CROCHET FABRIC INFORMATION

CROCHET FABRIC INFORMATION
Crochet, from the French word croche, meaning
"hook", is the process of creating fabric from
yarns or threads using a crochet hook. Similar to
knitting, although in crochet only one loop of yarn
is "active" at a time, crochet has evolved into a
very popular process for creating lace, doilies,
heirlooms and home decor items.
Crochet is believed to have been developed in
Europe in the early 1800's, although some
historians believe that earlier forms of crochet
existed yet did not use a physical hook, using a
bent finger in its place. It is speculated that major
textile manufacturing inventions such as the
cotton gin and spinning jenny, which allowed far
more cotton threads to be produced at lower
prices, aided the development of the crochet
process. As cotton is well suited to crochet, and
crochet uses more thread than similar weaving
techniques, these inventions made crochet more
economically viable. By the mid-1800's, crochet
was an established form of fabric and lace
creation throughout Europe and America.
The process of crochet is relative simple: a slip-
knot loop is place on the crochet hook, through
which another loop is pulled through, and
repeated until the desired length is reached. The
resulting chain can be further enhanced by
working down the rows or by creating a rounded
design. One key aspect of crochet is that at any
point in time, there is only on loop, or live stitch,
on the hook. This is different from knitting, which
uses two needles and keeps an entire row of
stitches active. One benefit of crochet over
knitting is that if a crochet stitch unravels, the
neighboring stitches are secure and intact, while
knitted stitches could come apart and threaten
the entire cloth. Crochet can produce more
elaborate and distinct designs than knitting, but
crochet must be done by hand: there is no
mechanical equivalent. Crochet requires only one
piece of hardware: the crochet hook. The hook
can vary in size and material, with the most
modern hooks made of aluminum, plastic or
wood. Traditional crochet hooks were made of a
wide variety of materials, including bone, ivory
and steel, and were sometimes adorned with
semi-precious stones.
Fabrics produced by crochet are mostly limited to
home decor and heirloom pieces, but can also be
found in bright, colorful designs used for blankets,
shirts and accessories. Crochet fabrics have
retained their popularity, although they have
transitioned from a much needed source of
income for Europe's poor to predominantly a
creative hobby. After World War II, there was a
significant resurgence in crochet, which occurred
again in the 1960's and the early 21st century.
Handmade lace, doilies, tablecloths and baby
items never seem to lose popularity, and the low
cost of crochet coupled with its use as a creative
outlet has established the process as a
permanent fixture of textile production.