Get Hooked on Crochet – Spring into action with alpaca wool!
Do you like knitting? How about crochet? If you're looking to make beautiful garments and accessories from our lovely, soft, warm alpaca wool, crocheting is just as fascinating as knitting, with the same much potential. Here's a potted history of crochet to inspire you.
What is crochet?
Crochet is a means of making complicated fabrics using interlocking loops of yarn and a crochet hook. It comes from the French word crochet, a small hook, which in turn comes from the German word for hook, croc. It differs from knotting in that every stitch is finished before moving on to the next one, while knitting involves keeping a long string of stitches open until the garment or other item is finished.
When was crochet invented?
The Dutch women's magazine Penélopé mentioned crochet in 1823, also featuring a colour illustration of three silk thread purses made using it. One was made using the very simplest open crochet, merely a mesh of chain-stitches. The second alternates chain stitch with long slip-stitch, and the third is made entirely from double-crochet.
In the UK garments made from crocheted cloth – often called Shepherd's Knitting – were mentioned in the memoirs of a Highland Lady, a book written by Elizabeth Grant in around 1812 but not published until 1898. The 1840s saw a flurry of books published on the subject, one of which mentions that crochet was originally a Scottish craft, practised by the peasants in Scotland and says, "This art has attained its highest degree of perfection in England, whence it has been transplanted to France and Germany, and both countries, although unjustifiably, have claimed the invention."
The end of the Victorian era saw trendy Edwardians adopting crochet as their own, and between 1910 and 1920 it was incredibly popular, becoming more elaborate and complex in response. It was popular through the WW2 years, when making do and mending was the done thing, and again in the 1970s, when super-skinny models wore super-short dresses and tabards made from colourful crochet squares. And now, in 2018, it is fast becoming a trending topic again thanks to a resurgence in handicrafts and DIY, along with today's strong trend for recycling and up-cycling.
Who designs with Crochet today
The British design team Body Map has used crochet to explore the appeal of 'home made' inspired clothing. Irish designer Lainey Keogh uses crochet widely in her wonderful work. Vivienne Westwood is a big crochet fan and Jean Paul Gaultier has combined knitting and crochet to subvert fashion. Helen Rodel, Celia B, Katie Jones Knit, Anna Kosturov, Dolce and Gabbana, and John and Simone Rocha all use crochet in their couture collections.
7 basic crochet stitches to learn
There are seven basic kinds of crochet stitch apart from your initial foundation chain, which is how every piece of crochet starts life
- Chain stitch
- Slip stitch
- Double crochet
- Half treble
- Treble
- Double treble
- Triple treble
You can also do longer basic stitches, called Quadruple Treble, Quintuple Treble, Sextuple Treble and so on, created by winding your yarn multiple times over the hook at the start then wrapping / drawing through two loops several times to finish complete the stitch.
There are some advanced stitches too, many of which are made using combinations of basic stitches, or by inserting your hook in unusual places. Once you've mastered the basics you can move on to exciting things like shell stitch, V stitch, spike, Afghan, butterfly, popcorn, cluster and crocodile stitches.
Things to make using crocheting
You can crochet with really fine silk thread if you like, for a stunning delicate result, or go big and use really chunky wool, even string, twine, rope, unravelled winter woollies, even strips of thin fabric knotted together. And crochet can be used to create a huge range of lovely things, including:
- Beautiful hats and scarves
- Thick, warm throws for beds and settees
- Gloriously colourful winter coats and jackets, lined for extra warmth
- Dresses, skirts and jumpers
- Blankets
- Headbands and leg warmers
- A cup holder to keep your coffee cosy
- A case for your smartphone or spectacles
- Baby blankets
- Cushion covers for settees
- Pet beds
5 easy places to get crochet inspiration
Here are some links to great places stuffed solid with excellent crochet ideas.
20 quick, easy and beautiful things to crochet
45 fun and easy crochet projects for teens
100 free crochet patterns for beginners
Easy free crochet patterns for beginners
Have you seen our lovely art deco Brittany Birch crochet hooks- why not treat yourself. If you are just learning you can use any wool or yarn from your stash to practice with. However once you have mastered it wouldn't it be lovely to tackle your fist project using our lovely Chilla Valley Alpaca or one of our other luxury yarns from the range.
