Exploring the history of an heirloom granny square blanket, and the origins of the crochet granny square
In 1981, my eldest aunt on my mother's side, EC, was pregnant with her first child, Casey. She was 21 years old and didn't work outside of the home for that short snippet of time. On weekdays, she would go to her grandmother's house, whom we all call Granny Davis, and she would stay from about 9 or 10 in the morning until 5:30 or 6 at night. Granny was old and lived her bedridden husband, Pa, so Granny loved to cook for my aunt, spoil her, and they would sit and crochet together as they watched soap operas and taking care of Pa. As they prepared for Casey's arrival, Granny made a blanket for EC that matched the color scheme of Casey's nursery. The blanket was kept on the couch in EC's living room until it was exchanged for a different blanket, put into storage, and eventually given to my mother 15 years ago.
EC bought the yarn at Walmart in Cedartown, Georgia. The yarn is acrylic yarn, consisting of pale green, pale pink, and a pale yellow/cream color. The blanket is 36" x 56", using 70 granny squares and a scalloped trim around the edges.
There is uncertainty in the exact origins of the technique of crochet that we know and love today since many cultures developed their own versions of threading techniques that would eventually develop & evolve into our beloved crochet, but crochet can be traced back to many European countries, Egypt, ancient China, Israel, and many other places. Crochet's closest precursor is Nålbinding, which was practiced by the vikings in Europe as early as 6500 BC. Similar Nålbinding techniques have also been found in South American indigenous tribes.
Through global trading, we see Nålbinding transform into surface crochet in the Middle East, being called Rashti Duz (which translates to Rashti-style crochet). This involves chain stitching on the surface of woven fabrics to create designs, usually with colorful silk threads. This technique dates back to 550 BC. Textile exports from Asia & the Middle East to Europe led textile-making techniques to travel in transform as they were being recreated in different countries.
Some pieces similar to crochet have been found to come from Egypt, like this example shown. Despite the similarity to a chevron pattern using double crochet stitches, experts claim that this uses a different complex technique, titled "thread-work" which dates back to 900.
Crochet has also been found in Asia from the 1500s. In China, 3D characters were crocheted using a single crochet stitch, called amigurumi. This is a style of crochet that is still very popular today. These usually compile of single crochet and stuffed with various materials depending on what's available. This style of crochet, along with the other similar variations, developed across countries like China, Turkey, India, Persia, and North Africa, with it finally landing in Europe in the 1600s.
France called a technique similar to Rashti Duz "tambour," which involved a chain stitch done on top of a taunt fabric. This also evolved and became known to the English as "chain lace" and to the French as "crochet lace." these techniques were closer to what we know as crochet & lace today, with the thread building upon itself rather than on top of a fabric and remaining pretty flat. This was used in the making of Bible bookmarks in the shape of the cross. By the 1700s, the French started referring to this as "crochet in the air," which just meant that there was no background fabric and only threads that you could see.
The production of crochet patterns date back to Holland in the early 1820s, but there's evidence of French nuns teaching Irish nuns to crochet in a convent in the 1830s. In 1846, the publication of the classic Irish crochet style surfaced in a book published by Mademoiselle Riego de la Branchardiere, which included patterns of knitting, crocheting, and other similar techniques. This would eventually help aid people struggling to make ends meet during the Potato Famine, where makers would make & sell their crochet items. This led to teachers of the craft traveling to teach people to crochet so they could make some extra money. Queen Victoria would eventually bring a new interest in Irish crochet when she bought items made during the Potato Famine.
As Irish immigrants made their way to America, many of them found their new home in Appalachia. They brought with them their culture and their crafts, which included crochet. the granny square was developed and made its way into mainstream forms of making. We see many different forms of granny squares being used in the early-to-mid-1900s throughout garments, blankets, decor, and more. Crocheting developed into a technique that produced pieces that were used as decoration, military uniforms, religious items, and more. During the time of the global wars in the first half of the 1900s, women would crochet items to send to their male counterparts to help keep them safe the best way they knew how.
This brings us now to the blanket completed by my great-grandmother. She made this blanket to show love to my aunt and to my aunt's future child. She used a technique that she had used many times before. The pattern had been developed over hundreds of years, with the technique being developed over thousands. And today, the same pattern lays in my hands as I have crocheted hundreds of these squares, big and small.
Long live the granny square. Long live Granny's squares.
Explore my sources for information & images
“Designs by Eléonore Riego de La Branchardière.” Ravelry, Jan. 2017, www.ravelry.com/designers/eleonore-riego-de-la-branchardiere.
“Did You Know about Rashti-Duzi as a One of the Special Arts of Gilan Province?” Best Iran Tour Packages 2024, Gashttour: Travel & Tour Agencies, 10 Nov. 2020, irangashttour.com/2020/11/10/did-you-know-about-rashti-duzi-as-a-one-of-the-special-arts-of-gilan-province/.
Leslie, Catherine Amoroso. Needlework through History: An Encyclopedia. Greenwood Press, 2007.
Leslie’s Attic. “Vintage Amigurumi Crochet Mini Doll Asian 2 1/8" Lot of 2.” eBay, www.ebay.com/itm/325653267013. Accessed Mar. 2024.
Littlejohn, Alysha. “The History of Crochet.” Www.Ohsoprettyandclever.Com, 13 Mar. 2023, ohsoprettyandclever.com/the-history-of-crochet/?v=7516fd43adaa#:~:text=The%20earliest%20known%20recorded%20crochet,patterns%20since%20well%20before%20then.
McLeod, Miriam, et al. “The Lost Sock.” National Museums Scotland Blog, 16 Nov. 2022, blog.nms.ac.uk/2020/05/07/the-lost-sock/.
Plunkett, Vicki. “Cross Bookmark.” Creative Creations by Vicki, 7 Feb. 2013, gratefullyinhisgrace.blogspot.com/2013/02/cross-bookmark.html.
Watg. “A Brief History of Crochet.” Wool and the Gang Blog Free Knitting Kit Patterns Downloads, 13 May 2015, www.woolandthegang.com/blog/2015/05/a-brief-history-of-crochet.
I LOVE that you have so much appreciation for the history and family heritage!
LOVEE IT! So beautiful!
Love this! Who knew this form of art had so much interesting history!