Have you ever wondered who invented crochet, when was crochet invented, or where was crochet invented? Today we’ll be exploring these questions and more in this post. This is one history lesson you don’t want to miss!
Who Invented Crochet
Crochet is one of the most popular fiber arts in the world today, but many people are surprised to learn that its origins are still debated. While no single person is officially credited with inventing crochet, historians believe the craft developed from earlier needlework techniques in Europe during the 1800s. Understanding the history of crochet helps us appreciate how this creative craft evolved and spread around the world.
Where Did Crochet Originate
While no single country can definitively claim to have invented crochet, historians believe the craft likely developed in Europe during the early 1800s. Earlier needlework techniques such as tambour embroidery, which used a hooked tool to pull thread through fabric, may have influenced the development of crochet. As the technique evolved, crochet quickly spread throughout Europe and later around the world.
Where Was Crochet Invented?
Once believe to be a historically European craft, researchers suggest other possibilities of origin are even older. Such as Egypt civilization & ancient China.
Old crochet pieces & proof of their past existence are hard to come by. Unfortunately, not a single piece of crochet fabric created before the 19th century has been saved.
But that doesn’t mean the isn’t any evidence, because I found a whole lot!
Crochet has a long history, with similar techniques being discovered in Israel as early as 6500 BC. Similar forms of this type of stitch can also be traced back to the Middle Ages when it was used for a wide variety of purposes such as clothing decoration, religious items, and military uniforms.
Who Invented Crochet? The Interesting History of Crochet – Full Video
If you want to skip the reading, watch the video instead! You’ll learn all about who invented crochet and see more ancient crochet-related pictures & techniques.
When Was Crochet Invented? It Started With Nalbinding
Let’s start at the beginning with the oldest crochet stitch. The oldest form is the slip-stitch, but that’s the term we use today.
According to interweave.com, It was known as “shepherd’s knitting” in the British Isles and pjoining in Denmark. But we are looking at the grandmother of old stitching, nalbinding.
Nalbinding is much older than crochet or knitting. The oldest known piece dates back to 6500 BC. It was found in the Nahal Hemar Cave.
But Nalbinding differs from traditional crochet. According to Interweave, the creator makes a loop with thread or yarn and pulls another loop through it. This technique uses small lengths of string.
The tool used is a small hook with an eye, made of bone, wood, or animal horn. The hooks were flat, with sharp points and a widening handle.
Early evidence of Nalbinding was found in Tybrind Vig, a Mesolithic fishing village in Denmark dating back to 4200 BC. One of the rarest & oldest surviving pieces using this technique are these Egyptian socks, with a divided toe, from the 200 or 300 AD. These are held at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London.
Not to leave out any countries, we know that there is evidence that slip-stitching was done by a hook in Scotland, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Estonia, Romania, and the Balkans.
550 B.C. The evolution of the stitch
The slip-stitch is an obvious descendant of nalbinding, Yet, slip-stitch crochet is not what we think of when we crochet today.
Modern-day crochet builds angles, patterns & decorative designs. To achieve that, crochet had to transform. It needed bigger stitches. What sparked these changes?
Tapestry crochet is a technique for painting imagery with stitches. This colorwork called for the development of a taller stitch. Instead of a stitch consisting of a single loop, a taller, square-shaped stitch—the single crochet stitch—was created.
The square grids assisted in the embroidery design. Tapestry crochet had a broad global reach and appeal. It developed in many places where slip-stitch crochet was done and then spread beyond those regions.
Historians theorize that this beautiful tapestry crochet possibly developed in Arabia, and it spread eastward to Tibet and westward to Spain, following the Arab trade routes and immigrating into other Mediterranean countries. These routes were used between 300 A.D. to 1453
In these areas, Rashti Duz, which literally means, Rashti-style crochet, was a hugely popular fabric of the time. Popular doesn’t mean easier to make.
In Iran, Rashti Duzi is a form of traditional sewing and crocheting of Rasht. It is one of the most beautiful, intricate works of art, that’s rooted in their cultural background
Some historians believe Rashti Duzi the ancestor of crochet began between 550 -33 BC. Using a crafted hook and brightly colored silk yarn on a woven fabric
Textile exports from Iran in the 400 AD were popular all over Europe – so much so that European kings and elders would use them to cover the graves of iconic historical figures. The Hermitage Museum in Russia houses an exquisite piece of Sassanid fabric decorated with crocheting work.
Who Invented Crochet? Was It Someone in Egypt?
Let’s look at some pictures that closer resembles crochet.
The photo below shows a ripple design that, at first look, resembles an old-fashioned crochet chevron afghan. The Benaki Museum in Athens, Greece houses this rare object which was initially mistaken for a popular crochet design.
However, it does have the same pattern as that classic crochet pattern. Don’t be fooled, this piece of thread-work came from an Egyptian tomb. It was made between 900 and 1100 A.D.
