Are you ready to buy your first set of crochet hooks?
When buying a crochet hook you need to consider a number of things. You need to consider the shape of the tip, the grip of the handle, the composition, the size and if it is an interchangeable set, whether it is secure.
Ask yourself these question before making your decision.
1. How does the hook feel in your hand? Does it cause your hand to cramp? Is it too long? too short? Too fat? too thin?
2. What is your budget? If you have a limited budget stick with Susan Bates or Boye. Even the plastic hooks are economical. If you are able to buy at a higher level than go to your local yarn store and try out all the crochet hooks. Would you like an interchangeable set? Would you like a custom set made just for you?
3. How does your yarn slide on the hook? Does it get caught? Does it split easily? Does the yarn slide too easily?
4. Do you need an ergonomic handle? If you have cramping in your hands, arthritis or carpel tunnel you"ll need to try the hooks out first hand before purchasing.
Back in 1999 when I started crocheting I couldn"t tell you which hook I liked best or why. Now, I"ve used a number of crochet hooks and have my favorites.
Crochet hooks were originally made from bone or ivory. Now they are making from steel, aluminum, chrome, plastic, bamboo, rosewood, birch and other materials.
I have more hooks than necessary but ask any crochet crafter and they"ll tell you - "you can"t have enough hooks". I can"t tell you how many hooks I"ve lost over the years. Hooks tend to vacation a lot but they don"t tell their owners where they"re going or when they"ll be back.
My mainstay is the Boye hook. I like the feel of the aluminum better than plastic. It is affordable and is available at most craft stores.
When I started crocheting I used only bamboo hooks but eventually those hooks started to catch on my yarn and would split it. It made it frustrating to work with. I eventually fixed them by sanding them and polishing them with bee"s wax but when I reach for a hook it"s the aluminum that gets picked first.
When hooks started to come with grips I didn"t really see the point. I was never one to use pencil grips so having one on my hook seemed such a waste. One day I was in need of an N hook for a project and the only one available was one with a bamboo handle. I bought the hook and it was surprising to find that I liked it.
It wasn"t until early 2011 that I bought my first birch wood Tunisian crochet hook. It was over my normal crochet hook budget at about $12 but it is now my favorite hook. The yarn slides off and it has a deeper shaft than the aluminum hook which helps when holding the hook.
The first set of crochet hooks I bought was the Boye Master Set. It comes with aluminum hooks as well as steel hooks. I hardly ever use the steel hooks and find that I use the G - J hooks the most.
When purchasing your set be sure to grab a hook cover to store your hooks in. You could also crochet yourself one or have someone sew a case for you. Having them in a special place makes it a lot easier to manage plus you"ll always know where they are when you need them.
When purchasing your first crochet hook set all you really need to know is how it feels to you. No amount of knowledge of where and how a hook is made will make the hook work for you. You might even have to buy a few different hooks before you find the brand that is right for you.
Source= ergonomic crochet hooks
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