The real good of a piece of lace, 
then, you will find, is that it should show,
first, that the designer of it had a pretty fancy;
next, that the maker of it had fine fingers;
and lastly, that the wearer of it has worthiness or dignity enough to obtain what is difficult to obtain, and common sense enough not to wear it on all occasions. 
                                   ----- John Ruskin 

Crochet Introduced

Although the art of crochet cannot be traced to its exact origins, there is no doubt that it has been around for a very long time and has adorned the bourgeois and Kings and Queens alike. Crochet was introduced in Ireland early in the 1800's by French nuns and was, at the same time, developed and popularized in England by Mademoiselle Eleanore Riego de la Branchardiere who devoted her life to the study of needlework. Mlle. Riego published many crochet pattern books and claimed to have invented "lace-like" crochet, today called Irish crochet.

The Potato Famine~

Crocheted lace did not become widely known until the Irish Potato Famine of 1846. During this time, nuns in a convent near Cork and wealthy Englishwomen started teaching men, women and children to crochet as a way to make money and stave off starvation. After this, Irish people of all ages and both sexes earned their living crocheting lace. Patterns used then are still called Irish crochet, and they typically feature
three-dimensional flowers and leaves, connected with a background mesh of chain stitches.

Victorian Era~

Throughout the latter part of the Victorian era, Queen Victoria popularized Irish crocheted lace, and it became the vogue in high society all over Europe. As the lace industry flourished, each region developed its own specialized technique that became a guarded secret, making it a trademark of that particular region. Today, crochet is the type of handmade lace most commonly found in trunks and attics. This handcrafted art fascinates many with its infinitely variable pattern, its combination of careful workmanship and exuberant design. The beauty and exquisite detail of crochet and various crocheted lace styles have kept this art very much alive and growing, even today.

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