In both crochet and knitting, loops of yarn are pulled through other loops to make fabric. Crochet makes use of a crochet hook, while knitters use knitting needles, and in most cases, only a single thread loop is active at a given time in crochet. Crochet became very popular in Europe and America during the 19th century. The increasingly efficient production of cotton thread in America contributed
to the craft's popularity, as crochet uses more thread than other fabric-making techniques and is particularly suited to cotton. In the early 19th century, crochet emerged as a relatively cheap and simple method of lace manufacture. It was adopted by women who made fabric for a living as well as by young women of the upper classes, who crocheted as a hobby. During the Great Irish Famine of the 1840s, women in Ireland produced great quantities of crocheted lace for export.
