Results 1 to 11 of 11
  1. #1
    Join Date
    Nov 2004
    Location
    Millmerran,QLD
    Age
    73
    Posts
    11,099

    Default You will all want one of these!!

    Well, possibly you won't, but if you have a crafty partner (careful here) and wish to curry favour you may be interested.

    We were returning from Brisbane the other week and as we approached Toowoomba SWMBO said she needed a crochet hook as the one she had borrowed needed to be returned. We headed off to Lincraft, but the traffic was diabolical for us country types (more than ten cars in a row) and we did a U-turn and headed off to Spotlight. They didn't have the large size we required.

    "Never mind said SWMBO brightly. You can make me one in wood!"

    Possible I thought, for the right encouragement .

    This was the plastic hook I copied:

    Hook 1 002.jpgHook 1 001.jpg

    And the timber versions:

    Crochet hook 001.jpgCrochet hook 002.jpg

    The top hook is Gidgee and the bottom Spotted Gum. I was initially concerned the neck area might be too weak, but these timbers are strong and I needn't have worried. They are just under 180mm long and the handle section is 15mm diameter. The handle is turned on the lathe and the hook shaped with rasps (my new Liogier rasps ) after a bit of trimming with a frame saw (thank you IanW for that beast). The whole lot could be done with planes and rasps if no lathe is available.

    Crochet work is normally associated with fine material. In this instance the idea was to use up old sheets, which are torn into strips about 50mm wide and used to make a bath mat, which is why such a beefy looking crochet hook is needed.

    Crochet hook 003.jpg

    SWMBO isn't happy with the result and says she needs more practice. She has more sheets . The pic seems to show up flaws, which I didn't see before so maybe she is right. She tells me she usually is .

    Good use for scrappy little bits of wood and an alternative to pens I suppose. That might provoke a response from the pen makers if nothing else .

    Regards
    Paul
    Last edited by Bushmiller; 31st March 2014 at 03:01 PM. Reason: A bit of punctuation
    Bushmiller;

    "Power tends to corrupt. Absolute power corrupts, absolutely!"

  2. # ADS
    Google Adsense Advertisement
    Join Date
    Always
    Location
    Advertising world
    Age
    2010
    Posts
    Many





     
  3. #2
    Join Date
    Jun 2003
    Location
    ...
    Posts
    7,955

    Default

    Nice hooks and more interesting to do then pens.

    Quote Originally Posted by Bushmiller View Post
    we did a U-turn and headed off to Spotlight.

    Paul
    We call that store Ladies Bunnings.

    Peter.

  4. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2004
    Location
    Brisbane (western suburbs)
    Age
    77
    Posts
    12,095

    Default

    Paul, a long time ago, I was asked to make some giant knitting needles for a special project that required needles much larger than normally available in your average craft store. This I duly did, but it took more mucking about than I anticipated. This was because very few woods are fine enough to take the high polish required to prevent the wool catching & causing very un-smooth knitting (as I was told!). My first couple of offerings were roundly rejected, & the ones that finally got the nod were made from Rosewood, a wood that takes a high polish & keeps it. I realised why materials such as bone & tortoise shell were used before plastics came along. In view of that, I would have thought Spotty Gum would be a poorer choice than Gidgee or Mulga (which is very fine & should work very well), but p'raps he way crochet stitches are made, it's not so important for the hooks to be super-smooth??

    Cheers,
    IW

  5. #4
    Join Date
    Nov 2004
    Location
    Millmerran,QLD
    Age
    73
    Posts
    11,099

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by IanW View Post
    Paul, a long time ago, I was asked to make some giant knitting needles for a special project that required needles much larger than normally available in your average craft store. This I duly did, but it took more mucking about than I anticipated. This was because very few woods are fine enough to take the high polish required to prevent the wool catching & causing very un-smooth knitting (as I was told!). My first couple of offerings were roundly rejected, & the ones that finally got the nod were made from Rosewood, a wood that takes a high polish & keeps it. I realised why materials such as bone & tortoise shell were used before plastics came along. In view of that, I would have thought Spotty Gum would be a poorer choice than Gidgee or Mulga (which is very fine & should work very well), but p'raps he way crochet stitches are made, it's not so important for the hooks to be super-smooth??

