Defining Crochet

Textile classification systems differentiate between the looped structures that characterise the present-day crafts of knitting and crochet. Printed sources prior to the early nineteenth century do not make this distinction, labelling fabric of either structure as knitting, thereby obscuring references to what would now be termed crochet. These can be identified in published instructions, nonetheless, with the prescribed use of a single hook being a ready indicator. Although looping does not inherently require tools and some structures can be made with alternative techniques, certain forms of crochet-type looping depend on the design of the hooks used to produce them. The typology of such implements provides a framework for tracing the convergence of the precursors of modern crochet into that craft.