, and opportunities in their crochet work connect to prior ones. If a crocheter reshapes a garment to fit her physique, she will take note of the problems and the solutions that she eventually found and draw upon that experience the next time she reshapes a garment. The particular situation, structure, stitch pattern will be different, but the process she went through the first time will be an invaluable resource.
Lifelong learners learn “just because” Learning for learning’s sake might involve trying a granny-square in half-double’s or treble crochets just to see what needs to change when it’s not the usual double-crochet. Or taking a class in garment finishing just because it’s there and available. A life-long learner sees how one crocheter makes a picot stitch with a different technique than their own, and rather than say, “It’s wrong, they try it out themselves, for the heck of it.
“Why?” is the characteristic question of the curious crocheter. Why can’t I get row tension consistently? Why does the alpaca content of the yarn make the garment in the pattern look so much nicer than the yarn I chose to use? Why are there US and UK terms for crochet? And so on. Being curious about the crucial and the more mundane aspects of our craft is what helps this kind of crocheter continue to grow and learn.
A lifelong learner chooses more than one avenue or mode of learning. It may be online videos, it may be a Chain Link conference, or it may be a cosy shared stitching time with a crochet mentor. Books and photos may be one’s preferred way of learning, but a lifelong learner will leave the comfort of her books and venture out to a stitching circle, or someone who has never used the internet will start on the wondrous journey of discovery available through the immense resources online.
A final key behaviour of the life-long learner is one who teaches others. They may not be formally certified and promoted as traveling teachers, because that’s not everyone’s cup of tea. They do, however, love to share and nudge, and steer other crocheters to understanding and grasping a new skill. They may teach a newbie or a veteran, and they do it with infectious joy and empathetic patience.
What kind of crocheter are you? Have you decided you don’t need to learn more? You’ve arrived. You’re done. There is nothing anyone else can show you? Or are you a lifelong learner?
If you’re interested in adopting these behaviours of a lifelong learner in your crocheting, try the following suggestions. Reflect on each behaviour separately and see how you measure up. Perhaps you already do some of them in part. That’s great! But where are the gaps? Once you’ve identified which ones you’d like to get better at, try them out. Share this article with a crocheting friend and talk about it together. Challenge and cheer each other on as you learn. Find other crocheters who already are lifelong learners and model yourself after them. Ask them how they overcame some of the roadblocks that you may be feeling are in your way to becoming a lifelong learner in crochet.
If you’re a blogger, blog about it; if you’re in online forums start discussion threads about it. If you’re in a guild, check to see if any guild members feel in the same rut you feel yourself to be. Now that there is so much ease of access to designers, find them on Ravelry and ask them where they teach or if they teach. Go to your local yarn store (if possible with 3 or 4 others in tow) and ask them to find a teacher for you (tell them about the designers you chatted with on Ravelry, ¦or offer to teach yourself. If big box stores are all you have in your area, why not ask the local community adult education venues if you could teach a class there. Again, look online at the offerings of online classes and see if that’s a learning mode that suits your style, or better yet…adopt a new learning style that’s out of your comfort zone.
If you are near one of the large yarn fairs like Stitches or fiber fairs like Maryland Sheep and Wool festival, attend them, and more importantly bring other crocheters along. What about approaching the organizers en masse with requests for learning opportunities that explore more than the basics? Vogue is running a big education event in NYC this coming January. Crochet is part of it. This is an amazing opportunity to put crochet education on the map alongside knitting. Can you imagine the setback for crochet if it’s poorly attended and the classes are cancelled?
I trust you feel my passion for learning in the above words. Please share your stories of lifelong learning with me at any time. Share how you are joining the movement to build a history of crochet. You can find me as on Ravelry and Crochetville and in other social media online. I hope you have caught a bit of my enthusiasm for learning. So some of you may wonder if I think knitters make better lifelong learners than crocheters. I don’t really think so, but for whatever reason, if there is a collective voice of lifelong learners of crochet, it is too quiet, too muzzled, and it’s time to take our hooks and turn them into new tools for learning.
Broomstick Lace Crochet
Broomstick Lace Crochet
Read ORIGINAL POST HERE
Broomstick lace is a form of crochet, although the needle used looks like a very large knitting needle, hence the origin of the name "broomstick".
In the past something similar to a narrow broomstick could be used, but the modern variant is a lightweight plastic knitting needle, for ease of use.
It is most popularly used for shawls and baby blankets.
