It’s no secret I crochet. A lot. This summer, I actually crocheted myself into tendonitis, but that’s not the point of this post.
I want to talk a little bit about my favorite crochet hooks.
My go-to hook is a size J/10 6.0 mm hook. In the picture here, you can see the wear on my absolute favorite hook in the middle. It’s a blue-green with the underlying silver showing through.
Who thought you could wear the color off of a metal crochet hook? I didn’t. Now I know.
My second favorite hook is not pictured. It’s also a size J. The handle is gray with purple flowers and the hook itself is purple.
I have a third favorite hook. It’s also not picture because there’s a project on it. It’s a size L/11 8.0 mm Tunisian crochet hook. I’m making a shawl designed by Toni Lipsey of TL Yarn Crafts. I love the pattern. I love the hook. I’ll share pictures of the finished project if you’re interested.
There you have it. A few if my favorite crochet hooks and why.
What is your favorite tool you use in your creating/making?
I have a lot of patterns. I have a lot of yarn. I don’t necessarily buy yarn for every pattern I have that I want to make. That would be a bit much, even for me. So what do I do?
First, I go through the yarn I already have (and can access because some of it is in storage in the garage). Honestly, I usually find something to use in that. If I don’t, then I go yarn shopping.
It’s such a hardship.
I couldn’t even type that with a straight face.
But seriously, what do you do if you have a pattern you want but you don’t have the yarn that goes with it? Read the pattern and find the recommended yarn. Then check the labels on the yarn you have. Is any of it comparable?
Check the fiber. If it’s a wool blend, do you have a similar yarn? What weight does the pattern call for? If it’s chunky and you only have worsted, can you hold two strands together and make it work?
I do this often enough that I honestly don’t really think about it. I’ve even substituted different weights of yarn. I have one pattern that calls for DK or sport yarn. I don’t have any. Instead, I’m using worsted weight yarn (probably what you think of when you think of yarn) and went up to a larger crochet hook to accommodate it.
The only advice I have for selecting yarn for a pattern or for substituting yarn is this: If you like it, use it. You might need to experiment to get the right hook or needle for the look you want, but it will (usually) work out.
Why usually?
It doesn’t work so well if you’re making garments. Then you do want to use as similar a yarn as possible to what the pattern calls for.
I talk about writing often enough here that you might wonder if I do any other creative work. I do.
I knit, crochet, make jewelry, do handlettering, and make greeting cards. I primarily crochet, though.
I love shawls and scarves. I’ve recently made an infinity scarf and a cowl for Christmas gifts. I’m working on one that’s called a “Dragon Belly Shawl.” It’s gorgeous! After it’s done, I’m going to make a pair of dragon-scale fingerless gloves/mitts.
I do offer things for sale, but most of what I make is gifted to different people for different reasons.
Recently, I’ve had to slow down. I’ve developed tendonitis and it’s taking forever to get well, even with a brace and exercises. (Yes, I even type with the brace on.)
Front cover of the book, Journal Your Way to Creativity, by Jen Nipps
Blurb:
“Journal Your Way to Creativity is a 90-day self-guided journal designed to help readers tap into their creativity. Some of the prompts may sound silly, but some of the silliest prompts tend to be the ones that make you dig the deepest.”
Sample Prompts:
5. Think about your reasons for believing you are creative. List five reasons why it is true.
37. What is your favorite color? Why? (Yes, you can have more than one but keep it to three or fewer.)
58. Give yourself about five minutes and ask yourself “What If I Were Creative?” Try to list 10 things.
82. What rules have you broken recently?
Why This Book?
As I mentioned, I am also a creativity coach. Sometimes the best way to reach people in order to help them is where they are. That’s not always physically possible, so I thought a journal of some type might be helpful. Once I got that idea in mind, it wouldn’t let go.
I debated how many prompts to include. I finally decided on 90 because that’s three months of daily journaling. That’s long enough to accomplish a couple things. It’s enough to make journaling a habit. It’s also long enough to start breaking down old thought patterns/beliefs and creating new ones. I am not saying it’s enough time to completely create new ones.
Sometimes it’s easy to fall back into old habits and ways of thinking, no matter how much we think we’re “over it.”
Here’s a not-so-secret secret: We’re never really over it.
Thought patterns take a lifetime to build. It makes sense to think they would take another lifetime to break down to make way for new ones. There are things we have to work on repeatedly, whether it’s maintaining a new, healthier lifestyle or thinking of ourselves as creative beings.
With this journal, which is part of Living Your Creative Life, it is my hope that we can build and reinforce our creative habits and beliefs.
About the Author:
I’m a freelance writer specializing in creativity, social media, and general human interest. I just released book #10! Journal Your Way to Creativity is available in print and on Kindle now!
I am also a creativity coach. But… what IS a creativity coach? Simply put, creativity coaching is a subset of life coaching where someone helps you with various aspects of your lives. I — and any other creativity coach — can help you with issues you may be having in your creative life, whether it’s finishing projects, finding inspiration, or how to get out of a rut. If you’re interested, I’d love to talk to you about it.
I am a fiber artist. I knit and crochet. I want to learn to spin, but that will have to wait a while.
I am available to speak to writers’ groups, civic organizations, schools, and conferences. I can do in-person presentations or present via Skype. If you need a speaker for your event, let’s talk! My speaking repertoire also includes living with disabilities and diabetes as well as creativity and social media as mentioned above.
I could be called a fiber artist, if you were so inclined. Sometimes I refer to myself that way because I do more than one thing with yarn. I knit and crochet.
I learned how to crochet about six or seven years ago. I learned how to knit in February.
Since then, I have knit more than I crochet.
I found a project, though, that is making me put down the needles and pick up the hook.
I have a lot of patterns. I have a lot of yarn. I don’t necessarily buy yarn for every pattern I have that I want to make. That would be a bit much, even for me. So what do I do?
I could be called a fiber artist, if you were so inclined. Sometimes I refer to myself that way because I do more than one thing with yarn. I knit and crochet.