So I was reading an article about crochet the other day and came across the fact that crochet is the French word for "little hook". And it got me thinking-- there's probably a lot I really don't know about crochet even though I've been doing it so long. So I started doing a little research, and really became intrigued with the history of crochet.
Which leads me to this post. I thought it'd be super fun to compile all the fun crochet facts I found on my little research adventure (which actually brought me back to research paper writing in high school).
And who knows, maybe I'm the only one who finds this super compelling and no one cares. ha!
Crochet saved lives
According to crochet.org, crochet was a virtual lifesaver during the potato famine in Ireland. Many Irish relied on earnings from the crochet pieces they created. There were even schools formed to teach crochet to the people there so they could save up the money necessary to emigrate to America.
Crochet hook/hair dye caps still exist
This is kind of random. But I thought it was funny that the crochet hook and hair cap set is still being sold. I remember sitting in my old kitchen in middle school as my mom yanked hair through that cap with a hook so I could get some super sweet highlights. ha!
The earliest crochet patterns were printed in 1824!
19th century crochet hooks looked kinda funny
The funny looking hook on the left is called a "shepherd's hook". It was used for slip stitch crochet, as the tapered part of the hook wouldn't allow for multiple loops to be worked on it for other stitches. It was also common for people to make them out of broken forks or spoons. (wikipedia)
Many people crochet for a good cause
There's a non-profit company called Knots of Love, who has donated over 339, 399 hats to those who are going through chemo. They also donate blankets to provide warmth for babies born prematurely.
Someone created a crochet locker room
Okay, so it's crochet andknit. But still, that's amazing. Nathan Vincent is the designer behind the creation. He's created lots of other cool pieces. You can find more of his work on his website.
There's such a thing as crochet boobs
Yep, crocheted boobs. There's been recent hype over Knitted Knockers, a charity that provides special handmade breast prosthesis for women who have undergone mastectomies or other procedures to the breast. Supposedly lactation consultants use them to help teach new mothers how to breastfeed. There's a free pattern for crochet boobs you can find here.
Corner to corner is an awesome new crochet technique
I'm not entirely sure who invented corner to corner crochet, but hats off to them, because it's an amazing way to crochet blankets. It also works up images great. Corner to corner, also known as c2c, is worked diagonally, as you create "pixels" with clusters of stitches. If you haven't heard of c2c, check out this video on how it's done.
Someone created a crochet voodoo doll of Donald Trump
I just thought this was humorous. This is the world we live in... Pattern is here.
The largest ever crochet blanket measures about 120,000 square feet
The Guinness World Record for largest crochet blanket is held by Subashri Natarajan, of India. She had the help of over 1,000 people to combine hundreds of 40x40 inch sections to create the massive piece. After the record was confirmed, much of the piece was donated to charities.
Yarn bombing day this year is June 11
Yarn bombing (which is basically yarn graffiti)is a fun and expressive was for knitters and crocheters to display their work in public places. You can read more about yarn bombing here.
Well, there's my list of interesting crochet facts. I hope you learned something new about the oh so awesome hobby. :)
-Meg
