Did you know that unlike knitting, crochet cannot be replicated by a machine? There are machines that call themselves (or rather their manufacturers call them) “crochet machines”. They weave a fabric that from a distance resembles crocheted lace. However, when looked at up close, it truly is a simple warp and weft weave! The machine just has complex templates for weaving. On the other hand, machine knitting is indistinguishable from hand knitting, assuming even tension by the hand knitter, because the machine actually creates a knit stitch for each stitch. The so-called “crochet machines” can only make woven lace fabric that looks like crochet from a distance, and there are no machines that even attempt to create a facsimile of crocheted fabric, such as a sweater or afghan. I’ve seen the fake “crocheted” curtain panels and tablecloths produced on those machines… they aren’t particularly attractive and I’ve only seen them in cheap “diner” style restaurants and WalMart’s curtain department. So, if you see a bargain priced crocheted doily (Michael’s loves to sell these as decorating accessories) sweater or afghan, you can bet your last dollar that it was produced in a sweat shop somewhere by some woman or child working for pennies… or less.
