Not Your Nana's Crochet
Words by Lucy Forrestal (she/her)
Crochet might make you think of tea cosies, lace doilies, or a scratchy granny square blanket your grandma made for you as a kid. But when I think of crochet, I’m picturing crochet bikinis, groovy sweaters, cute tops, and that Harry Styles bucket hat. I’m talking about creating fibre art and iconic fashion pieces with a hook and some yarn.
My great nana Olga May was a crochet queen. She passed away when I was a baby, so I never got to spend much time with her. But I am very lucky to have one of her blankets and some other crochet pieces. Olga’s crochet genes skipped a couple of generations so I taught myself how to with the help of YouTube and social media in 2020. Since then, I’ve always had a project on the go. Crocheting is a fun stress reliever with the added bonus of having a piece of clothing to wear when you’re done.
Let me make one thing clear: crochet is not knitting. Crochet is the art of creating textiles with a single hook and some material, mostly wool, cotton, or acrylic yarn. You use this hook and yarn to make loops, which all intertwine and create whatever textiles your heart desires. Knitting uses two needles. Crocheted fabrics look vastly different to knitting when closely examined.
The origins of crochet are widely debated, with crochet-like pieces found in many ancient cultures including Asia, Europe, and South America. It also has a rich history. Crochet adornments were used in puberty rite ceremonies throughout South America in the 1500s. It became valuable income to many Irish families throughout the 1845-1850 potato famine, when the Irish population banded together to crochet intricate lace pieces to sell to buyers abroad.
The 1920s and 30s saw crochet garments rise in popularity. Crochet became a significant piece of history during World War II, when women at home crocheted things such as caps and ear protectors to send to troops. In the 60s, 70s, and 80s, crochet fashion pieces truly took off and the iconic granny square became a staple in people’s homes.
Crochet eventually began to decline in popularity throughout the 90s and 2000s. As fast fashion became popular, people were no longer creating their own clothes. For a while, no one thought Nana’s crocheted cardigans were cool anymore.
That changed during the 2020 lockdown. While many people were teaching themselves how to make sourdough bread or whipping coffee, some of us were learning how to crochet. A new wave of people quickly realised how easy it was to make their own garments that were custom fitted to their bodies, in any colour or pattern they desired. We uploaded our pieces onto Instagram and TikTok (here’s a shameless plug for my Instagram account @lucstitches). With 80s and 90s fashion making a comeback, crochet quickly rose in popularity on social media. Accounts such as @rainbowdropz_ and @made.in.the.moment grew to have over 34.1k and 35.1k followers respectively. Creators began to sell pieces, start their own small independent businesses, and earn an income.
Fast fashion retailers soon caught on to the rise in popularity of crochet pieces. They began selling crochet pieces themselves for a quarter of the price of small businesses, in some instances stealing patterns and designs from these independent creators. Additionally, the incredibly niche aspect of crochet is that there is no such thing as a crochet machine. Crochet has to be done entirely by hand due to the nature of the loops created and the use of a single hook. When you see fast fashion retailers selling crochet pieces, understand that they were entirely made by hand. There is no guarantee that the creator was paid their worth.
It is very important to support small businesses, especially when purchasing handmade garments. You know who made the piece and you are directly supporting the artist themselves. Harry Styles knows this. He purchased his iconic yellow sunflower crochet bucket hat from a small Instagram business, Rainbow Dropz Crochet (@rainbowdropz_).
Have a crack at trying to crochet yourself! It’s super simple. Once you get the hang of a few basic stitches you can create literally anything. I recommend watching YouTube tutorials from the likes of simplydaisy and Jenna Phipps. You can purchase yarn and hooks from The Warehouse or Spotlight, or support small Wellington businesses and purchase your supplies from Knit World or Made Marion. Once you have the basics down, you can purchase patterns from small businesses on Instagram, Ravelry, or make up your own!
Lucy Forrestal (@lucstitches on Instagram)