What kind of hook do you prefer and why?

[CrochetDad]

One of the questions asked when I joined Crochetville was about the kind of hook I prefer. Well, I've only tried aluminum, steel, and various types of plastic. I know by my web surfing that there hooks made of other materials, like wood and bone.

 

What is your favorite type of hook and why do you prefer it?

[losingmymind2]

I prefer bamboo hooks because they're light and warm in my hand. After over-crocheting for a number of years, I thought I'd never crochet again due to carpel tunnel and tendon surgery on my right hand. When I picked up a bamboo hook, I was thrilled by how light and easy it was to use.

[secretstasher]

I have tried plastic and aluminium but prefer aluminium as it glides easier. I have a full set that I paid way too much for on ebay. I love them I have never tried bamboo but have tried bamboo knitting needles that came free with a knitting magazine. They stick too much and I fear splinters but thats just me.

[alibra]

I guess I would have to say it depends on what I am working on...some afghans, I prefer plastic, if I work with thread then I prefer aluminum..I do have wooden hooks, I just don't use them as much...

[smokeyp81]

I love my Susan Bates aluminum hooks. I also have 2 TOTC hooks that I love. Bamboo is nice too. I have a bunch of Boye hooks that I only use if I can't find my Bates.

[Terry Rindal Jr]

Most of my hooks I inherited from my Mom and Grandma.

My favorite hooks are a steel "I" which feels perfect in my hand when making afghans or hats, and a hook my grandfather appearently ground for my grandma from an ice pick. It still has the "Duluth Ice and Coal Co." handle. The size is approx an "H".

I have a few wooden ones but they are large and I have only used them a few times. The feel of the Wooden Afghan hook was warm and smooth when I was making a tunisian stitch hoodie for my 12-yr old daughter, but I don't have any small wooden hooks. I have never tried bone and plastic just feels "wrong". Aluminum is okay, but I like steel better.

[Tampa Doll]

My favorite for thread are of course the steele. Right now for yarn, I am using the lited hooks, cause I am working with a lot of dark yarn.

I love my TOC that is wood.

[iamnichole]

I LOVE plastic. I bought some hooks from Joannes because they were on clearance for 50 cents, then found out they were aluminum. I was highly upset, but I didnt have those hooks and they were only 50 cents, so I'll put up with it. I dont like aluminum because of the pointed tip, it always splits my yarn. Plastic hooks have a rounded tip and they glide thru the yarn much easier to me. I've only broke ONE plastic hook and its because I wasnt using a big enough hook (and it was in my earlier crochet years).

I found an ivory hook at an antique store and wanted it soooo bad, but it was $14 and my husband would have killed me because i probably would've bought it and not used it because it was so beautiful. but i'm gonna go back and get it anyway!!!!

[vonnie]

I pretty much do thread crochet so I prefer steel. BOYE only and I like the older hooks, I have some that have 10cents on them so they are older, and I think thinner. I also have lots of wood hooks that I have bought from Graydog and Turn of the Century and love them if I am doing yarn...

[Katchkan]

I am also a dedicated threadie. So steel is my hook of choice. Boye hooks to be exact. Though I do use the older Susan Bates when I am making bullion stitches. For yarn I use Boye aluminum. I have all sorts of hooks in all sorts of materials since I collect crochet hooks. But these are the hooks I actually use.

[harmonise]

My favorites are the ones I think iamnichole referred to (JoAnn Craft Sensations), metal (don't know if aluminum or steel) but painted but only have a few sizes, largest is an H. My second favorite is a set a bamboo i won on ebay (E - K). I like the Boye aluminum better than Bates. I would love to get some exotic wook hooks since I like the bamboo so much. I got two lots of "antique" hooks and tools on ebay really cheap (about $12 each) that have many many bone and/or ivory hooks...mostly in the G/H range. haven't used them for fear of breaking one, i might just arrange and frame them.