Read ORIGINAL POST HERE
Broomstick lace is a form of crochet, although the needle used looks like a very large knitting needle, hence the origin of the name "broomstick".
In the past something similar to a narrow broomstick could be used, but the modern variant is a lightweight plastic knitting needle, for ease of use.
It is most popularly used for shawls and baby blankets.
Origin and Types of Crochet
Origin and Types of Crochet
Read the ORIGINAL POST HERE
Crocheted fabric is created from yarn or thread using a crochet hook or a crochet machine. Crocheting, like knitting, comprises pulling loops of yarn through other loops. However, crochet differs from knitting. In crocheting process only one loop is active at a time with the exception of Tunisian crochet. Also a crochet hook, instead of knitting needles, is used for creating fabric.
Origin and a Brief History of Crocheting
It is generally believed that traditional crocheting practices were prevalent in Arabia, South America, or China. However, there is no decisive evidence supporting the claim. According to some other speculations, many early cultures practiced crocheting with the help of a bent forefinger instead of a fashioned hook and as such there were no evidences left behind to approve of its primitive practice.
Crocheting Crocheting as a craft became popular in Europe during 19th century. Crochet patterns were first published in the Dutch magazine Penelope in 1824. Industrialization contributed significantly in the development of crochet. The availability of inexpensive machine spun cotton thread that replaced hand spun linen, gave a thrust to crocheting. The 1800s saw Britain, America and France substituting other forms of laces with crocheted fabrics. Although crocheted lace consumed more thread than woven bobbin laces, they were faster to make and easier to teach.
Later Developments in Crocheting
With the end of Victorian era in the 1890s, Crocheted lace became more and more elaborate in texture and their stitching got complicated, especially between 1910 and 1920. Earlier these laces were made in a variety of colored threads. Now the new patterns had set forth white or pale threads for crocheting. However, certain fashion accessories like fancy bags were often crocheted out of brightly colored silk threads and were elaborately decorated with beads.
Crochet Hat Due to World War I, the crocheting patterns got simplified and very few people engaged themselves in the craft. However, after World War II, during 1940s - 60s, there was a sudden resurgence of interest in home based crafts, particularly in the United States. Thus, many new and imaginative crochet designs were published widely for making colorful doilies, potholders, and other items. These patterns needed thicker threads and yarns as compared to the earlier patterns and included wonderful and varied colors. The craft was, till now, a homemaker's art. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, the granny squares, a motif worked in the round and incorporating bright colors became very popular. Subsequently, there was a decline in popularity of crocheting.
Upon the arrival of 21st century and with improvement in the quality and availability of varieties of yarn, there was a revival of interest in handcrafts in general and crocheting in particular. Many fibers yarns & threads publications now published new innovative crocheting patterns on a regular basis. These days, most of the yarn stores offer crochet lessons along with the traditional knitting lessons.
Basic Principle and Process of Crocheting
Crocheted FabricsThe CAD/CAM technology facilitates easy creation of virtually all types of fabric weave and design, helps simulate the created weave/design into the virtual fabric in different color combinations long before the actual fabric is manufactured.
If the designer is satisfied with his virtual creation then the software again provides the required parameters in various formats as per his need to weave the created design into actual fabric form. Crochet patterns are based on mathematical structure and have been used to illustrate shapes in hyperbolic geometry that are difficult to reproduce using other means.
They are very difficult to understand when viewed in a two-dimensional presentation.
For making Crocheted fabric, the basic materials are threads and crochet hooks.
It is started by placing a slip-knot loop on the hook, pulling another loop through the first loop, and repeating this process a number of times till a chain of required length is created.
The chain is used in two ways- it is either turned and worked in rows, or joined to the beginning of the row with a slip stitch and worked in rounds.
Rounds can also be made by working many stitches into a single loop. Stitches are made by pulling one or more loops through each loop of the chain.
At the end of a stitch, there is always only one loop left on the hook. However, Tunisian crochet is an exception which draws all the loops for an entire row onto a long hook before working them off one at a time.
Methods and Types of Crochet
There are many variants of the basic crochet method which include Filet crochet, Tunisian crochet, broomstick lace, hairpin lace, and Irish crochet among others.
Filet crochet :
Filet crochet is a kind of crocheted fabric or a crocheted lace. It is gridlike as it uses only two crochet stitches namely chain stitch and the double crochet stitch. In some countries the double crochet stitch is also known as treble crochet. This type of crochet is often worked in rows, but it can also be worked in the round. Patterns can be made by filling in parts of the mesh with double crochet stitches. Fine crochet thread is mostly used to create decorative items such as doilies, tablecloth, coasters, placemats etc.
