Tapestry Crochet

Ahhh . . . Guatemala! The land that introduced me to tapestry crochet so many years ago. In the late 1970’s, men from Aguacatan, San Juan Atitan, Todos Santos, and Nebaj tapestry crocheted flat, rectangular shoulder bags for their own use (or for sale) in colorful styles that were unique to their own towns. While most bags were crocheted with two colors at a time, as many as 7 colors were carried in the best bags from Nebaj.

Tapestry crocheted bag from Nebaj. (1978)

Seven colors were carried for the complicated pattern.

In the late 1970’s, most bags were tapestry crocheted with the same commercially spun and dyed cotton thread used for backstrap weaving.  Several threads were joined and worked as one strand when crocheting. Naturally colored black and white wool was also popular and acrylic yarn was just entering the market.

This fellow from San Juan Atitan tapestry crochets a bag like the one that he is using as his wife looks on. (1979)

Only a few tourist items were available back then; flat circular shoulder bags and change purses. When I returned in 2002, I was thrilled to see lots of new tapestry crocheted items for sale, including cylindrical bags, hats, and hackey sacks. I also saw both men and women tapestry crocheting these innovative products with a variety of motifs. Most were crocheted with acrylic yarn and the quality varied from very fine to not so fine.

Tapestry crocheted bags for sale in Chichicastenango. (2002)

In addition to handwoven cloth, this Mam Maya vender in Antigua also sells tapestry crocheted bags, hats, and hackey sacks. (2002)

This Mam Maya mother (originally from Todos Santos) models a bag that she tapestry crocheted with the same type of acrylic yarn that her daughter is selling. Yes, I bought the bag – it is exquisite! (2002)

And guess what? Guatemala also has an ancient looping tradition. Shoulder bags are the items that were – and still are – looped and shoulder bags were the first items that were tapestry crocheted there. As I mentioned in earlier blogs, I am convinced that loopers readily adopted, possibly even invented, tapestry crochet around the world. Each location had a unique looped product; shoulder bags in Guatemala, mittens in Finland, and hats in Cameroon.

Looped bag from Jacaltenango, Guatemala. (2002)

Guatemala not only inspired my first pieces, but still influences my choices. Although I don’t always tapestry crochet tightly in rounds, my work features contrasting colors, the extra yarn is carried inside single crochet stitches, and the hook is inserted under the top 2 loops of the stitch below. My next blog will show tapestry crochet in Morocco.

This entry was posted on Friday, September 14th, 2007 at 2:30 PM and is filed under Tapestry Crochet History, Tapestry Crochet, America. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.