Learned something new today.

I had a little conversation with a company. They were selling a garment they described as crocheted, and I wanted to know if it was hand-crocheted.

Thinking that was maybe a loaded question, because machines don’t do that, right? They can’t yet from everything I’ve ever been told. Knitted, of course, but crocheted? But maybe that wasn’t so and if not I wanted to know.

I was also hoping there wasn’t a warehouse full of children working with fine cotton yarns on small hooks for hours on end with no access to icepacks or guidance for avoiding repetitive stress injuries or for that matter, school. But I didn’t say that.

They checked with their technical team and got back to me today: the crocheting was done on a knitting machine.

Which was really good of them to be willing to tell me because I’m guessing most people would prefer hand made. I figured they were getting their terms mixed up though like most people do but machine done, well then good, if I were to get it it would be as guilt-free as one could ask for when ordering something sewn in the Third World (much though I love me some beautiful handiwork.)

And if I do order it, a certain someone would be tucking it away for me for Christmas at that kind of price tag. Bless him, before all this started he looked at the picture and was instantly wowed by the design and the hours it represented–he’s been around yarn enough years. He’s a good one.

But the whole thing got me curious and looking.

Well now looky here: the work of a crocheting machine. And this one (short video) is kind of a cross between a knitting machine and a weaving loom to make crocheted work. Anyone who actually hooks with yarn could tell it’s not hand done, just like a knitter can spot a sweater knit by hand from across the room: not because it’s flawed but because it’s perfect.

(I just know that if I link, the 64 units they had left in the small will sell out but they did say a new shipment was coming.) What I said to Soft Surroundings was that the talent and skills that went into creating their design made it a work of art that stood on its own merits.