suggestions for uncurling cable circular crochet hooks or tunisian cable hooks

[mva5493]

Hello, I am trying to do a baby afghan using a double ended crochet hook with cable extentions (looks like circular knitting needles), I was wondering if anyone here had any suggestions for uncurling the cable part of the hook. Does it uncurl on its own as the project gets bigger?? The yarn is curling on its own anyway, and the cables curling are beginning to annoy me. This is a new hook, just took it out of the package about 3 days before using it. I have a few on the cables that were onsale in the aa catalog that are curling as well.

 

Thanks,

[smokeyp81]

I haven't tried this....but, I read somewhere if you immerse it in hot (not boiling) water, it will straighten out.

[Happy_Hooker]

I tried the hot water for my knitting needles... it helped a bit... but not nearly enough as I would have liked... (Maybe it wasn't hot enough???)

 

I think use is the only thing that will make them get unkinked.

[mva5493]

any idea how long to put in water? I guess if use is the only true way to get the kinks out I need to be doing more stitching.

[ErinLindsey]

I've been trying to un-kink my circular knitting needles for weeks. (only had them a month or two) and I've only had success with one set.

 

I've got 2 or 3 Susan Bates circulars, one Clover circs and one Boye circulars...the only ones that I have where the cable un-kinked in the hot water (tap water) were the Boye circs. They're also the most comfy of all my knitting needles. (just learned to knit, and I found I prefer using my circulars for just about everything)

 

I have a Susan Bates double ended crochet hook with the cable in-between each end. The cable is exactly like my SB knitting needles...and wont un-kink for me either.

 

Almost forgot...I've repeatedly dunked my circulars in hot water with no success...even left them in the water for a few minutes...nothing...went right back to kinky cables.

 

I'm considering firing up my heating pad and folding it over my circular cables for a while to see if that will help.

 

I love Susan Bates crochet hooks, hate the Boye hooks...now I love the Boye knitting needles and hate the Susan Bates needles (well, just the circulars...I like my Bates DPN's...)

[cgd]

I have the Susan Bates cable-extended double-ended hooks too but have had no luck uncurling them with hot water. The angle it forces my hand to be in as a result hurts, so I gave up on the idea. I guess if I make any crohooked afghans in the future, I'll just have to do them in strips with the non-cable-extended hooks.

[JCB]

I have the Susan Bates cable-extended double-ended hooks too but have had no luck uncurling them with hot water. The angle it forces my hand to be in as a result hurts, so I gave up on the idea. I guess if I make any crohooked afghans in the future, I'll just have to do them in strips with the non-cable-extended hooks.

 

I took one of Kim Guzman's Tunisian Crochet classes... it's the one on CroKnit. She explains how you don't have to do an entire row on the hook at a time. I have tried it and it works, but I don't think I can explain it. Go to her blog and look for the transcript of CroKnitting. Let me see if I can find it for you.

 

This is the URL to Kim's blog: http://www.kimguzman.bravejournal.com/

I did look but couldn't find the explanation but it allows you to do wider projects on a rigid (as opposed to cable) double-ended hook, than will actually fit on that hook. I know Kim is teaching a Tunisian shaping class this Monday (12/11).

 

Has anyone tried hitting the cable portion with a hair dryer to try to relax the curl?

 

Joan

[JCB]

OK, I knew I didn't dream this! In her free pattern for a man's scarf, Kim describes how to do a long pattern even if your tunisian hook isn't long enough. Here is the pattern:

http://www.crochetkim.com/patterns/reversiblescarf.html

 

Joan

[cgd]

Oh, thanks for those links--I'll have to check them out!