Crochet Away!

Many forms of handwork have been popular all around the world and throughout history. Knitting, embroidery and weaving have been useful to people all around the world as a means to produce clothes to wear or sell. Crocheting as we know it today was known during the 16th century as “crochet lace” in France, or else “chain lace” in England. The true origins of crochet can be traced back to Arabia where along the silk road it was able to spread to Tibet and Spain. It has also been traced in the works of the Chinese and South America. The history is not super specific and does not provide accurate depictions of when exactly it was discovered nor where. The most we can decipher is that it was an ancient practice that has been used for ages.

In the past many materials have been used: grasses, reeds and animal furs were all fair game in the skill that took many forms throughout the world. Today the common material we use is yarn. Like the yarn, the hooks were initially not how they look today. While today we have at our disposable a variety of plastic and metal ones in many different sizes. Many techniques have followed the same pattern of evolution to adjust to what people needed to make. The skill in of itself has also changed to be able to make more than just clothes but as well expand to a wider variety of plausible projects. Today, there are thousands of projects that can be scoured through youtube and many books that provide the opportunities to learn the skill.[huge_it_gallery id=”1″]

Covid has been rampant in taking the society with a chokehold in recent years. People have turned to exercising, reading and even a healthy shot of netflix to calm their anxieties and find a pastime that suits them.  One that has become popular is crocheting. It was increasingly common on the social media platform of Tiktok. People were able to use their time to crochet stuffed animals or sweaters. However it takes more than just the desire to create to learn the skill. It requires focus and plenty of practicing before people can use it as a means to relieve stress.

There are a few basics that need to be mastered. To begin practicing those a few basic tools are important as well.

1. 1. Choosing a yarn with a light colour that enables you to see your stitches is important.
   2. Make sure to note the yarn size on your yarn, because you want to match your crochet hook to your yarn size. This will make it easier to work with the tools.
   3. Master the basic chain. The basic chain makes up the beginning and basis for many of the patterns that you will want to make. Practicing it over and over again is important until you get the hang of the basic stitch.
   4. Start a project. The most important thing is to attempt an easy to do project to really put your skills to use. Following a simple project using the easy to follow youtube videos. This will take a few tries but to begin your exploration of the crocheting world, you must dive in head first.
   5. Keep Practicing. Though the stitches may come and go and though the projects are challenging if you are new to yarn work, it is rewarding to complete a project. Making mistakes is all a part of the process of learning a new skill.

I don’t consider myself as very adept at knitting, or else pursuing the art of making clothes. However, I came across many posts on Tiktok about crocheting. People making projects on road trips or on the go and the idea of it appealed to me over the summer when I was excited to try something new with a lack of something more to focus on. I asked my mom and I was surprised to find out that crocheting wasn’t some new concept for her. She explained that as kids they learned it from my grandmother and would crochet pillow cases and hats and mitts, even flowers that they used as decor. It only seemed right that I give crocheting a try too. As I started researching more about the art of crocheting, I was enlightened but not surprised to find that crochet was hardly a traceable practice. It has been used many times over the course of history and in many cultures as a means for people to make clothes and materials for domestic use.

To learn more about crocheting:

The History of Crochet: https://www.crochet.org/page/CrochetHistory

Tiktok:  @crochettutorials1

Learning to Crochet:                                https://www.crochet.com/learning-center/learn-to-crochet