Crochet hooks case

I explained in a previous post that by now I own several crochet hooks. So I had to face the problem of storing my hooks. They are my tools and they are precious to me. They are what screwdrivers are for my husband! And he has a beautiful case for his. I should also get a beautiful case for my precious hooks and what is even better is if I make a beautiful case for them myself!

I started searching in the internet and then a beautiful pattern came up: Pricilla’s aluminium hooks case. The pattern is for free and you can download it from the link you will find in the page of Pricilla on Ravelry (just click the link I have here).

The original pattern suggests to use a hook size E or F, which translates to 3.5 mm or 3.75 mm respectively. In Europe we rarely have 3.75 mm hooks. So I used my CLOVER Amour (4.0 mm). In addition the original pattern is done in only one colour (an ugly brown), but I decided to make a case with two colours: one for the inside and one for the outside. For the outside I used Stylecraft Special DK 1826 – Kelly Green and for the inside Stylecraft Special DK 1827 – Fuchsia Lila. Stylecraft Special DK is a 100% acrylic yarn that I have used in several projects of mine and is soft and nice to crochet with and does not deteriorate a lot with use (Lukas from my very first post on crochet is made from this type of yarn and I can assure you he looks very well after two years and several washings!).

My case for aluminium hooks

The pattern is easy to follow and quite straight forward. It is a nice demonstration of the length of the different crochet stitches. Some parts of it are done with double crochet and some with two rows of single crochet. If you are making a case with two colours as me, you start as the pattern says with colour 1 and at the last row of the lining and hook pockets (row 28) you make single crochets in the back loops only of each single crochet across and then you make a slip stitch and fasten off. You then connect colour 2 by inserting the hook at the edge where you made the slip stitch, chain 2 and then continue  as the pattern says for rows 29 to 53. At the end of row 53 do not chain 1, but make a slip stitch and fasten off. Then take again colour 1 and connect it the same way as you did with colour 2 earlier (insert the hook and chain 1 this time) and do row 54. You can then continue with the edging that you prefer. I chose the edging for button closure, as you can see from my photos. I chose a nice big button to fit the colours and this way my aluminium hooks got a nice new home.

But I am rarely using my aluminium hooks anymore. I now prefer much more my CLOVER Amour, as I explained in detail in Crochet hooks that I have used. So I had to make a case for these hooks too. But there was a small difficulty: the ergonomic hooks are much thicker than the aluminium hooks and didn’t fit. Instead of finding a new case pattern that would fit the bigger hooks, I decided to modify this pattern: I made two instead of only one double crochet (dc) lines per hook pocket and I closed each pocket with two lines of single crochet (sc). This means that each hook pocket was created with the following sequence:

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Step 1: Dc in each of the first 10 stitches and then dc in the back loop only of the next 20 stitches to form the back of the hook pocket; turn (30)

Step 2: 20 dc in the free loops of the same stitches, so as to form the front of the hook pocket; ch2, turn (20)

Step 3: 20 dc along the stitches that were created in step 2 using both loops; turn (20)

Step 4: dc along the back side to the top; ch1, turn (30)

Step 5: sc for 10 stitches and then 20 sc through both the front and the back stitches so as to close the pocket; ch1, turn (30)

Step 6: sc to top; ch2, turn (30)

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My case for CLOVER Amour

The yarns I used for this case are Stylecraft Special DK 1002 – Black for the outside and Stylecraft Special DK 1010 – Matador for the inside. As in the previous case, I did the edging for a button and chose a beautiful red rose button to decorate my case.

Now all of my hooks are nicely stored and protected!

P.S. Concerning the links used here, please check my Disclaimer.

Crochet hooks that I have used

I learnt to crochet during the winter of 2014 with aluminium hooks, just like these:

or

They are the most basic crochet hooks and usually not expensive (the two links that I have used here are 5 or 6 euros the set). They are much better and more comfortable than the plastic ones that starter kits come with. If you are starting to crochet, it is better to invest in something like this. If you are a beginner, a set might seem to be too much, but different projects need different sizes and aluminium hooks are cheap enough to get a set.

If you are just trying things out, choose a bigger than a smaller size and chunky yarn, it will be much easier to see your stitches. I even started with a piece of thick string. Something bigger than 5.0 mm would be perfect. For your information, amigurumis are usually made with hooks of size 3.0 mm to 4.0 mm and occasionally with slightly smaller ones (2.5 mm). So a set that includes hooks from 2.5 mm to 6.0 mm or bigger should be more than enough for the majority of the projects with normal yarns. You should keep in mind that sets are in the long term cheaper than if you buy the same hooks individually.

I used aluminium hooks myself for quite some time, until it was obvious that it was my preferred hobby, among the crafts I tried (knitting, polymeric clay, paper crafts etc.). At that point, I decided to invest a bit of time in upgrading my tools. Taking into consideration how many hours I was spending crocheting, I thought that the best choice would be to try some ergonomic ones. Yes crochet and knitting or any of these handicrafts if exercised for a lot of hours in a row can lead to pain in the hands or the arms. So even if ergonomic hooks are more expensive than the aluminium ones and if you like crochet and tend to spend time on it, consider this choice.

There are several types of ergonomic hooks and several brands producing them. Below I am going to review the ones I tried myself. I will refer to the two most common sizes for amigurumis and the ones that I have used myself, but the materials do not make any difference among sizes, as long as you stick to the same brands and type.

I am a CLOVER fan and I first tried the CLOVER Soft Touch (3.0 mm) and CLOVER Soft Touch (4.0 mm):

As you can see in the photo, these ones have a wider handle, so that they are more comfortable to hold than the thin aluminium ones and the material is soft. In total they are light hooks, so as not to tire the hand. The black part is where your thumb is resting. These hooks can cost about 6 euros each.

Although I can’t put it down to words, this type of hook was not my cup of tea.

Then I tried another type of ergonomic hooks from CLOVER: the CLOVER Amour (3.0 mm) or CLOVER Amour (4.0 mm):

These ones are a bit longer than the CLOVER Soft Touch and the handle is from another material. They have a nice curved handle so that it fits the hand nicely and they come in different bright colours for the different sizes. In my hand, they feel much softer than the Soft Touch (ironic?). These hooks can cost about 8 euros each (yes one of them is more expensive than a set of aluminium hooks!).

These hooks made the click for me! I adore them! From one side the nice appearance and from the other the comfortable way they fit my hand, make them the hooks I use when I crochet!

In this photo you can see the two types next to each other for sizes 2.5 mm and 4.0 mm:

Comparison of CLOVER Soft Touch with CLOVER Amour

You can see how much longer the CLOVER Amour are compared to the CLOVER Soft Touch and the different shape of the handle. I have read that the Soft Touch fit smaller hands better. But the Amour type is the one fitting me!

By now you must have noticed the price difference between the ergonomic hooks and the aluminium ones. It is huge! I have found in the market other brands of ergonomic hooks that look like the CLOVER Amour, but I was not satisfied by them. The material of the handle was much harder and when working with them it was clear to me that it was worthy to pay the price for the expensive CLOVER Amour.

I am a proud owner of a set of CLOVER Amour:

My CLOVER Amour set!

As I mentioned already, sets are better priced than individual hooks in the long term. The Clover Amour Set of the nine sizes I own are currently in offer in Amazon for less than 50 euros, while the Clover Soft Touch Set costs 39 euros! So if you are at the point of buying ergonomic hooks, it means you are not an occasional crocheter, so invest in a set. Nevertheless, I would suggest that you first try which type you prefer yourself!

P.S. Concerning the links used here, please check my Disclaimer.