Since I’m restarting my blog after three years removed from the crafting world, I thought it would be fun to take it back to where it all began: when did crochet start, and what are some of its amazing history facts? History is not a favorite subject of mine, but I am really excited to share a bit of history about this craft we all love. This post covers a brief history of crochet, some interesting world records, and celebrities that crochet.
Please note that the facts below come from other sources and are listed at the end of this post. Visit these sites for even more information! Featured photo above is from the Guiness Book of World Records
A Brief History
It turns out that crochet is actually a very recent art- the first recorded patterns are from the early 1800s, although most historians believe that crochet was practiced long before this.
Before patterns were written, special stitches were “swatched” (basically a small sample size such as when determining gauge) and then saved in the home. These little swatch books were filled by other family members and passed down from generation to generation. There are actually some nunneries in Spain that still have these swatch books!
However, crochet did not become mainstream until the late 19th century in Europe. It became even more popular in the 1960s and 70s, as crochet became a form of expression. This is around the time that abstract art and fun 3D sculptures started to appear.
There are Crochet World Records!
Although crochet has not been widely practiced until recently, there are multiple world records! This is pretty incredible. I have highlighted just 5 of several crochet world records.
- Largest Crochet Hook: 9 feet, 1 inch. (this link shows a photo and more detail)
- Longest Crocheted Scarf: 97, 725 feet long! (link to Guiness record and photo here)
- Longest Crochet Chain: 80.78 miles (seriously, how did they stretch it out and measure it? Did it fill up the room of a house? Link here)
- Largest Display of Crochet Sculptures: 58, 917. (this was also the group that held the first record for the world’s larget crocheted blanket. Link here)
- Largest Crocheted Blanket in 2016: This blanket covered an entire soccer field. See it here.
A Few Famous People That Crochet
- Kurt Cobain
- Madonna
- Aretha Franklin
- Eva Longoria
- Debra Messing
- Jane Seymour
- Meryl Streep
- Katy Perry
- Vanna White
- Julia Roberts
Do you know any facts about crocheting? Please comment and share it with me! I hope that you found this small summary of the history of crochet interesting, and maybe even learned something new!
References: Visit These Links for More Information!
http://nattypatcrochet.com/blog/5-mind-boggling-crochet-world-records
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