CROCHETS
A Little History of Crochet
Little is known of Crochet’s early history. It seems likely that the earliest crochet was made
using fingers rather than the hooks Used today. There are theories that crochet could have existed
as early as 1500 BC. Some believe that it originated in Arabia and spread eastward
to Tibet and then westward to Spain . Finally following the Arab trade routes to other
Mediterranean countries. It is thought to have originated in South America, where a primitive
tribe used crochet adornments in puberty rites. Another alternative stems from the fact that in
China, early examples were known of dolls worked in crochet.
Crochet began to emerge in Europe in the early 1800, boosted by Mlle Riego de la Branchardiere,
well known for her ability to take needle and bobbin lace designs and turn them into crochet patterns
that could be duplicated. She published numerous patterns and also claimed to have invented lace-like crochet,
today called Irish crochet.
Hooks ranged from primitive bent needles in a cork handle, used by poor Irish lace
workers, to expensively crafted silver, brass, steel, ivory and bone hooks set into a variety
of handles, some of which were better designed to show off a lady's hands than they were to
work with thread. By the early 1840s, instructions for crochet were being published in England,
particularly by Eleanor Riego de la Branchardiere and Frances Lambert. These early patterns
called for cotton and linen thread for lace, and wool yarn for clothing, often in vivid color combinations.