    Cheers,
    Ian

    They haven't been used in anger yet (or for crochet work ) so I can't really say whether one timber is better than the other. I understand what you mean, but they in fact feel about the same and the burnishing oil applied on the lathe does tend to fill in the pores.

    For those of you who are holding out on the verdict before making one of these () I'll have to get back to you.

    On the subject of knitting needles, I remember as a child using a very large pair, which were indeed wooden: A pale timber but I have no idea what it would have been: Possibly Beech. Oh and before the comments start to flood in, when you are a five year old boy, you can be persuaded to do all sorts of things. It took a year or so before I decided knitting wasn't for me .

    Regards
    Paul
    Bushmiller;

    "Power tends to corrupt. Absolute power corrupts, absolutely!"

  6. #5
    Join Date
    Mar 2004
    Location
    Brisbane (western suburbs)
    Age
    77
    Posts
    12,095

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Bushmiller View Post
    ....... I remember as a child using a very large pair, which were indeed wooden: A pale timber but I have no idea what it would have been: Possibly Beech. Oh and before the comments start to flood in, when you are a five year old boy, you can be persuaded to do all sorts of things. It took a year or so before I decided knitting wasn't for me .
    Well I'm not ashamed to tell you that I was quite a good knitter years ago. I spent a lot of time sitting in aircraft, and my eyes got too tired to read, so at the suggestion of my swmbo, I took up knitting to while away the hours. Got pretty good at it, too! I used to get some strange looks from a few macho types, but got lots of encouragement, too.

    I have it on good authority that Henry VIII was a champion knitter. Don't think old Henry was a wimp.....

    Cheers,
    IW

  7. #6
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    bilpin
    Posts
    3,552

    Default

    In a passed life I was a drummer. Some of what we played was pretty hard on equipment. The local ladies knitting group were always keen to get my reject sticks so long as I trimmed them down to their specific requirements.
    Probably the only drummer with an over 70s Lady fan club.

  8. #7
    Join Date
    Apr 2005
    Location
    kyogle N.S.W
    Age
    50
    Posts
    4,844

    Default

    I made a few of these for a lady in Lismore. I remember how fiddly they were. Did a lot of squinting. It was fun to do some of it with my daughter. We stamped the numbers on them as well. like #3 ,5 (? don't remember). Put a little flat on the handles to take the brand of the number.

  9. #8
    Join Date
    Nov 2004
    Location
    Millmerran,QLD
    Age
    73
    Posts
    11,099

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by IanW View Post

    I have it on good authority that Henry VIII was a champion knitter. Don't think old Henry was a wimp.....

    Cheers,
    Talking of good 'ole Henry a friend of mine at school used him as the excuse for his less than acceptable performance in the history class. He said he had been lied to as he was told Henry died of excesses when in fact it was syphilis. He could no longer believe anything that was told to him and as a consequence flunked badly.

    Actually, if knitting was all right with Henry perhaps I should look a little further into it .

    Regards
    Paul
    Bushmiller;

    "Power tends to corrupt. Absolute power corrupts, absolutely!"

  10. #9
    Join Date
    Mar 2004
    Location
    Brisbane (western suburbs)
    Age
    77
    Posts
    12,095

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Bushmiller View Post
    .......He said he had been lied to as he was told Henry died of excesses when in fact it was syphilis. He could no longer believe anything that was told to him and as a consequence flunked badly.
    Well how did he catch syphilis if it wasn't through his excesses? So 'they' were right; just neglected the details, that's all.....

    IW

  11. #10
    Join Date
    Nov 2004
    Location
    Millmerran,QLD
    Age
    73
    Posts
    11,099

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by IanW View Post
    Well how did he catch syphilis if it wasn't through his excesses? So 'they' were right; just neglected the details, that's all.....

    Absolutely right, but it didn't suit my school friend's agenda to acknowledge that.

    Back on the subject of crochet hooks in the case of these I made remember that the "wool" is in fact strips of cotton sheet so in any event I think snagging is unlikely to be an issue.

    Regards
    Paul
    Bushmiller;

    "Power tends to corrupt. Absolute power corrupts, absolutely!"

  12. #11
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Location
    Horsham Victoria
    Posts
    5,713

    Default

    Yes I like them. Don't show my wife.

    Nicely polished right to the hook


    Dave the turning cowboy

    turning wood into art

Tags for this Thread

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •