Little is known of crochet early history. It seems likely that the earliest crochet was made using fingers, rather than the hook used today. There are theories that crochet could have existed as early as 1500 BC as part of nun’s work which included needlepoint lace and bobbin lace.
There are 3 main theories for the origin of crochet. Some believe that it orginated in Arabia and spread eastward to Tibet and then westward to Spain finally following the Arab trade routes to other Mediterranean countries. Alternatively it is thought to have originated in South America where a primitive tribe used crochet adornments in puberty rites. Another alternative stems from the fact that in China, early examples were known of dolls worked in crochet.
Crochet is a process of creating textiles by using a crochet hook to interlock loops of yarn, thread or strands of other materials. The name is derived from the French term crochet meaning “small hook”.