Tunisian crochet :
It is also known as Afghan crochet or Tricot Crochet. This type of crochet uses an elongated hook. Sometimes, this hook comes with a stopper on the handle end, known as Afghan hook. Some consider it to be a mixture of crocheting and knitting as some techniques of knitting are also used in Tunisian crochet. Many loops are worked at once in this method as opposed to traditional crochet where only one loop is worked at a time. It creates a dense fabric in a grid pattern with a definite front and back side which can also act as an ideal base for cross-stitch.
Broomstick lace :
Also known as jiffy lace and peacock eye crochet, broomstick lace uses a crochet hook and a long slender item similar to a knitting needle, usually a lightweight plastic knitting needle or smooth wooden craft dowel. A larger knitting needle or dowel results in a lace like effect, whereas a smaller one gives a more closely woven effect. As the resultant fabric is soft yet stable, it is good for clothing and for making blankets.
Hairpin lace :
This method uses a crochet hook and a hairpin lace loom, which consists of two parallel metal rods held at the top and the bottom with the help of removable bars. Earlier, a metal U-shaped hairpin was used for the purpose, hence the name 'Hairpin lace' originated. Strips are made by this method which are then joined together to create a lightweight fabric. Various types of yarns and threads are used to get different color, texture and designs. Items such as scarves, shawls, hats, baby blanket, afghans, and clothing are made from it. Hairpin lace can also be used to decorate sewn, knitted, and crocheted works.
Irish crochet:
During the Great Irish Famine during 1845-1849, local women and children were taught to thread crochet which were sent all across Europe and America. They became popular all over the world and were purchased for their beauty and also for charity towards Irish population. It is a type of lace, where separately crocheted motifs are created and then these motifs are assembled into a mesh background.
Crocheting Machines
crochet machine Although crocheting is a home based craft done by hands with the help of hooks, nowadays many crochet machines are also available in the market. However, these machines are basically fabric knitting machines that are used for making different types of lace for the purpose of clothing and other textile products such as embellishments for dresses, home furnishings and the like. A crocheting machine has slide needles with knitting needles which are disposed on a knitting needle bar. Slides of the slide needles are attached to a slide bar which is disposed over the knitting needle bar. With their to and fro motion, the needles can work out crocheting patterns with the yarns fed through a guide.
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Crocheted fabric is created from yarn or thread using a crochet hook or a crochet machine. Crocheting, like knitting, comprises pulling loops of yarn through other loops. However, crochet differs from knitting. In crocheting process only one loop is active at a time with the exception of Tunisian crochet. Also a crochet hook, instead of knitting needles, is used for creating fabric.
Origin and a Brief History of Crocheting
It is generally believed that traditional crocheting practices were prevalent in Arabia, South America, or China. However, there is no decisive evidence supporting the claim. According to some other speculations, many early cultures practiced crocheting with the help of a bent forefinger instead of a fashioned hook and as such there were no evidences left behind to approve of its primitive practice.
Crocheting Crocheting as a craft became popular in Europe during 19th century. Crochet patterns were first published in the Dutch magazine Penelope in 1824. Industrialization contributed significantly in the development of crochet. The availability of inexpensive machine spun cotton thread that replaced hand spun linen, gave a thrust to crocheting. The 1800s saw Britain, America and France substituting other forms of laces with crocheted fabrics. Although crocheted lace consumed more thread than woven bobbin laces, they were faster to make and easier to teach.
Later Developments in Crocheting
With the end of Victorian era in the 1890s, Crocheted lace became more and more elaborate in texture and their stitching got complicated, especially between 1910 and 1920. Earlier these laces were made in a variety of colored threads. Now the new patterns had set forth white or pale threads for crocheting. However, certain fashion accessories like fancy bags were often crocheted out of brightly colored silk threads and were elaborately decorated with beads.
Crochet Hat Due to World War I, the crocheting patterns got simplified and very few people engaged themselves in the craft. However, after World War II, during 1940s - 60s, there was a sudden resurgence of interest in home based crafts, particularly in the United States. Thus, many new and imaginative crochet designs were published widely for making colorful doilies, potholders, and other items. These patterns needed thicker threads and yarns as compared to the earlier patterns and included wonderful and varied colors. The craft was, till now, a homemaker's art. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, the granny squares, a motif worked in the round and incorporating bright colors became very popular. Subsequently, there was a decline in popularity of crocheting.
