Thursday 7 February 2013

Did you know that the Dutch used to teach crochet in schools?


My family get used to me going on about 
'Jilly's world'...my ideal world...of course it 
mostly only exists in my head, but sometimes
 my world overlaps with the real world. 

Today for instance, I was reading a blog which 
I had never visited before, called De Haaakerij
where Estelle blogs about her creations.  

Estelle mentioned that when she was at school 
she was taught crochet.  Can you imagine.. 
double crochet on a Monday morning instead 
of double maths! I would have been pedalling
 so fast to get to school! 

Estelle sent us a very unusual square for 
The Beautiful Blogger Blanket 2013, 
featuring 4 tulips!  I looks like a very complicated 
one to get right and Estelle has made it beautifully! 

Estelle's square


The pattern Estelle used was designed by 
Dori Speigle, and it can be found Ravelry HERE 



Estelle used a yarn called Nova 100% Cotton by WIBRA


Learning crochet in school obviously paid off because 
there are some fantastic Dutch crocheters around.

Thank you for joining in with the 
BBB2013 Estelle...and GOOD LUCK! 

This gives me an idea for a little side-project... 
Lets create a list of most admired crocheters
 for each country... this week we can do... 

The NETHERLANDS


Eventually we will build up a list of excellent 
crocheters for each country... maybe one country
 will emerge as the crochet capital of the world! 

Send your nominations for DUTCH crocheters to me
 in the comments section and I will create a side page
 list as a resource that can be used by anyone.

They can be living /working in other countries,
 but they have to be from the NETHERLANDS.

One rule... you cannot nominate yourself!






30 comments:

  1. I'm Dutch! :)
    xo,
    wink
    acreativebeing.com

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    1. Ha ha I know you are Wink... but you aren't meant to nominate yourself! However, as I admire your work enormously, I'm going to nominate you myself! :)x

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  2. That sounds like my ideal world as well :) I nominate wink too!

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  3. Haha, Jill, I learned knitting, crocheting, sewing at school too, but it was only at very young age, say five and six years old:) At the same time you had to learn all the other things too, that is why we had to go to school on Saturdays....

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    1. I'm so jealous Andree! We did sewing at school in the UK, but not crochet or knitting... that must be why the crafts were getting lost here I think... thank goodness there is a revival now! x

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    2. Yes, Jill, hurray for the revival! :)

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  4. That is a beautiful square, love it. I remember learning to knit with big yellow plastic needles when I was in junior school, we learnt how to do French knitting with a wooden bobbin and 4 nails, we had to get our fathers to make us one and bring it into school, great fun ..happy days :)
    I nominate AnnMarie
    http://annemarieshaakblog.blogspot.co.uk/

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    1. It is a special one isn't it Linda. How I wish we still had those lovely old cotton reels... my Dad used to make me all kinds of toys with them. Thanks for nominating AnneMarie's blog...it'as a lovely one :)x

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  5. Hi Jill,
    You make me feel shy with your compliments...
    But thank you!

    And Andrée is right!
    In the Netherlands girls learned to knit, crochet, sew and embroider in elementary school.
    And boys learned basic woodworks.
    In 1975 the government decided that it was no longer necessary for girls to learn needleworks. And out of feministic point of view it was considered discriminating.
    So it was no longer mandatory for schools to teach needleworks.
    But schools were free to continue the lessons if they had the time to do so.
    I don't remember until when school kids in the Netherlands had to go to school on Saturdays, but it is no longer so.


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    1. The compliments are well deserved Estella! We had the same difference of practical classes but only in senior school...we started much later. I always wanted to do carpentry! Good luck with the draw :)x

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  6. Hi Jill,
    you make me feel shy. Thank you for your compliments.

    And Andrée is right! Dutch girls learned to knit, crochet, sew and embroider in elemantary school. And boys learned basic woodworks.
    In 1975 the Dutch government deciced that it was no longer necessary that needleworks were teached in school.
    And from feministic point of view it was considered dicriminating.
    But schools were free to continue the lessons if they had time to do so.
    My experience is that most women who went to elementary school after 1975 did no learn to knit or crochet.
    But nowadays there is Youtube!

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  7. Gorgeous square, you're right, so unusual, I wouldn't mind giving that one a go myself. It's amazing isn't it how with relatively few stitches, so many things can be created.

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    1. I am always thinking that Faith.. so many squares from so few stitches! The squares for the BBB2013 you blogged about are very special too..can't wait to show them on here! Hugs x

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  8. What a beautiful square!!! Loving your idea of getting to know the world by crocheters! xx Janette

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  9. We also learnt to knit and sew, t least up to STd 7 (= Gr 9). Sadly, this was taken out of the school curriculum in South Africa.

    My nomination for the Netherlands...Haafner, of www.byhaafner.blogspot.com. The are many others that produce absolutely beautiful work, but I recently discovered her blog. Smitten is the word.

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    1. Another lucky country... but why are are all these useful subjects taken out of the curriculum? In Jilly's world half of the lessons would be creative... ahhhh bliss! Thanks for nominating Haafner... I had never seen her blog before and it gorgeous...her colour choices are gorgeous! I've added her to the list. Hugs x

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    2. WOW! Thanks Stel & Stocki for your kind words! The leave me quite speechless... :-)

      Regarding school: during my days at primary school in the Netherlands (talking about late seventies here...) there had luckily been some emancipation, so both boys and girls had to learn both woodwork and some knitting/sewing. No crochet though. And I definitely preferred the woodwork above the knitting!

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  11. An interesting topic that you've brought up here! There are indeed lots of gorgeous dutch blogs out there, and I often wonder about that as well. It's hard to pick a favorite, but I'd like to nominate Elisabeth Andree!

    At least it's a little comfort that "we" (the Germans) can still beat them at soccer... (and now I better run and hide *gg*)

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    1. Ha ha Barbara... you like to live dangerously! Thanks for nominating Andree... she's on the list :)x

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    2. Thank you Barbara! You made my day, girl:)

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  12. What a lovely square! The blanket is going to be a beauty - I'm really looking forward to seeing it :) I wish we'd had knitting and crochet clases at school too. I do remember sewing classes and cross stitch at infant school. By the way, replying to your question on my blog I lived near to Wolverhampton in the UK. Elisabeth x

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  14. Hey, actually I had crochet at school too! It was called crafts and we did all sorts of things there - crochet, knitting, embroidery, sewing... It was in Latvia many years ago. Sadly I've heard that now this thing does not exist in latvian schools. :(

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    1. How lucky Darya! I do remember doing a little bit of cross-stitch...but nothing exciting like crochet! Looks like many countries have written these lessons off x

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  15. I'm dutch! But i didn't learn to crochet or anything :( I'm from a later generation i think. I would like to nominate Claire from http://hakenenmeer.blogspot.nl/ (I love her colors!)

    I've learnt to crochet by youtube 3years ago ;)

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    1. Well done on teaching yourself Marieke..at leaast we have Youtube and many tutorials from bloggers to follow now... Thanks for nominating Claire... I have added her to the list :)x

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  16. Hi Stocki, I nominate http://karinaandehaak.blogspot.nl/ a great initiative:) and yes, we learned at school to knit and crochet, and I am so happy with this.

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    1. Thanks Franciens.. another wonderful crocheter and a blog I go to regularly...she is on the list :)x

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Time is precious but if you have a minute I would love to hear your comments x