The sole mention of lace crochet makes my heart skip a beat. As a sworn lover, I find it wondrous and beautiful to look at and wear, with intricate, versatile and fragile designs that breathe out a notion of the past.
There are two theories about its origin: it originated in Arabia, spread eastward to Tibet and westward to Spain, from where it followed the Arab trade routes to other Mediterranean countries, and the second is that it comes South America, where a primitive tribe was said to have used crochet adornments in rites of puberty.
It appeared in Europe in the 1700s, in the hands of Ursuline nuns who had learned the technique in France, where it had developed as a shortcut for making Venetian point needle lace. More about the history of crochet .
The most famous and prominent type of lace crochet is Irish crochet. Irish Crochet Lace was traditionally made with a very fine steel crochet hook and fine crochet linen thread, though modern Irish Crochet lace is made with mercerized thread. More on Irish crochet .
I have used lace crochet for many of my jewelries, accessories and my halter tops, and now I am on a mission to start making more elaborate garments.
The two pictures show my use of lace crochet. The tablecloth is a dear heirloom. My grandma made it for me – she actually made two of these with different designs and this one is simpler in appearance, with a plain surface and enriched border. This type of crochet is called – something she was immensely masterful at.
What type of crochet are you most attracted to?
