Spinning the Yarn: Early Forms of Crochet
Irish Crochet
Irish Crochet is both one of the earliest crafts directly known as crochet, and one of the more political forms of crochet. It originated in the mid-19th century as an imitation of Venetian lacework, both faster and easier to reproduce. It existed prior to the Irish Potato Famine, but the era of the Potato Famine is when it is most well-documented. There was an implicit class divide present in the production and subsequent use of Irish Crochet that makes the craft cultural in more than one way.
This lace was typically produced using linen fibers and is commonly understood to be series of floral or similar motifs joined by crochet mesh or bars. The earliest patterns are found in a book published by Mademoiselle Riego de la Blanchardiere in 1846.
Irish Crochet was often worn and was indeed popularized by Queen Victoria, who both wore crochet pieces and practiced the craft herself. This caused a shift in perspective on crochet, which was at the time seen as middle-class.
Tunisian Crochet
Tunisian Crochet is one of the odder styles of crochet. Both in look and while working, it looks something like knitting done with a single hook rather than two needles, but nothing like knitting at the same time. There is very little evidence that this craft originated in Tunisia, but this is the most popular name for the style also known as Afghan crochet, hook knitting, tricot crochet, or any number of other names. Like Irish crochet, it was practiced in the mid-19th century, and popularity of this style waned in the 1930s, until a recent revival of the craft.
It is made using crochet hooks with a much longer working shaft and a stopper on the end or artificially extended using plastic tubing when needed. It takes two rows of working stitches to finish one row of actual stitches - known as picking up and casting off.