Page 332 - J. C. Turner "History and Science of Knots"

Crochet Work-History and Computer Applications 323

the text of written patterns, and overcame the limitations of physical pattern
books by producing stylized drawings of designs: crochet items are described
by arranging stitch icons to mirror the arrangement of actual stitches in a
finished work.
In Turkey, crochet was quickly adopted for the construction of oyas (dec-
orations on headscarves). In Anatolia, by tradition a young woman couldn't
speak freely to her mother-in-law until she had borne a child or had been mar-
ried two years. The new bride changed her oyas to express her feelings: a red
rose or carnation meant happiness and love, red peppers meant that she was
cross or not getting along with her husband, yellow symbolized fatigue, and so
forth. Elaborate oyas have been found dating back to 2000 BCE, but are now
most frequently crocheted. In fact, crochet was embraced so whole-heartedly
that it is now considered a `traditional' craft [15, p. 45].
After World War I, crochet began to decline in popularity as a hobby
when lace went out of fashion. The extensive lace lappets, cuffs, and deep
edgings of the Victorian period gave way to plain, simple, clothing designs,
with lace decorations reduced to at most a single narrow edging. Crochet
continued to be a used as a base fabric for clothing, however, particularly for
infants. And the ability to easily work in three dimensions brought about a
spate of patterns for crocheted hats, purses, and other personal items. Crochet
remained the prime mimic, useful for providing the effects of other construction
techniques, but in a fraction of the time and without the extensive training
needed for weaving, bobbin lace, etc. Indeed, the 1950s may have seen the
imitative power of crochet pushed to its limits, as patterns were sold that
provided crochet substitutes for milk glass vases, ironwork decorations, and
pottery pieces!
The period from the late 1950s through the 1970s also witnessed the
emergence of crochet into the world of fine arts, through the Art Fabric
movement [3], [4]. This movement questioned the historic, and largely ar-
tificial, distinction between `major' arts such as sculpture or painting, and
`minor arts' or crafts such as weaving and knitting. The art world took a
new interest in textiles, both through innovations in traditional flat textile
production (tapestry weaving, screenprinting on fabric) and in using fabrics
in three dimensional sculptures. Crochet's versatility in construction again
allowed artists to achieve a number of effects relatively quickly through this
single technique. This artistic application of crochet was heavily influenced by
the rise of the feminist movement; many of the artists in the movement who
incorporated crochet into their pieces were women, and were attempting to
incorporate their feminine experiences and backgrounds into their art.
The early 1970s saw an explosive revival of crochet as a popular craft
when the craft caught the attention of the youth movement. In the wake of
this sudden tremendous interest in learning crochet, supplies of yarn, crochet