Page 330 - J. C. Turner "History and Science of Knots"

Crochet Work-History and Computer Applications 321

wear, and as "doyley's"*to decorate furniture [10, p. 8]. Patterns for chil-
dren's clothing in crochet were also common , though these were usually plain
and practical rather than decorative : `Simple crochet is well adapted to the
wants of everyday life, as it requires little skill in execution , will resist wear
and teas, and costs a comparative trifle for materials.'[2] Finally, women cro-
cheted a plethora of more or less `useful ' household objects-everything from
pillows to penwipes, bedspreads to braces (men's suspenders), `fascinators' to
imitation fur trim . It became popular to have covers, edgings, or decorations
for everything inside the house-and crochet was the easiest , cheapest way to
produce them [16].
The sometimes extravagant extent to which this hobby was exercised is
reflected in George Eliot's somewhat jaundiced view of it:
`When a man is happy enough to win the affections of a sweet girl
who can soothe his cares with crochet, and respond to all his most
cherished ideas with beaded urn-rugs and chair-covers in German
wool, he has, at least, a guarantee of domestic comfort, whatever
trials may await him out of doors. What a resource it is under
fatigue and irritation to have your drawing-room well supplied with
small mats, which would always be ready if you ever wanted to set
anything upon them ! And what styptic for a bleeding heart can
equal copious squares of crochet, which are useful for slipping down
the moment you touch them? How our fathers managed without
crochet is the wonder...'[7]
Crochet's reputation as a genteel, respectable occupation for ladies seems
to be derived in part from an association with the British royal family. Al-
though it appears to be untrue , there was a persistent rumor that Queen
Victoria and other members of the royal family were avid crocheters [16, p.
23]. Crochet was rarely truly fashionable , however, in the sense of having
crocheted items worn or used by members of the upper classes. Earlier in
the century lighter laces were in mode-patterns and techniques that crochet
could imitate, but in a heavier effect. After the 1850s heavier machine and
hand laces were at times stylish, but generally not explicitly crochet work. The
exceptions were bursts of popularity for Irish crochet in the 1840s and early
1850s, and in the 1890s [17]. These movements were at least partly inspired
by a desire to aid the poor in Ireland , where this lace was produced (discussed
below). When the Irish economic crisis subsided , so too did the fashion for
Irish Crochet. Crochet remained a hobby for the middle class, and provided a
precarious occupation for the very poor. In both cases it was generally prac-
tised to allow the middle classes to enjoy cheap copies of the finer laces worn

*The term comes from the name of the famous London haberdasher of the late 1700s, and
was later corrupted to the now more common "doily".