Understanding Underway

Back to the issue of hook sizing. I emailed Tulip Co., Ltd, the makers of Tulip crochet hooks, in Japan. These are, by far, my favorite hooks.

They look nice, they feel nice, they're ergonomic so my hand doesn't cramp too much-I love them. I "hinted" to my husband that a set would make a great birthday present, and he didn't disappoint. Thanks, hubby!

Well, not only does Tulip make great crochet hooks, they also have wonderful customer service. They got back to me in less than a day (time difference?), with a photo that explains a lot. At least to start with.

It seems the difference between hooks of the same size but from different manufacturers has to do with the change in diameter along the throat of the hook.

For reference, this is the illustration from the Crochet Guild of America's page.

It seems, from the photo from Tulip, that what's the same in hooks of the same size is the diameter where the throat meets the neck. What differs between hooks of the same size can be the diameter of the throat at a specific distance from the point where the throat meets the neck. So, in the image:

Both the Tulip and Clover are 2.2 mm hooks. But close to the pad, the Tulip's diameter is 3.3 mm, while the Clover's is 2.6 mm. (Another question: Do all crochet hooks have throats of the same length?)

I guess this means that as the loop of yarn slides up and down the throat while you crochet, it expands more or less, depending on which hook you use. Clearly, more on the Tulip than on the Clover. (Not to dis Clover hooks. I have several, and they're also very nice).

The next step is to try to understand how this effects the appearance of your stitching. I sense an experiment coming on. Stay tuned.

Hook Variations-Does Size Matter?

I posted this question on Crochetville, but if anyone out there has any input, I'd be interested to hear it. Why are hooks that are supposedly the same size, actually different?

I looked at 4 size G hooks. From top to bottom:

One bamboo hook by Clover, 4.0 mm
One aluminum hook by Tulip, 4.0 mm
One aluminum hook by Clover, 4.0mm
One (I think steel) hook by Boye, 4.25 mm

The actual hook parts are clearly not all the same size. They're also different shapes. And most importantly, they produce different size stitching. So I can't simply switch from one to the other mid-project and expect the same result.

So I got to wondering, what does the size actually measure? From what part to what part of the hook? And how is the angle of the hook from the neck determined? And what about the angle of the point of the hook? And exactly how does all this effect stitching?

Thus far, the answers remain a mystery, at least to me.

Cases

All these high-tech devices. They're supposed to streamline your life, right? But once you get them, they need accouterments. If you carry around a Kindle, you need to protect it, in case it drops. My husband wants a case for his new ipad. I'll post pix when I get started with it.

On the low tech side, I take some notes at work on old-fashioned index cards. I need an easy way to carry them around. I made a kind of mock-up with duct tape:

But I want something nicer. Something with a pocket for spare cards. And a pen loop. And a little pocket for post-its. and a space in front for writing. Something crocheted. I have some beautiful Koigu sock yarn, just waiting for the right project. I think this is it:

Pillows!

I finally finished my pillow. Made another one, inspired by Lucy at Attic 24's ripple pattern.
Enjoy!

Spring Flowers

 It's Spring, and I thought I'd share some pictures of new flowers, some man-made, some not.

Yarns Part 2-Expensive

These are some projects that were made with more costly yarn. The question is, Is the experience or the outcome worth the price?

This hat was made with Naturwolle/Muench Yarns BlackForest , which I bought from Jimmy Beans Wool (they send you candy with your order). At $25 for a skein, it was the first really expensive wool I bought. The hat came out pretty but a little big. Was it worth it? I don't know, but I feel special when I wear it.

 This is Noro Kureyon. I think I bought it from Jimmy Beans. It runs around $9 for a 110 yard skein. Noro is magnificent yarn. The colors and transitions between colors are breathtaking. I feel like I'm making art, not a crochet project, when I use it.

 This one is Blue Sky Alpaca Sportweight in red, and a little amber. I think I got it from Amazon. It runs around $9 for 110 yards. The color I used seems to have been discontinued, the closest one now is Scarlet, but I like this one better. It's not as much fun to wear as it looks, but the yarn feels luscious.


Next is Manos. I think this is my favorite yarn. It's made by a fair trade women's collective in Uruguay, and no two skeins are the same. I love the way the shifting colors turn out in a spike stitch. It's a rich looking and feeling yarn. It's $12.50 for a 150 yard skein.

Manos Del Uruguay Silk Blend Multi in Woodland

 And Manos again in Autumn

And this is Mission Falls Merino~$7 for 136 yards. The colors are intense and lovely, but it's not that  different from my beloved Knit Picks Swish DK, which is less than $4 for 123 yards.


Bottom line, I do enjoy working with expensive yarns, so from an experiential point of view, i.e. as meditative therapy, they're worth the price. They certainly seem more luxurious, but maybe I just want to think that because I want my money's worth. I think they separate less when you're working with them than, say, Lion Brand or Red Heart. I guess it's just a matter of your project, your mood, and how much pocket money you have.

Yarns-part 1

How do you chose the yarn for a project?
Do you go with whatever the pattern uses?
What if you aren't using a pattern?
Do you prefer costly or inexpensive?
Does it depend on the project?
Or who it's for?

I mentally separate projects into 2 categories: 1. Warrants expensive yarn, and 2. Doesn't warrant expensive yarn. I'm carefully avoiding the word, "cheap", because I have some great quality yarn that didn't cost much.

I'll tackle category #2, inexpensive, in this post, and the costlier yarns in my next post.

I have a couple of go-to solutions. The first is Knit Picks DK Swish.

It's merino wool, it comes in lots of colors, it's soft, it's machine washable AND machine dryable, and the price is great. I love it. I have a ton of it. I use it for most of my "experiments", even ones I know I should use worsted for. Knit Picks does have worsted wool in the same colorways, I just feel like I should use up some of my DK before I buy more.

I've made a lot of things with it, including my pillow-in-progress:

  This hat:

And this baby blanket:

The second is Lion Brand Yarn, which I often don't like that much. However, their store is right near where I work, and I just can't stop myself from walking in there. It offers the immediate gratification I can't get from an online site like Knit Picks. It also gives me the opportunity to touch the yarn before I buy it. I've made some nice things with their yarn.

This bag:

was made with Lion Brand microspun in "sterling". It works up slightly shiny, which is just right for an evening bag. But it tends to separate a lot when you crochet with it.

I've also used some yarns from Red Heart. I made this baby blanket with their Soft Yarn:

It's nice and soft, but it lacks the specialness of wool.

And I made this throw:

with their Super Saver yarn. The fabric it creates has a nice feel to it, but I hated working with it, because it's quite rough-I found it uncomfortable for my hands.

That's it for today. Next time: Costly Yarns