Crochet Fun Facts

I found this article in the Talking Crochet! newsletter from a few weels ago, sent out by Editor, Carol Alexander. When I learned to crochet years ago, I learned how to hold my hook the "pencil" way. Some people hold their hook the "knife" way. Holding your hook either way is ok. It just all depends on what's the easiest or most comfortable way for you to hold it. Below are some facts about the "pencil" method of holding the hook, that I had no idea about. 

BTW, I haven't posted much on my blog because I have not been able to move into my house yet and am still staying with friends. I will get back into the swing of things soon, I hope :) Thanks for being patient with me. It hasn't been easy. Mary Jane

 Crochet Fun Facts by Carol Alexander - editor of Crochet! Magazine

• 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 crochet began as a cottage industry in Ireland to create supplemental income during the Irish Potato Famine. You can read more here.
• It is believed that the earliest forms of crochet were created using a bent finger instead of a hook.
• The word crochet is derived from the Middle French word croc or croche, meaning 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.