Hooked on the Hook by Cindy Regnier

 Anybody here a crocheter? One evening not long ago as I was busily wielding my crochet hook, hubby suggested that the history of crochet might make an interesting blog. But, alas, come to find out, no one really knows who invented crochet or for what purpose. One source suggested it may have something to do with ancient fisherman hooking strings together to make their nets. Sounds plausible to me since the word ‘crochet’ is a French word for hook. Let’s see what we do know.

Crochet today has a much different meaning than it might have in more historical times, but most agree that the type of crochet we think of today can be traced back to the 15th - 17th century. Many cultures claim crochet in their history including: France, South Africa, England, Italy, Arabia, and China. Some believe crochet began in the Middle East and quickly spread to Spain through trade routes. Archeologists find little or no evidence to back up this claim as the natural fibers used would have degraded over time. However, there are some needlework techniques still practiced in recent times believed to be precursors to crochet, such as Shepherd’s knitting and Tambour embroidery, arts using a slip stitch as their basic form. 

 What was once necessity to create nets to fish, animal trappings or clothes, has become an intricate art form over the past many years. Many sources claim that crochet was used as far back as the 1500s in Italy under the name of 'nun's work' or 'nun's lace,' Apparently nuns made these items for church textiles such as altar cloths. But crochet has gained most of its notoriety as an art form in the last 200 years.

When we think of crocheters in the 1800s we tend to think about ladies making doilies and lace for decorative purposes. Both of these types of thread crochet were very popular during this era. The earliest known crochet patterns were printed in 1824. These patterns were for reticules, usually ornate ones for well-to-do ladies to carry. 

 

In 1844 the process of mercerization was invented. This allowed manufacturers to strengthen cotton fibers in order to make them more durable. By the mid 1800s crochet lace had become quite popular, often referred to as Spanish needle lace. Irish crochet also became popular and Irish women used it as an extra source of income during the Great Irish Famine. In the 1850s and 60s industrialization brought about the advent of affordable crochet hooks and commercially processed thread and yarn. The early 1900s saw crochet becoming more detailed and textured. Post World War II brought about a resurgence in home crafts and crochet was one of the most popular.

So there you have it. Today crochet is so much more than ladies making doilies and dresser cloths. What about you? Do you crochet or know someone who does? What do we crochet in today’s world that our great-great grandmothers had never heard of? I’ll go first. I recently saw where a woman had created a crocheted wasp nest to hang under the eaves on her porch to discourage other wasps from building a nest there. Pretty clever!?

 Scribbling in notebooks has been a habit of Cindy Regnier since she was old enough to hold a pencil. Born and raised in Kansas, she writes stories of historical Kansas, especially the Flint Hills area where she spent much of her childhood. Her experiences with the Flint Hills setting, her natural love for history, farming and animals, along with her interest in genealogical research give her the background and passion to write heart-fluttering historical romance.