The word crochet is derived from the old French crochet. It is used in 17th century French lace-making, where the term crochetage designated a stitch use to join separete pieces of lace.You and I call it crochet, and so do the French, Belgians, Italians and Spanish-speaking people. The skill is known as haken in Holland, haekling in Denmark,hekling in Norway and virkning in Sweden.
Other forms of handwork - knitting, embroidery and weaving - can be dated far back in time, thanks to archeological finds, written sources and pictorial representations of various kinds. But no one is quite sure when and where crochet got its start. The word comes from croc, orcroche, the Middle French word for hook, and the Old Norse word for hook is krokr.
According to American crochet expert and world traveler Annie Potter, "The modem art of true crochet as we know it today was developed during the 16th century. It became known as 'crochet lace' in France and 'chain lace' in England." And, she tells us, in 1916 Walter Edmund Roth visited descendants of the Guiana Indians and found examples of true crochet.
2.1920S AND 30S:
The twenties and thirties saw crochet make the move from a decorative embellishment to a method for producing entire garments. This classic cloche hat and stunning evening gown both echo popular designs of the era.
1920's Cloche Hat and 1930s Evening Gown
The twenties and thirties saw crochet make the move from a decorative embellishment to a method for producing entire garments. This classic cloche hat and stunning evening gown both echo popular designs of the era.
3.1940S AND WARTIME:
Crochet became part of the wartime effort in both Britain and the US – women on the home front could contribute to the war effort by hooking up items for the troops. In the spirit of austerity, crochet was also a great way of jazzing up existing outfits, in keeping with the 'make do and mend' attitude of the time.
4.1950s:
After the war, things were back on track – crochet evolved with the fashions of the day as you can see from these classic fifties shapes -including the ever-so chic wedding dress on the left.
5.1960s and 70s:
The sixties was the decade where the crochet boom really began. Alongside the swinging fashions of the age, there was a huge trend for crocheted homeware.
The 'granny square' also came into vogue. A simple design, this could be used to make a huge variety of clothes and accessories. There really was something for everyone – even Clint Eastwood got in on the trend.
6. Crochet today:
It's never really gone away, but today crochet is having a bit of a renaissance.  From Dior to Dolce & Gabbana, it's a regular feature on the catwalk – recognise that granny square? – and this season it's all over the high-street. What better time to give it a go for yourself?