1. An author who attempted to follow the history of crochet came to the conclusion that there is no actual evidence to show the existence of crocheting prior to the nineteenth century.  Knitting, she said, came before crocheting by at least four centuries. 

    Why crochet did not turn up until the 19th century could be  explained by the fact that people at the time favored more frugal fabric-creating methods. 

    Crochet uses an tremendous amount of yarn to develop pieces of material which were much more economically made by the ancient methods of netting, sprang, nalbinding or knitwork.

    It was while Ireland was developing its lace industry that the US adopted crocheting.  It shortly became a household activity that was enjoyed by many American colonists. 

    While sewing was considered a routine, crochet was amusement.  When America went to Second World War in 1941, there was no such thing as time and invention for fashion, so the thought was to make it “short and sweet.”  Crochet was thus saved for special things like a touch of lace, a scarf or a friendly. 

    When the war ceased, crochet was back in the spotlight and women turned it into a pasttime to produce luxuries they wanted:  tablecloths, edgings for pillowcases, handkerchiefs and towels into something more challenging and untraditional.  All suddenly, all sorts of finished fabrics were arriving at the scene, manifestations of the innovation fever that characterized the affluent period that the US was going through.  Since this time, 21st century crochet features a different face, afresh flavor.  Modern types of hooks were born, and threads multiplied in variety.

     

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