CONNECTICUT
Pamela Roose
88 Court St.
Middletown, CT 06457IOWA
BeeHive Crafts & Framing
406 Grand Ave.
Spencer, IA 51301NEW HAMPSHIRE
Gypsy Craft Co.
1111 S Stark Hwy #6
Weare, NH 03281N EW YOR K
Cook’s Arts & Crafts
80-09 Myrtle Ave.
Ridgewood, NY 11385OHIO
Crochet Innovations
7660 Chippewa Road
Bre ck s v ille, O H 4 4141
The Rabbit Hutch
5 N. Walnut
Englewood, OH 45322PENNSYLVANIA
Good’s Store Dist.
165 Earland Drive
New Holland, PA 17557TEXAS
Crafts & Quilting, Etc.
715 S. College Ave.
Tyler, TX 75701
Holley’s Yarn Shoppe
5211 Forest Lane, Ste. 115
Dallas, TX 75244Lavender & Sage
331 Main St.
Bandera, TX 78003VIRGINIA
Needles in the
Haymarket, LLC
15125 Washington St., #108
Haymarket, VA 20169Yarn Cloud
204 Washington St.
Occoquan, VA 22125WASHINGTON
Moondancer Crafts
204 Pacific Ave. N.
Kelso, WA 98626This listing is provided as a service to our readers and should not be
considered an endorsement from Crochet World magazine.MAGAZINE is
fine
STORES®available at these
AUGUST 2018 CROCHET-WORLD.COM Crochet World 43unusual hooks. In her History of Crochet article
featured on Crochet Guild of America’s website,
http://www.crochet.org, Ruthie Marks stated that early
hooks were made from whatever the crocheter could
find: one’s own fingers, wood, animal bones and
tusks, metal wires with cork or bark for the handle,
and other materials. Nancy’s site illustrates the
many hooks and handles that Ruth describes. Click
on “Crochet Hook Classification” to scroll through a
glorious array of dozens of hooks. Many date back to
the mid-1800s. The hook and shaft were often made
of steel wire but it’s the handles that make these
pieces so unique.
Today, we’re all familiar with inexpensive, standard
hooks. Who hasn’t learned to crochet with a reliable
aluminum hook? Once we’ve mastered stitching, the
fun really begins as we broaden our collections with
hooks made of colorful plastics, swirls and bands
of exotic woods, and cushy ergonomic handles
designed to alleviate pain in our hands. Steel hooks
are a “must” for those who love threadwork and
lace-weight yarns.
So what’s the “best” hook? The answer is highly
debatable. There is no “best” as each hook has its
positive attributes, but there is the “right” hook
for the user and the particular project. Ask a long-
time crocheter what her favorite hook is and you
may get more than one answer (as we did!). It’s not
uncommon for crocheters to amass sets of hooks for
different yarns and purposes.
Keep in mind that crochet hooks of the same size
from different manufacturers are not necessarily
interchangable. Experience has taught me that there
are subtle differences in hooks of the same size from
one company to another that can affect the gauge.
So work with the same hook throughout a project.
An informal poll of crocheters across the U.S.,
including Crochet World readers, reveals that
the most favored hook brand is Susan Bates,
followed by Boye, then Clover. Aluminum is the
first choice of material, no doubt because they’re
inexpensive, colorful and ideal for a wide range
of fibers. And, importantly, there’s no “catch” as
the yarn slides over the hook. Wood, including
bamboo, rosewood and luxury woods, are next
in the list of “faves.” Crocheters love their hooks.
They’re brand loyal and will often invest in limited-
edition hooks, one-of-a-kind hooks, handmade
hooks and beautifully crafted hooks from various
manufacturers in an array of materials.
Ergonomic hooks are very popular. They fit the
crocheter’s hand, lessen or prevent carpal tunnel
issues and are offered by different companies.
Clover offers a colorful range of rubber-handled
Amour hooks that are comfortable for extended
periods of stitching. They’re available in the usual
sizes common in the U.S. and European sizes 7mm
and 12mm.
For those who love Tunisian crochet projects, there
are sets with interchangeable hook heads and
cables of varying lengths. Joining cables together
allows for larger projects such as sweaters and
afghans that can’t fit on the limited length of
standard Tunisian hooks.
Crocheters also like novelty hooks in colorful
plastics, those that light up, square-handled
hooks, and cushions that slip on standard handles.
Whatever your preference, it’s safe to say that
you can’t be a crocheter without being hooked
on hooks! CW