The origin of crochet is actually quite vague in comparison with other forms of handwork crafts. "According to American crochet expert and world traveler Annie Potter, "The modem art of true crochet as we know it today was developed during the 16th century. It became known as 'crochet lace' in France and 'chain lace' in England." And, she tells us, in 1916 Walter Edmund Roth visited descendants of the Guiana Indians and found examples of true crochet." Crochet has been interlaced in the histories of many cultures, such as Ireland, where the art of crochet kept people from extreme poverty and starvation during the great famine from 1845-1850.
There are many distinguishing factors between the handmade arts, but the common denominator between crocheting, knitting, lace-making, knotting, braiding, and weaving are the use of needles/pointed objects and the fluid motions of the hands. The range of materials is vast--anything from "hair, grasses, reeds, animal fur and sinew, hemp, flax, wool, gold and silver and copper strands, silk, white cotton thread, wool yarns (soft zephyr yam, lustre yarn, double cable yarn, carpet yarn), cotton yarn (anchor and estramadura), silk thread (cordonnet and floss), linen thread, hemp thread, mohair, chenille, novelty mixtures, metal thread and string."
There are many different types or stitches of crochet that will create different patterns, thicknesses, and densities...
My relationship with crochet started as a quarantine hobby. I have always been someone who enjoys working with their hands, so this was a good mindless activity that passed the time. However, it has truly become more than just a quarantine hobby--It is something I do every day to take a break from screens, to calm/ground myself, and it has also sparked within me a very serious interest in textiles. Here are some photos of things that I have created so far (scroll down a bit:$).
Going forward, I definitely want to incorporate more textiles and hand-knit/crocheted things into my design practice. I use pinterest, Are.na, and TikTok constantly and I have compiled an extensive list of inspiration that I hope to delve into in the neear future.
