Crochet Hooks

[yarn4deb]

I have metal and plastic hooks but I like the metals ones mostly. A few years ago I bought some homespun yarn and had troubles with getting the hook caught on the yarn. I tried using the inline style head and they worked much better for that type of yarn. I also bought one of the clover lighted hooks for working on darker yarn and liked it so much I have almost all the sizes now. Just recently I found some glow in the dark hooks that work pretty good with darker yarns too, along with making me wonder what is that green glow on the table when I turn out the lights at night.

A couple of months ago I made the mistake of showing my almost 3 year old grandson that they light up and he loved it. I showed him what they were for. He would then try to poke it through my work when I set it down. About a week ago he was carrying around a tote bag and wanted things to put in his bag. I pulled out a small box from my bag to give him. He didn't want it at first but noticed it was like the box for my lighted hooks. He looked into my bag and snatched the box with the lighted hooks saying " I need this!" and ran off with them. He then took out a hook turned it on and took it to his mommy saying "candle, blow out!" He sure does keep us in stitches!!

forgot to say last night: if your hook has burrs try using a nail file, one of the foam core ones. You can start with a coarser one to get the most of it then move to a finer file, work on the plastic or acrylic hooks too. For wood hooks or needles a piece of brown paper grocery sack used like sandpaper should help smooth out rough spots. I've never used it that way but have used it for the final sanding on many wood shapes before I paint them.

[DeanneSM]

this is a terrific topic!

I like the look of those light hooks. never heard of them before today!!

I use metal hooks. I can't stand the feel of plastic ones and find they tend to snag my yarn. I don't like bamboo hooks because I think they are too light.

However, having said that I like the metal hooks, I can't use them 'naked' as I have arthritis in my finger joints and RSI issue with my thumbs (and I am only 43 ). I have put gooshies on them and I love them. I used to hold my hook like a knife, and worked up quite a good speed with it that way. Then I taught myself to hold the hook like a pencil. Now I crochet heaps faster and it is sooo much easier.

On the subject of the gooshies - I got the idea from The Art of Crochet youtube site. I love that lady!!!! The trick is to use plastic tubing to cover your hook (on smaller hooks I use 2-3 layers of tubing first or a layer of sticky tape and then 2 layers of tubing if they are really small) and them put the gooshies on top. Gooshies are soft, squishy pencil holders. Best thing I ever learned.

I teach knitting and crochet to a lovely group of ladies every week and most of them now also have gooshied hooks, whether they hold the hook like a pencil or a knife. They love it too, although a couple of the ladies prefer their hooks naked

Must investigate that light hook for one of my ladies who loves working with black yarns.

[Shichemell]

I love Teresa with The Art of Crochet too!! She’s my best teacher.

I bought a Clover Soft Touch hook last week because they have such fantastic reviews online, and it turns out I hate those hooks. They’re so much shorter than my hand that the are very uncomfortable for me. I’ve ordered an Addi Swing hook to try, and though they are expensive, if I like them and my hand doesn’t cramp up, I’ll save up for all the sizes.

[karenarp]

I really want to try and Addi hook. Just debating what size to buy since I have to get it on line and do not want to invest in a whole set just in case

[SavvySherri]

That's too bad Shichemell, I LOVE the Clover Soft touch hooks, they seem to just glide through everything. Although I really do want to try the lighted hooks, they look like fun.

[Shandeh]

I bought a Clover Soft Touch hook last week because they have such fantastic reviews online, and it turns out I hate those hooks. They’re so much shorter than my hand that the are very uncomfortable for me.

That's why there are so many different brands of hooks.
Because there are so many different kinds of people!

[karenarp]

I did a test with five different hooks and posted it on the CAL, but I think it is relevant enough to put here too.
I got bored making the motifs so to shake it up I grabbed all my size 5 hooks I currently own to see if the hook would change the size / gauge.

5 Different Same-Size Hooks.JPG

As you can see each square looks identical. The hook I used is with the square. I had thought for sure the Lite hook would make things larger, despite it claiming to be the same size. Well I was wrong! I still want to really get myself an Addi hook. I will be going to the Creativ Festival next month so hoping someone there will be selling them.
It was either the Festival or a Disney cruise.

[JazzHooked]

I wish I had a hook that light up at one end, specially when hooking at night, Can you tell me where I can order one thank you in advance

They are appropriately called "Crochet Lite" hooks, and are manufactured by Widget Products.

You can order them from the Bernat Shop for $5.99 each.
http://shop.bernat.com/default.aspx?PageID=218

I just found ONE video on YouTube, which shows the Crochet Lite hooks in action:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMxwvTE29-U

My husband got me the entire set of light-up hooks for mother's day last year. I was working on a pair of gloves with 2 strands of lace-weight black mohair yarn, and I about when blind. those hooks saves me!

jaz

[JazzHooked]

Has anyone noticed the difference in the shape of the hook itself? I'm trying to find pictures........I borrowed an I hook from a friend because I lost mine in the middle of the project, and I couldn't use hers at all due to the shape of the hook, and when I went to buy myself a replacement, all the metal ones (which I'd always used in the past) had this same fat head on them, and I had to buy a rosewood one in order to get the same shape. Up until then I'd always used aluminum hooks (except when doing thread, then I use steel)

fat hookscropped.jpg

thin hookscropped.jpg

[Teeyay]

Wow, so much information! I've only been crocheting for a year and a few months and I've always used the aluminum hooks. I bought a couple of the light up ones and they were ok. Lately I have been misplacing my hooks left and right, so I went to my local yarn store. All their hooks were sold individually. I decided to try a couple of different hooks. The Knitter's Pride one had a soft grip, but was shorter than is comfortable for my hand. The other, the ChiaoGoo bamboo, is my new favorite. It's so smooth and lightweight and feels more natural in my hand. I just bought 3 more today.