Crochet is considered as one of the contemporary crafts where a fabric made by coiling different kinds of threads like woolen yarns, mohair, fibers, leather thonging and metallic wire in various textures. Crochet is one of the art which is simple and versatile in form. A fabric product made out of crochet art comes in many forms like splendid throws, an elegant wrap, a cozy scarfs, shawls, pillow cover, table mats, bedspreads, toys, fancy bags, purses and many more. It has also been an enormous part of elegant jewelry and fashionable clothing. Like lace dresses, lace camisole, tops, altars lace edging for cloths and many more. Apart from crochet we have many forms of making a fabric were it is required to have many machineries and human resources unlike in this craft. It takes only one person to make a crochet with just one hook and one bundle of yarn to make this beautiful craft.
This craft emerged into the domain around 16th to 19th century with a different form and technique called nalebinding which consisted a needle sewing which is now replaced to hook. It is said that crochet a form of knitting which is followed by the farmworkers in Scotland, with a small hooked needle called a shepherd’s hook. Crochet is a French term derived from the name of an instrument that is in crooked shape like a hook from which the work is done. The crochet hook differs for every different yarns and threads. Crochet has two ways to work with one is in round form and other one is in rows. It has many forms of stitching and designing. Single crochet stitch, double crochet stitch, treble crochet stitch and many more fall under the crochet forms by increasing the number of stitches in post chains. Crochet is very different from knitting, in knitting the artisan uses two needles and work over with a bunch of open stitches whereas in crochet only one hook is used and only one open live stitch is worked upon at a time.
Crochet has been followed by many people like a hobby. Crocheting is one of the best forms to make use of the leisure time. This craft is largely followed by women who tend to enhance everything around. Most of the time we see young women crocheting or knitting socks, sweaters and other clothes for their children. Crochet has now expanded to rehabilitated styles of different places and culture like Portuguese crochet table, Irish crochet lace and many more. This craft hobby sometimes turns out to become a repetition for generations.
Likewise an artisan Ms. Alpa Vyas from Ahmedabad, Gujarat follows her mother’s footsteps towards this craft. Crocheting has become her passion and she creates her own designs on the product. She has been making these pretty bags of various designs, fancy mobile pouches, grand blouses and many more from past twenty years. She works on her own ideologies. She works with silk and cotton yarns. She takes active part in government exhibitions and is happy with the appreciation, support of the government.
