The facts:

• The word crochet is derived from the Middle French word "croc" or "croche", meaning hook.

• It is believed that crochet began as a cottage industry in Ireland to create supplemental income during the Irish Potato Famine.

• Do you know why most crocheters in earlier eras held the crochet hook in their hand like a pencil? In the 1800s, this hand positioning was thought to be more feminine and graceful. Many crocheters now hold their hooks in the palms of their hands (often called the "knife hold") to reduce carpal tunnel.

• It is believed that the earliest forms of crochet were created using a bent finger instead of a hook.

• The earliest written reference to crochet didn't appear until 1812. Crochet didn't become the widely popular craft we know today until the 1840s.

• Crochet patterns have an underlying mathematical structure and have been used to illustrate shapes in hyperbolic geometry that are difficult to reproduce using other media or are difficult to understand when viewed two-dimensionally.
 

Info courtesy of Crochet World

A few of our favorite crochet projects:

Cable Ready Bag from Lion Brand

Poseidon Scarf from Loopy Mango

Brooklyn City Scarf by Renee Marie

Perfect Summer Market Bag from Lion Brand

What you neeed to get started:

Hook Set D-K

Hook Set E-J