Upon the arrival of 21st century and with improvement in the quality and availability of varieties of yarn, there was a revival of interest in handcrafts in general and crocheting in particular. Many fibers yarns & threads publications now published new innovative crocheting patterns on a regular basis. These days, most of the yarn stores offer crochet lessons along with the traditional knitting lessons.
Basic Principle and Process of Crocheting
Crocheted FabricsThe CAD/CAM technology facilitates easy creation of virtually all types of fabric weave and design, helps simulate the created weave/design into the virtual fabric in different color combinations long before the actual fabric is manufactured.
If the designer is satisfied with his virtual creation then the software again provides the required parameters in various formats as per his need to weave the created design into actual fabric form. Crochet patterns are based on mathematical structure and have been used to illustrate shapes in hyperbolic geometry that are difficult to reproduce using other means.
They are very difficult to understand when viewed in a two-dimensional presentation.
For making Crocheted fabric, the basic materials are threads and crochet hooks.
It is started by placing a slip-knot loop on the hook, pulling another loop through the first loop, and repeating this process a number of times till a chain of required length is created.
The chain is used in two ways- it is either turned and worked in rows, or joined to the beginning of the row with a slip stitch and worked in rounds.
Rounds can also be made by working many stitches into a single loop. Stitches are made by pulling one or more loops through each loop of the chain.
At the end of a stitch, there is always only one loop left on the hook. However, Tunisian crochet is an exception which draws all the loops for an entire row onto a long hook before working them off one at a time.
Methods and Types of Crochet
There are many variants of the basic crochet method which include Filet crochet, Tunisian crochet, broomstick lace, hairpin lace, and Irish crochet among others.
Filet crochet :
Filet crochet is a kind of crocheted fabric or a crocheted lace. It is gridlike as it uses only two crochet stitches namely chain stitch and the double crochet stitch. In some countries the double crochet stitch is also known as treble crochet. This type of crochet is often worked in rows, but it can also be worked in the round. Patterns can be made by filling in parts of the mesh with double crochet stitches. Fine crochet thread is mostly used to create decorative items such as doilies, tablecloth, coasters, placemats etc.
Tunisian crochet :
It is also known as Afghan crochet or Tricot Crochet. This type of crochet uses an elongated hook. Sometimes, this hook comes with a stopper on the handle end, known as Afghan hook. Some consider it to be a mixture of crocheting and knitting as some techniques of knitting are also used in Tunisian crochet. Many loops are worked at once in this method as opposed to traditional crochet where only one loop is worked at a time. It creates a dense fabric in a grid pattern with a definite front and back side which can also act as an ideal base for cross-stitch.
Broomstick lace :
Also known as jiffy lace and peacock eye crochet, broomstick lace uses a crochet hook and a long slender item similar to a knitting needle, usually a lightweight plastic knitting needle or smooth wooden craft dowel. A larger knitting needle or dowel results in a lace like effect, whereas a smaller one gives a more closely woven effect. As the resultant fabric is soft yet stable, it is good for clothing and for making blankets.
Hairpin lace :
This method uses a crochet hook and a hairpin lace loom, which consists of two parallel metal rods held at the top and the bottom with the help of removable bars. Earlier, a metal U-shaped hairpin was used for the purpose, hence the name 'Hairpin lace' originated. Strips are made by this method which are then joined together to create a lightweight fabric. Various types of yarns and threads are used to get different color, texture and designs. Items such as scarves, shawls, hats, baby blanket, afghans, and clothing are made from it. Hairpin lace can also be used to decorate sewn, knitted, and crocheted works.
Irish crochet:
During the Great Irish Famine during 1845-1849, local women and children were taught to thread crochet which were sent all across Europe and America. They became popular all over the world and were purchased for their beauty and also for charity towards Irish population. It is a type of lace, where separately crocheted motifs are created and then these motifs are assembled into a mesh background.
Crocheting Machines
crochet machine Although crocheting is a home based craft done by hands with the help of hooks, nowadays many crochet machines are also available in the market. However, these machines are basically fabric knitting machines that are used for making different types of lace for the purpose of clothing and other textile products such as embellishments for dresses, home furnishings and the like. A crocheting machine has slide needles with knitting needles which are disposed on a knitting needle bar. Slides of the slide needles are attached to a slide bar which is disposed over the knitting needle bar. With their to and fro motion, the needles can work out crocheting patterns with the yarns fed through a guide.
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