Did You Know: "Capital One" has Nothing on Crochet

Did Ewe Know?
During the time of King Louis XIV (1638-1715) of France the appreciation for lace was so intense that it was often treasured more than any currency and was preferred as the method of payment.

The passion -- the desire to own as much lace as possible was a display of one's wealth.  The more on display, the richer the individual/family.  Wealthy lords and ladies of the time were crazed to have it and would go through extremes to get it ... including padding it on the backs of skinny dogs then covering the lace with the hides of larger dogs to smuggle it into France. 

The first lace making machine was invented by Mr. Hammond, an Englishman in 1768, perfected in 1798.  When Nepoleon's power began to fade, the first lace making machine was smuggled into France.  Furthermore, during World War I the value of the lace industry was still high and the invading enemy would trade amnesty for the workers. 

Today, a knitting machine can be purchased for about $1000, yet a machine that can do only the basics of crochet starts at $11,000.  This means that crochet, be it lace, or other crochet technique, is still primarily done by hand. 

Source: "Handmade Lace & Patterns" by Annette Feldman

Tags: did ewe know, lace, wealth, crochet history, crochet machine, knitting machine