Crewel

sb. Forms: 5–6 crule, 6 crewle, crulle, cruele, croole, croylle, (crue, crewe), 6–7 crewell, 6–8 cruel(l, 7– crewel. [Of obscure origin: app. the earliest forms were monosyllabic, crule, crewle, croole, some of which are still dialectal.

  Connection with crull, s.w. dial. form of CURL, or its Du. cognate krul a curl, krullen to curl, has been suggested; but the vowel sounds do not agree.]

  1.  A thin worsted yarn, (according to Bailey) of two threads, used for tapestry and embroidery; also formerly for making fringes, laces, vestments, hosiery, etc.

  These yarns, being produced in different colors and used in combination in the making of one article, are often spoken of in the plural. The name is also applied to the balls or bobbins on which the yarn is wound up for use. The name appears to have become obsolete about 1800, except in dialects, and to have been reintroduced to general use about 1860 in connection with CREWEL-WORK, q.v.

1494.  in Rogers, Agric. & Prices, 560/2. 11 oz. Crule. Ibid. (1496). /4, 3 lbs. Crule of different colours.

1502.  Priv. Purse Exp. Eliz. of York (1830), 83. Itm for blake crewle to purfulle the rosys vj d.

1553.  Inv. Ch. Goods, in Ann. Litchfield, IV. 38. ij coopes, on of redd silke, thother of cheked crulle.

c. 1555.  Inv., in H. Hall, Soc. in Eliz. Age (1887), 150. A lytle stoole covered withe Nedle worcke checkerid w^th white, blewe, & tawnye cruell.

1567.  Wills & Inv. N. C. (Surtees), 250. ij longe guishings of croole wrowght w^th the nedle, & a carpett clothe that is in workinge with crooles for the same. Ibid. (1571), 364. viij lbs. of sewing crewle.

1625.  Fletcher, Noble Gent., V. i. An old hat … and on it for a band A skeine of crimson cruell.

1653.  Walton, Angler, 115. A May-flie, you may make his body with greenish coloured crewel.

1755.  Johnson, Crewel, yarn twisted and wound on a knot or ball.

c. 1750.  in H. Walpole, Vertue’s Anecd. Paint. (1789), IV. 144. While crewel o’er the canvass drawn Became a river or a lawn.

1787.  Mrs. Trimmer, Œcon. Charity, 79. Binders herring-boned with coloured cruel.

1855.  Robinson, Whitby Gloss., Crules worsted of all-colours for fancy needle-work.

1858.  Simmonds, Dict. Trade, Crewel, worsted twisted in knots, and sold for tapestry, and embroidery work; now called Berlin wool.

1865.  Cornh. Mag., Feb., 216. In rising to receive him, she threw down her basket of crewels.

  β.  The forms crewe, crue occur: perh. as scribal errors.

1552–3.  Inv. Ch. Goods, in Ann. Litchfield, IV. 10. In this chapell a vestement of grenne crewe, a vestement of redd crue, a cope of grenne crue. Ibid., 41. Vestements of crewe.

  2.  Short for CREWEL-WORK.

Mod.  You might do it in crewel.

  3.  attrib. † a. Made of crewel. Obs. or dial.

1550–1600.  [see CADDIS¹ 2 b].

1596.  Nashe, Saffron Walden, 10. To buy him cruel strings to his bookes.

1599.  Porter, Angry Wom. Abingt., in Hazl., Dodsley, VII. 286. He will have His cruel garters cross about the knee.

1605.  Shaks., Lear, II. iv. 7. Hah, ha, he weares Cruell Garters Horses are tide by the heads.

1633.  Shirley, Bird in Cage, IV. ii. I speak the prologue to our mixed audience of silk and crewel gentlemen in the hangings [i.e., the tapestry figures].

1867.  F. Francis, Angling, i. (1880), 42. A yellow crewel body with red hackle and dun turkey wing.

  b.  Pertaining to or embroidered with CREWEL-WORK: crewel yarn = sense 1.

1882.  Miss Braddon, Mt. Royal, II. iv. 58. Throwing back his dark head upon a crewel anti-macassar.

1887.  Daily News, 21 Nov., 2/7. There is a moderate business doing … in knitting and crewel yarns.

  Hence Crewel v. trans. (dial.) to ornament with crewel-work embroidery: see also quot. 1869. Crewelist, one who works crewel-work. Crewellery, crewel-work collectively. (All recent.)

1869.  Lonsdale Gloss., Crewel, to cover a ball or other object with particoloured worsted worked in a peculiar manner.

1876.  Mid. Yorksh. Gloss., Creal, to wind twine, or anything of the kind, is to creal it…. The process of doing samplers, or other worsted needle-work, is spoken of as crealing.

1881.  Standard, 16 July, 5/2. She was unable to dispose of her crewellery, her fans, and her other fancy work at a remunerative price.

1880.  Daily Tel. Wanted a good crewelist.

  Crewel², cruel. A local name of the Cowslip in Devon and Somerset.

1847–78.  in Halliwell.

  Crewel, obs. form of CRUEL.