[Addey]

I prefer aluminum to plastic. I've tried both the clear hard plastic and the opaque softer plastics and I don't like them as much. They don't feel right in my hands and both bend too much and are too stiff at the same time. (I know, aluminum doesn't bend, but they flow better for lack of a word in my hands...)

I had a wooden G hook. I really enjoyed it until I stepped on it and broke the hook part. I'd love to get some more wood hooks, especially a Jimbo. They look like they'd be reeeeaaaaallly comfortable in my hand, as the shaft is usually bigger than the working part of the hook. Therefore, my hand wouldn't cramp up on me when working for hours with a small-ish hook.

I also prefer the Bates in-line style hook for most yarns to the Boye style hook. I don't split as much yarn with my Bates as I do with my Boye. I also am able to grab the yarn-overs so much easier for some reason. Either that or it just stays on my hook better, I'm not sure.

[CrisKad]

I prefer aluminum hooks, though I like to use plastic hooks when working with multiple strands.

[sonnets_and_stitches]

Does anyone actually own a bone crochet hook? I have the impression that bone crochet hooks are quite old, from the same era as whalebone corsets, and are more likely to be in a musuem rather than in someone's work basket.

 

If you have a bone hook, I know that I, for one, would love to hear about it!

~ Joy

[Katchkan]

Does anyone actually own a bone crochet hook? I have the impression that bone crochet hooks are quite old, from the same era as whalebone corsets, and are more likely to be in a musuem rather than in someone's work basket.

 

If you have a bone hook, I know that I, for one, would love to hear about it!

~ Joy

I have lots of bone crochet hooks. Yes they are old. But you can still find them. I have lots that are steel hooks with bone handles also. Boye used to make bone hooks in the early 1900's It was a very common material then. I find them in thrift stores and antique malls and occasionally at a yard sale. I always scarf these up.

[sonnets_and_stitches]

So are bone hooks generally appropriate only for thread?

 

Just so I don't COMPLETELY sidetrack this thread

 

I have only one hook for every size represented in my toolbox. I only own Boye aluminum or steel, not because that's my "preferred" hooks necessarily, but just because I haven't had the occasion to try anything else. I do have some plastic Yarnbee hooks for my very largest sizes, but I'm not thrilled with them.

[Katchkan]

So are bone hooks generally appropriate only for thread?

Only the ones with steel hooks. I have lots and lots that are all bone, ranging in sizes from a C- H. Never have found one much larger than that though.

[CrochetDad]

I was in Joanns today and they have a hook called Baleen (made in India), which seems to say it's made out of whale bone, but it doesn't say anywhere what they are made of - they LOOK like plastic. Does anyone know the material they are made of?

[champygirl]

I prefer aluminum.

[sonnets_and_stitches]

Are these the hooks you saw? If so, then they're plastic.

 

http://store.knitting-warehouse.com/notions-hooks-balene.html

[CrochetDad]

Are these the hooks you saw? If so, then they're plastic.

 

http://store.knitting-warehouse.com/notions-hooks-balene.html

 

Yep! That's the ones. Thanks for the info.

[darski]

I like the plastic and I am a recent convert to in-line hooks. It took me a bit to get used to the difference but I like them much better now.

 

I also really like the colours sitting in my office cup or in my hand as I work.

 

Aluminum hooks, and I do have them, are a challenge for me. if my nail happens to touch the hook it is nails on the blackboard by a factor of 10 (this is as close as I could get to a shudder )

[crochetluvknot]

i love my ozarktwist and greydog hooks (wooden) but also love susan bates aluminum

[ArielManx]

I prefer Boye aluminum - whenever I use Susan Bates my yarn splits like you wouldn't believe! I also have an assortment of plastic hooks - Crystalites and an old set of Bernat Aeros - I prefer those for big sizes. I just got a couple wooden hooks that were my grandma's and I'm looking forward to trying them after I sand them down a bit.

[JessyT]

Mostly I prefer aluminum or steel. I have some plastic ones that just feel odd. I have recently bought a bamboo hook and a wood hook but haven't made anything with them yet. I tend to prefer Bates over Boye but I own more of the latter.