Ergonomic Crochet Hooks

Yarniss Ergonomic Crochet Hooks Review: Months of Use With Sore Thumbs
Crochet Hooks

Yarniss Ergonomic Crochet Hooks Review: Months of Use With Sore Thumbs

A long-term look at the Yarniss 20-size ergonomic hook set, written after months of evening crochet with mild arthritis in my right thumb.

Yarniss Crochet Hooks vs Plain Metal Hooks: Which Is Easier on Your Hands?
Crochet Hooks

Yarniss Crochet Hooks vs Plain Metal Hooks: Which Is Easier on Your Hands?

Thirty years of plain metal hooks, then a month of evenings with the Yarniss set. This is what my hands told me.

10 Reasons Ergonomic Crochet Hooks Ease Hand Pain
Crochet Hooks

10 Reasons Ergonomic Crochet Hooks Ease Hand Pain

Honest notes from a crocheter whose right thumb used to ache after twenty minutes of work. Ten reasons the Yarniss ergonomic hook set helped her finish projects again.

The Hook Set That Let Me Keep Crocheting: A Yarniss Story
Crochet Supplies

The Hook Set That Let Me Keep Crocheting: A Yarniss Story

Two years ago, my aching thumb almost made me quit a hobby I have loved for 30 years. A set of ergonomic Yarniss hooks changed that.

How to Crochet With Arthritic Hands Using Ergonomic Hooks
Crochet Supplies

How to Crochet With Arthritic Hands Using Ergonomic Hooks

Honest, hands-on notes for crocheters with sore hands.

Yarniss Crochet Hooks Honest Review: Pros, Cons and Who Should Skip It
Crochet Hooks and Supplies

Yarniss Crochet Hooks Honest Review: Pros, Cons and Who Should Skip It

A straight-talking look at the Yarniss 20-size hook set after months of evening crochet with arthritic hands.

Premium Hook Sets

Clover Amour Crochet Hook Set Review: A Long-Term Test
Crochet Supplies

Clover Amour Crochet Hook Set Review: A Long-Term Test

A year of daily crochet with the Clover Amour 10-hook set. What helped my arthritic thumb, what did not, and who should buy it.

Clover Amour vs Tulip Etimo Crochet Hooks: Which Premium Hook Wins?
Crochet Hooks

Clover Amour vs Tulip Etimo Crochet Hooks: Which Premium Hook Wins?

Two premium hook sets, one yarn basket. Here is what ten months of evening crochet taught me about the difference.

10 Reasons Clover Amour Crochet Hooks Are Worth the Price
Crochet Hooks

10 Reasons Clover Amour Crochet Hooks Are Worth the Price

Thirty years of crocheting, one arthritic thumb, and a full set of Clover Amour hooks. Here is what I would tell a friend who is eyeing the price tag.

The Day I Switched to Clover Amour Hooks
Crochet Supplies

The Day I Switched to Clover Amour Hooks

Two years ago, a single hook changed how my evenings end. Honest notes from my armchair.

How to Pick the Right Crochet Hook Size With the Clover Amour Set
Crochet Hooks

How to Pick the Right Crochet Hook Size With the Clover Amour Set

A practical, hands-on guide to choosing the right crochet hook size, written by someone who has spent thirty years with a hook in her hand.

Clover Amour Crochet Hooks Honest Review: What the Hype Misses
Crochet Supplies

Clover Amour Crochet Hooks Honest Review: What the Hype Misses

Honest, hands-on notes for crocheters.

Beginner Crochet Kits

The Woobles Crochet Kit Review: Learning to Crochet From Zero
Crochet Kits

The Woobles Crochet Kit Review: Learning to Crochet From Zero

Six months after finishing Fred the Dinosaur, here is what the kit got right, what it did not, and whether it actually teaches you to crochet.

Woobles vs a DIY Beginner Crochet Kit: Which Teaches Better?
Crochet

Woobles vs a DIY Beginner Crochet Kit: Which Teaches Better?

A hands-on comparison from someone who taught three beginners to crochet.

10 Reasons a Beginner Crochet Kit Is the Best Way to Start
Crochet

10 Reasons a Beginner Crochet Kit Is the Best Way to Start

Honest, hands-on notes for crocheters who are tired of tangled yarn and half-finished projects.

I Finally Learned to Crochet With a Woobles Kit
Crochet Supplies

I Finally Learned to Crochet With a Woobles Kit

Thirty years of afghans, and a beginner's kit finally taught me amigurumi.

How to Learn to Crochet With a Woobles Kit, Step by Step
Crochet Supplies

How to Learn to Crochet With a Woobles Kit, Step by Step

A 30-year crocheter walks through the exact steps, the honest snags, and what to do when your hands hurt.

The Woobles Crochet Kit Honest Review: Worth It for a Beginner?
Crochet

The Woobles Crochet Kit Honest Review: Worth It for a Beginner?

I bought The Woobles kit with my own money, finished Fred the Dinosaur, and kept a list of every frustration along the way. Here is the honest version.

Chunky Yarn

Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick Review: A Long-Term Test
Yarn

Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick Review: A Long-Term Test

Six months, two blankets, one patient dog. Here is what this bulky wool blend is really like to live with.

