Hello crafty people!!!
This has been really hard for me to write. I want to give you the best information that I can and I just kept feeling "this is not enough". Which is something that I struggle with. I'm sure it is something that a lot of us struggle with. It is something that I am learning is not true so I felt I had to share this with all of you. I don't know your past or what it is that you could be struggling with. If it's something that you have been told since a child or if something that someone beat into you until you believed it as an adult this message is for you.
You are enough. What you bring to the table is enough. The only person you need to be better than is the person you were yesterday. I'm sure thats a quote but I honestly cant remember where I heard it from.
Now to the fun stuff.
Today we are going to talk about crochet hooks. There are a lot of different hooks to choose from. There are different shapes and materials. I will do my best to walk you through all the different types of hooks. Unfortunately I do not have every type of hook there is so I wont be able to show pictures for all types of hooks at the moment.
The first thing we will talk about is the parts of the hook.
Head - The head of a crochet hook is the part that is the hook. This is the part of the crochet hook that you insert into your stitch and helps you pull your yarn through your work to make your new stitches.
Throat - The throat of your crochet hook is the area that leads up to where you should have your yarn loops. This area is not as big as the rest of your hook.
Shaft - The shaft of your crochet hook is where you should be putting your loops of yarn at. This is to help with keeping all of your stitches the same size.
Grip - The grip of the crochet hook is exactly what the name implies. This is where you should have your fingers at when you are holding your hook. This area is normally wider and flatter so it is easy to spot.
Handle - The handle is the part of the crochet hook that will go in the palm of your hand.
So now you know what the different parts of the crochet hook are lets talk about the types of hooks you might see.
There are metal, plastic and wood hooks. The different materials are good for working with different yarns.
Metal hooks can be found at just about every store that has a crafting section and can be bought as individual hooks or as sets. This set I got at Wal-Mart came with aluminum hooks and the case to hold them all.
Metal hooks are a great choice for beginners because the price point is on the lower end. This means it's easier to justify getting a set of hooks to try crochet. There are some things to keep in mind when it comes to metal hooks. They tend to be on the slippery side. That means your yarn is more likely to slide on your hook very easily which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Metal hooks being slippery means that your yarn will not get stuck on your hook. It also means that you can crochet faster because the yarn is just sliding around on your hook. Metal hooks are also very light weight meaning that they are easy to bring on the go. Metal hooks are wonderful when working with textured yarns because of the fact that the yarn wont get stuck on your hook.
Even though metal hooks are my favorite hooks to use they do have some down sides. You might be able to see it in the picture above but I will include and up close one so you can really see it. One of the biggest cons I have found with metal hooks is that they are not flexible. Meaning that they can and will bend or even break if you apply to much force with them. Being as ridged as they are they can also lead to hand pains. One more problem that can come up has to do with caring for your hooks, They are metal. If you don't care for them they can rust. So thats just something to keep in mind.
Plastic and acrylic hooks are also pretty easy to find, and can also be found in singles or as part of a set. Just like the metal hooks these hooks tend to be on the slippery side, just not as slippery as the metal ones, as well as being on the cheaper side. Plastic and acrylic hooks are more flexible so they are easier on your hands. You can get these hooks in the "normal" sizes but you can also get them in jumbo sizes. The jumbo ones are still pretty light because they tend to be hollow inside.
The only con I have been able to find isn't something that I have personally had happen to me but has come up in my research. Plastic hooks go can cause friction and static. They have also been know to cause wool to felt a little.
I have never used wood or bamboo hooks but I am told they can be amazing. From what I have seen you can only get them from specialty craft stores and from individuals who make them. These hooks tend to be light and even can feel warm when in your hand.
Time for the cons. Wood and bamboo hook are more expensive. The harder the wood or the more rare the more the price goes up. These hooks are not really recommended for crochet beginners because they tend to told the yarn more. They don't have the slip that metal or even plastic have. These hooks don't come in the smaller sizes. These hooks are mostly used with large weight yarn.
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