Category: Crafts Around The World

India : Dhokra

Dhokra (also spelt Dokra) is non–ferrous metal casting using the lost-wax casting technique. This sort of metal casting has been used in India for over 4,000 years and is still used. One of the earliest known lost wax artifacts is the dancing girl of Mohenjo-Daro. The product of dhokra artisans are in great demand in domestic and foreign markets because of primitive simplicity, … Continue reading India : Dhokra

Afghanistan

War Rugs from Afghanistan In an age of globalization, museums have become the preferred venue for cultural tourism, transporting works from one locale to another to offer visitors a sense of cross cultural experience without travel. Traditionally, these objects have flown “West”-ward. Exhibiting visual and material works of non-Global North societies for Global North audiences … Continue reading Afghanistan

Italy

Sonia Brunalti is one the leading historians on Italian Crochet. She did a wonderful interview with a fellow crocheter Veruska Sabucco and here’s what we learned about Italian crochet and the its most popular form; Italian Lace. She gave us some overall background information about Italian crochet lace. In Italy, Irish crochet lace arrived in … Continue reading Italy

North America

An American Tale….the Granny Square The granny square first made its debut in 1891, in The Art of Crocheting as an engraving. It wasn’t until 1897, however, that a written pattern was published in Weldon’s Practical Needlework. That pattern is one of the few things that has translated pretty much fully to today in crochet. … Continue reading North America

Dutch

    In the 19th century, Dutch lace-making connected to the Ulster textile industry, as expensive linen pieces were trimmed with Dutch lace and linen thread used to make fine lace products for the home. The first details of crocheting emerged in the Dutch magazine “Penelope” in 1823, with an exhibit of then-stylish purses crocheted with silk … Continue reading Dutch

England

England; because the world revolved around them during this time (cough cough). Since Irish Crochet was a cheap and fast(ish) way of making lace, the higher class of society in early Victorian Britain considered it ‘below them.’ What with their dark colored clothes covering them from chin to wrist to the ground, cages, bustles and … Continue reading England

China

Research suggests that crochet probably developed most directly Chinese needlework. Since this art is believed to be the oldest; I’ll cover this next for our around the world series. If you look at our previous articles you’ll see Amigurumi; which is essentially the same as crochet, only it refers  to the process of making 3-D … Continue reading China