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Wednesday 5 January 2011

The Perfect Hook

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Which type of crochet hook is your perfect hook? Plastic, aluminium, wooden or bamboo or maybe acrylic. I find bamboo and plastic too lightweight at the moment aluminium work’s best. I am always on a quest to find the perfect hook.
Does ergonomic work best for you? Is there a particular brand that you like Symphonie, knitpro, Brittany ? I’d love to hear what type of hooks you all use.

Hooks Types

Confused over the vast array of hooks on the market?
Here is some information which might aid you in your choice.

HOOK INFORMATION
Addi Turbo hooks have carefully designed handles which add comfort while crocheting - especially for those with arthritis. The handles are also colour-coded. Made in Germany. These hooks have the more rounded tips
Profi Hooks - each size has a different colored handle. The hook itself features a gold plated tip. The thinner sizes come with with a rubber point protector. Made in Germany
Brittany Walnut Hooks - Brittany Victorian Crochet Hooks are crafted from the finest Eastern Black Walnut, finished by hand and carefully measured to metric and standard gauge. Sadly these are no longer manufactured. They are now collectors items.
Brittany Birch Hooks - Made to the same high standard as its walnut sisters. Brittany are what is known as an in-line hook (the hook is exactly in line with the shaft, and the hook itself is more flat.
Aero - Steel and Aluminiun hooks that are very popular in Canada and Europe. Great value and a good hook for the beginner
Susan Bates Bamboo Hooks - Lightweight hooks, made in Japan. These are in-line hooks .
Clover - Made in Japan. Japanese hooks tend to be a little shorter than their North American or European counterparts. Clover make a few different types of hook which we detail below.
Aluminium - A light, durable aluminium hook, They have become best sellers because of their unique hook configuration which makes intricate work easier and common crocheting faster.
Bamboo - made from high quality bamboo. Lightweight to use.
Soft Touch - has a padded rest which makes them very comfortable to us. There are sizes for both thread and yarn.
Double-Ended - also known as Travel Hooks. One hook size on one end, and one hook size on the other. Saves carrying around too many hooks at once.
Laurel Hill Forest Palmwood Hooks - With care the palmwood is hand selected, sized, sanded, and polished to create a premium crochet hook.
Surina Wooden Crochet Hooks - Beautiful wood hooks made from Surina wood which comes from an area in India. These hooks have lovely turned handles and are lightweight, making them easy to use.
Crystalites - Very lightweight. Great for air travel as they are not made from metal. They slide easily through any yarn.
What is the difference between and inline hook and one that isn't?
An inline hook has the head exactly inline with the shaft of the hook. One that is not inline has a more tapered shaft extending from the hook. See the photo below for a better idea.
Source: Karpstyles.com

9 comments:

Dorothy said...

My favourite set of hooks is the Etimo which I understand are made by Clover and are rather hard to find. To me they are the Rolls Royce of hooks - gold coloured tips and a rubbery kind of 'handle' - just beautiful to use. I also have lots of Clover Soft Touch hooks which are almost as good. I'll also be interested to read other comments you get on this subject. I enjoy reading your blog.

Anonymous said...

oh dear, my best ever hooks are now clover soft-touch, they are so comfy and warm enough (not too warm) and light (but not too light) just perfect. I used to use aluminium hooks but when once bought clover's soft touch never stopped using them!
xxx

Sharon Marie said...

Love my Susan Bates Bamboo Hooks especially when I need to use a smaller hook like an "F." I had been using Boye hooks and wasn't having a problem with them but once I tried the SB Bamboo Hooks it was love at first stitch.

Doris Sturm said...

I want one of those tree stumps with the holes in it for the hooks...I keep mine in a metal tin. It works, but it gets kind of noisy when looking through them to find the right one -

I use aluminum and am happy with it...never tried any ergonomic or fancy cushioned ones, maybe one day I will, but I am not near any stores to shop for one, so I have not had the chance.

April Cottage Ramblings said...

I didn't realise there were so many. I have only used a standard metal one so I don't know any different. Perhaps it's time for a change
Jayne x

Eight by Six said...

I use aluminium but I also have some plastic ones and was recently given a little wooden box of vintage hooks. I like the feel of the cold aluminium and it works for me. I'm quite new to this and didn't realise there were so many types/makes, might try something new this year.

David and Sara Gormley O'Brien said...

I too am always looking for "the best hok". I have a lot of old Aero aluminium/steel hooks and recently was talked into a clover soft touch, which I foundgreat and seemed a very speedy hook, so far Ihaveonky moved my larger hooks to thesoft touch and am very keen to read other posters impressions for greatbrands/types of hooks to try. PS anyone tried Swallow Casein knitting needles? I would try that in a hook!

Kristin said...

I like Susan Bates, but I haven't tried many different kinds. I hold my hooks funky, so the bamboo handle ones don't really help me. I like the actual hook part on Susan Bates better...

Anonymous said...

I have an amalgamation of hooks.

At first I didn't like the Boye hooks which are plentifully available here in the US. I found the tip of the hook part (not the head that you lead with when "inserting hook") would catch the surrounding loops, splitting the yarn. I then discovered Lion Brand's plastic collection and I enjoyed it much better, for awhile.

My crochet skills developed, and now I find the plastic hooks to be too flimsy, and acrylic yarn just glides right over them, making the gauge much larger. I discovered this somewhat by accident, and I found that a plastic 4.0mm make the same size granny as my 4.5mm aluminum hook. odd, i thought, but i suppose it makes sense. Various yarn materials will react differently with various hook materials.

Now that I'm a better stitcher and also more relaxed in life and stitching, I find the Boye hooks to be my preferred choice. I still keep and use my plastic Lions, I like them for cotton.

I also have a few Susan Bates aluminum hooks, at first I was all raving about them, but now I find I'm neither here nor there about them.

Never tried a bamboo or ergonomic, but I do have a few Clover aluminums which, actually, if I could find them, I would probably use instead of Boyes.

So there's my nickel's worth...or sixpence worth, you might say?

@ Doris: I chuckled when I read that you want a stump...just seemed funny to me :) I've got an old t-shirt sleeve that I cut off and sewed up into a pocket that was supposed to go onto a skirt but I never finished the skirt--so for now it's my hook holder until I finish crocheting my actual crochet case. :)

--jenny