But it’s called thread-work by the curators. These stitches look exactly like double crochet stitches! This ancient handmade piece uses advanced techniques to create a chevron pattern.
According to Talking Crochet, “Although this Egyptian sample lies mutely in a museum, it speaks to us across the generations. Most convincingly, the piece isn’t a simple or crude pattern of chain stitches alone — a technique thought to have been invented sometime during the 1600s. It is an advanced style, showing a definite pattern and skilled technique.”
The experts know some sort of tool would be required for something like this, due to the uniform intricate stitches. In my heart, I know a hook definitely made these stitches
1500s, Early Techniques That Influenced Crochet
Traces of crochet can also be found in Asia. One of the earliest types of crochet-ish dolls was found in China during the Shang Dynasty, dating back to the 16th century.
In China, it was an early example of 3D characters made from a kind of needlework. You may recognize the name, It was called amigurumi in Japan and became popular.
1600s Europe
After Developing in China, Turkey, India, Persia, and North Africa, it finally reached Europe in the 1600s and was referred to as “tambouring,” from the French “tambour” or drum. Which is embroidery made on a taunt stretch-out fabric.
American crochet expert and world traveler Annie Potter says, “The modem art of true crochet as we know it today was developed during the 1500s. It became known as ‘crochet lace’ in France and ‘chain lace’ in England.”
In Italy, it was called ‘nun’s work’ or ‘nun’s lace.’ As nuns first started to work on it, it was called church textiles. Apparently, they were able to create crochet stitches in order to represent religious icons, crosses, and more.
According to Crochet Guild Of America, At the end of the 18th century, tambour evolved into what the French called “crochet in the air,” when the background fabric was discarded and the stitch worked on its own.
When Did Crochet Become Popular? 1800s
Crochet began gaining widespread attention in the early nineteenth century as patterns started appearing in magazines and books. As more publications began sharing crochet instructions, the craft quickly spread across Europe and became popular for creating lace, garments, and decorative household items.
The earliest published crochet pattern was printed in 1823 by a Dutch magazine called Penélopé.
Mademoiselle Riego de la Branchardiere is generally credited with the invention of Irish Crochet, publishing the first book of patterns in 1846. Her work helped popularize crochet lace patterns and made the craft more accessible to people across Europe.
Irish Crochet and the Great Famine
Little did they know at the time who Irish crochet would aid in the Potato famine relief.
During the Potato Famine(1845-1850), poverty-stricken Irish men women & children would sell “Irish Crochet” to make ends meet. Teachers were even trained and sent across Ireland to teach this craft.
Little did people know at the time how important Irish crochet would become during the Irish Potato Famine.
During the Great Famine (1845–1850), poverty-stricken Irish men, women, and children began producing Irish crochet lace to help support their families. Handmade crochet lace became a valuable item that could be sold to wealthier buyers in Europe and beyond.
Teachers were even trained and sent throughout Ireland to teach the craft. In some cases, people had to improvise tools. Historical accounts describe crocheters using stiff wire inserted into cork or pieces of tree bark, with the end filed down and bent into a small hook to create fine Irish crochet lace.
When many Irish families later immigrated to the Americas, they brought their crochet skills with them. This helped spread crochet techniques to new countries and played a role in the craft’s growing popularity around the world.
Read all about the modern history of crochet from the 1900s to the present in part 2 of this post: The History of Crochet Until Today.
So Who Invented Crochet?
The amazing art of crochet has been around for so long and it has evolved so much since its inception. It’s been over 8000 years since the first known example of crochet from 6500 BC.
The inventor of the fabulous yarn craft that we know and love today has long since been lost to history but their legacy lives on in every stitch we make!
FAQ About the History of Crochet
Who invented crochet?
No single person is officially credited with inventing crochet. Historians believe crochet evolved from earlier needlework techniques such as tambour embroidery and shepherd’s knitting before becoming a distinct craft in Europe during the early 1800s.
When was crochet invented?
Crochet began appearing in publications during the early nineteenth century. One of the earliest known printed crochet patterns was published in 1823 in the Dutch magazine Penélopé.
Where did crochet originate?
The exact origin of crochet is uncertain. Many historians believe it developed in Europe during the early 1800s, possibly evolving from tambour embroidery and other hooked needle techniques used in decorative needlework.
Is crochet older than knitting?
No, knitting is much older than crochet. Knitted fabrics date back to the Middle Ages, while crochet became widely recognized as a craft in the nineteenth century.
How did crochet become popular?
Crochet became popular in the 1800s when patterns began appearing in magazines and books. Irish crochet lace also played an important role in spreading the craft during the Irish Potato Famine, when handmade lace was produced and sold to support struggling families.
If you enjoyed the history of crochet, then make sure you check out Part 2, The History of Crochet Today
Happy Crocheting!
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