Allen Peckham, age 14, of Mapleton, Ore., for his question:

WHEN DID CROCHETING ORIGINATE?

Knitting and crocheting are related, in that both are ways of turning single strands of yarn or thread into fabric or lace like material with needles. Today both handicraft arts are practiced by hand, although machines have been developed which produce knitted items that almost look handmade. The knitting machine was invented by a clergyman named William Lee in England in 1589.

Both crocheting and knitting are arts that are probably older than written history. Knitting came first and was followed by crocheting. The idea came about, most likely, when man discovered he could knot grasses into nets, baskets and mats.

While knitting produces a porous fabric made from yarn by using special needles, crocheting is a way of making lace.

Ancient China is the place where crocheting probably started. The Europeans were quick to pick up the art and it became almost a trademark of craftsmen in Belgium, Italy and Ireland.

Almost any kind of yarn or thread can be used in crocheting, although a hard twist cotton thread is most often used. A single needle about six inches long made of metal, bone, wood or plastic is used. It's called a crochet hook and has a barblike projection on one end.

More variations of pattern can be created with crochet stitches than with knitting needles. The variety is achieved by combining chain, single crochet and double crochet stitches.

Fancy doilies and trimming are made by crocheting with fine thread. Sweaters, hats, stoles and bedspreads are made by using medium thread or wool yarn. With extremely heavy yarn or even strips of fabric, it is possible to crochet rugs or mats.

Crochet lace from Ireland has become famous around the world. By using very fine thread, Irish women have been able to develop a type of lace that uses a series of three leafed shamrocks, roses and tiny rings surrounded by a lacy background of chain stitches with small knots. Extremely white linen thread is usually used for this type of lace. Crochet lace has been coming from Ireland since the early 1800s.

Machines have been developed that produce lace, but the handmade kind can't be duplicated exactly.

An extremely fine Italian lace, which is the work of crocheting, is called Orvieto lace. This type of fine work, like the products of Ireland and Belgium, is also being produced by machine these days, but it doesn't quite have the same look as lace made by hand.

While the chain, single and double crochet stitches are those most commonly used, other popular stitches include the netting, the rose stitch and the shell stitch.