1830-1918

My favorite request for assistance this week came from an eighth grader in California who needed help with a school project.  Her assignment spans the timeframe of 1830 to 1918, and she decided her subject would be Crochet. 

So I suggested she consider doing the project on the American Frontier -- including Laura Ingalls Wilder and her daughter Rose Wilder Lane (Rose had patterns published, while Laura had many books of her childhood published) -- and to include the invention of the Granny Square which came about as families packed their treasures on covered wagons and traveled out West.  These people lived hard lives and had to utilize every scrap they could get their hands on.  The beloved Granny Square concept was "born" so yarn and thread scraps could be utilized to be turned into blankets and clothing to help keep families warm.

As an alternative, I suggested that she consider Irish Lace and its importance to helping Ireland overcome the Potato Famine.  Along with suggesting to check out the links on my History page, I suggested to her Maire Treanor's book called Clones Lace: The Story and Patterns of an Irish Crochet that was published in 2002.  The Potato Famine was a hard time for Ireland, and it was the Crocheted Lace that, at one time, was the main source of income for the country and helped keep many families from starving to death. 

Whatever direction she opts to take her project, I wish her well with it.  :)