The name CROCHET refers to the process of creating fabric by interlocking loops of materials with a crochet hook, contrary to most people’s assumptions that it refers to a particular variety of fabric. The name CROCHET itself is derived from the French term crochet, which translates to “small hook”.

Crochet was brought to India in the early 20th century by a missionary couple named Macrae from Scotland. Indian women started crochet quickly, using it more commonly to create rugs and prayer bonnets for Muslims. Other examples of crochet are associated with Christian ceremonies. However, crochet in India has gone beyond the religious aspect to the purely aesthetic and practical.

The thread used for crochet was usually yarn, but for Indian weather conditions, yarn is not suitable, and hence the use of cotton thread is common in India.

During the potato famine in Ireland in the 1840s, there was a lot of suffering and poverty around Ireland. The Ursuline sisters set up crochet centers around the land, which produced crochet items which were sold to rich English aristocrats to provide a steady income to many Irish families. Well, not so long ago in 2020 India faced a pandemic that we could not imagine. The markets were down, offices were shut, and people had lost their source of income. This is when our hobbies or interests in doing something innovative, away from the corporate world came in. In times of despair, people started to make DIY products, and most started with a small business.

One of the most unique activities involved crochet; those with a hand at crochet had started off already, and it was a hit or rather a trend during the 2020’s. Some continued, and some others stopped as the pandemic settled down and jobs slowly started to resume. I was one of the many who started making crochet clothes to keep myself sane during the lockdown. Well, having nothing to do can also have a toll on one’s mental health – which is exactly why children should indulge themselves in activities besides academics. Keeping the morals aside, let’s learn more about crochet and life that revolves around this unique talent.

Crochet is basically a method where you can play tricks and turns, and it will produce a design. Well, it isn’t as simple as it sounds, but once you get a hang of it, it turns out to be a beautiful piece of art.

Crochet has not always been my passion or hobby, but as a child, my grandmother had taught me the basics of crochet, and it seemed pretty boring to me. But well, as time flew, I knew that many things could be made with merely a thread and a hook. Hence, I started with a basic design crochet top by following the YouTube tutorials. The top turned out to be a perfect fit. I shared my first crochet piece to all my contacts on Instagram, Whatsapp, and voila – many were interested in purchasing the top, and that’s when I knew investing on the raw materials would be an excellent starting point – and well, it was indeed! I then started crochet as a full time business and focused on coming up with new designs for the market.

As I said earlier, a ball of thread can be turned around in many ways, using merely a hook, to make numerous designs, just like ready-made garments. It is merely the magic of the color of the thread that you choose, and just like that, you have a unique garment for yourself. Gifting your loved ones a handmade garment is truly touching, as handcrafted goods always have an emotional appeal to them.  

We know that crochet has not been part of Indian culture, and was brought to our country by westerners, but today slowly but surely it is certainly making heads turn in the fashion industry. Well, thanks to the West, India was introduced to a new form of art.