What's your favorite Crochet hook? - Page 5

susanc · 08-18-2007, 08:43 AM

I do know what you mean! It's great that there are so many choices out there, especially now adays.

Way back when I started crocheting over 25 years ago, there was only Susan Bates and Boye, I believe. We sure didn't have the choice that we do now. I guess it's also what you get used to. How do you crochet? I crochet continental and I knit English. It just feels natural to me that way. How about you?

JoeE · 08-19-2007, 02:55 AM

This is kind of funny. I was a crocheter for 30+ years before I started knitting, and I NEVER developed a preference for crochet hooks (except an intense hatred for cheap plastic hooks with a seam where they were in the mold). I'm pretty darned finicky about my knitting needles though. Wonder why?

susanc · 08-19-2007, 03:22 AM

I hate those cheap plastic ones too! When I started knitting three years ago, I bought only bamboo needles (Clover). Right now I'm using dpns and am really enjoying the Susan Bates ones. They're so smooth and it just makes the yarn slide so easily. One of these days I'm going to treat myself to the KnitPicks Options circulars and give those a try. I hear they're WONDERFUL!!!

redheadrachel · 08-19-2007, 08:21 PM

It's weird, I find that I'm not as particular about my crochet hooks as I am about my knitting needles...

Knitpicks Circs and Knitpicks dpns - in my mind, they're as close to perfect as a knitting needle can get. Using bamboo, wood or plastic really irritates me to no end when I'm knitting, but it doesn't irritate me as much to crochet with them. I still prefer metal, especially the Boyes because they're nice, cheap, and available everywhere.

ETA: LOL After posting this, I read a few posts above me and it seems that other people are just like me, particular about knitting needles but no so much about crochet hooks. Maybe it's because in knitting, you keep the stitches on the needle and work them off the needle, but in crochet you only use the hook to pull through, so it's not as big of an issue?

Knit1Drop1 · 08-20-2007, 12:29 AM

Originally Posted by susanc

How do you crochet? I crochet continental and I knit English. It just feels natural to me that way. How about you?

I didn't know there was such a thing as continental crocheting. I hold my yarn on the left when crocheting, as if I were continental knitting... but I thought that was the way EVERYONE crocheted. I have read that people who can crochet can supposedly pick up continental knitting easier, but not exactly true for me. KNITTING continental is easy, but when I try to purl continental I feel like I am all thumbs. I don't know what's up with that.

So when knitting I will either do continental or english, depending... but purling I pretty much always do english.

susanc · 08-20-2007, 04:18 PM

I know, I thought everyone crocheted by carrying the yarn in their left hand and the hook in their right; however, I saw an episode of "Uncommon Threads" I believe, where a woman crocheted and carried the yarn and held the hook in her right hand.

It looked so awkward and cumbersome, but it must work alright for her. It just seems that it would go so SLOW that way!

Redheadrachel: I think it is because the knitting stays on the needles that we are more particular with our knitting needles and not so with the crochet hooks. At least, that's how I am too!

Good luck with school!

minkoo · 08-20-2007, 07:46 PM

I'm the same way- picky about my knitting needles but am perfectly happy with my Boyes.

If I were going to do an afgan I'd maybe treat myself to Addi's or something.

susanc · 08-20-2007, 08:15 PM

Originally Posted by minkoo

I'm the same way- picky about my knitting needles but am perfectly happy with my Boyes.

If I were going to do an afgan I'd maybe treat myself to Addi's or something.

I agree about the Addis - I will definately have to give them a try sometime. I want to get the Knit Pick Options too!

aztec_judy · 08-20-2007, 10:31 PM

I prefer Susan Bates, But use both susan and boye, I had tried the crystilites when they first came out and thought I would NOT like them as well .. and at first I didn't cause of the snagging.. but they have since improved them and they work up pretty good now ..
I am not sure what ya'll mean by contintel and english ???
I hold the yarn in the left and hook in the rite .. I know left handers that do it the opposite .. yarn rite hook left ?? so what do ya mean by that ???
Only continental I know of is plastic canvas .. its half a cross stitch .. lololol

Riss · 08-20-2007, 11:03 PM

I've been resisting commenting on this, as I've had the same thing to say as everyone else...

but yesterday, while working on the latest bag, I cracked this ancient plastic needle. Half of a paper clip and 2 inches of duct tape later, it was fixed enough to be usable again. It just further cements the idea that plastic crochet hooks just.. don't work. Unless its larger than size L... Then the Crystalites work lovely.

I'm a sucker for the Bates hooks. I've tried Boye, so many times. But the hook is so much larger than the rest of it, that I often have a hard time pulling my yarn through the loops without getting extras from the stitch i'm working into.

Thats the beauty of Bates hooks, the hook is the same size as the rest of it.