Lion Brand Wool-Ease vs Basic Acrylic Yarn: Is It Worth It?
Yarn and Supplies

Lion Brand Wool-Ease vs Basic Acrylic Yarn: Is It Worth It?

A side-by-side look at Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick and Quick versus the basic acrylic skeins in the craft store bin, based on three decades of crocheting and a winter of testing both.

10 Reasons Bulky Yarn Is Great for Crochet Blankets
Crochet Supplies

10 Reasons Bulky Yarn Is Great for Crochet Blankets

Honest, hands-on notes for crocheters who want blankets they actually finish.

The Yarn I Keep Coming Back To: Wool-Ease Thick & Quick
Yarn & Crochet Supplies

The Yarn I Keep Coming Back To: Wool-Ease Thick & Quick

Why this bulky yarn keeps getting blankets finished.

How to Crochet a Chunky Blanket With Bulky Yarn
Crochet Supplies

How to Crochet a Chunky Blanket With Bulky Yarn

Honest, hands-on notes for crocheters.

Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick Honest Review
Yarn

Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick Honest Review

Six months of crocheting with Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick, including the parts the product page does not tell you.

Stitch Markers

HiMo Locking Stitch Markers Review: Months of Daily Use
Crochet Supplies

HiMo Locking Stitch Markers Review: Months of Daily Use

I have used the same set of HiMo locking stitch markers almost every evening for four months. Here is what held up, what did not, and what I learned.

Locking Stitch Markers vs Safety Pins: Which Is Better for Crochet?
Crochet Supplies

Locking Stitch Markers vs Safety Pins: Which Is Better for Crochet?

Delphine Ashcroft spent a month of evening crochet using both. Here is what she found, including the places where the safety pin still wins.

10 Reasons Locking Stitch Markers Save Your Projects
Crochet Supplies

10 Reasons Locking Stitch Markers Save Your Projects

Honest, hands-on notes for crocheters who are tired of losing their place, counting twice, and digging safety pins out of the carpet.

The Tiny Tool That Fixed My Stitch Count
Crochet Supplies

The Tiny Tool That Fixed My Stitch Count

How a bag of one hundred locking markers stopped me from ripping out rows at eleven at night.

How to Keep Your Crochet Stitch Count With Stitch Markers
Crochet Supplies

How to Keep Your Crochet Stitch Count With Stitch Markers

A plain-spoken guide to counting stitches as you crochet, using locking stitch markers the way I actually do in my evening chair.

HiMo Locking Stitch Markers Honest Review
Crochet Supplies

HiMo Locking Stitch Markers Honest Review

Six months of evening crochet with the same 100 HiMo locking stitch markers. What works, what annoys me, and what I wish someone had told me before I bought them.

All Reviews

Yarniss Ergonomic Crochet Hooks Review: Months of Use With Sore Thumbs
Crochet Hooks

Yarniss Ergonomic Crochet Hooks Review: Months of Use With Sore Thumbs

A long-term look at the Yarniss 20-size ergonomic hook set, written after months of evening crochet with mild arthritis in my right thumb.

Yarniss Crochet Hooks Honest Review: Pros, Cons and Who Should Skip It
Crochet Hooks and Supplies

Yarniss Crochet Hooks Honest Review: Pros, Cons and Who Should Skip It

A straight-talking look at the Yarniss 20-size hook set after months of evening crochet with arthritic hands.

Clover Amour Crochet Hook Set Review: A Long-Term Test
Crochet Supplies

Clover Amour Crochet Hook Set Review: A Long-Term Test

A year of daily crochet with the Clover Amour 10-hook set. What helped my arthritic thumb, what did not, and who should buy it.

Clover Amour Crochet Hooks Honest Review: What the Hype Misses
Crochet Supplies

Clover Amour Crochet Hooks Honest Review: What the Hype Misses

Honest, hands-on notes for crocheters.

The Woobles Crochet Kit Review: Learning to Crochet From Zero
Crochet Kits

The Woobles Crochet Kit Review: Learning to Crochet From Zero

Six months after finishing Fred the Dinosaur, here is what the kit got right, what it did not, and whether it actually teaches you to crochet.

The Woobles Crochet Kit Honest Review: Worth It for a Beginner?
Crochet

The Woobles Crochet Kit Honest Review: Worth It for a Beginner?

I bought The Woobles kit with my own money, finished Fred the Dinosaur, and kept a list of every frustration along the way. Here is the honest version.

Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick Review: A Long-Term Test
Yarn

Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick Review: A Long-Term Test

Six months, two blankets, one patient dog. Here is what this bulky wool blend is really like to live with.

Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick Honest Review
Yarn

Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick Honest Review

Six months of crocheting with Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick, including the parts the product page does not tell you.

HiMo Locking Stitch Markers Review: Months of Daily Use
Crochet Supplies

HiMo Locking Stitch Markers Review: Months of Daily Use

I have used the same set of HiMo locking stitch markers almost every evening for four months. Here is what held up, what did not, and what I learned.

HiMo Locking Stitch Markers Honest Review
Crochet Supplies

HiMo Locking Stitch Markers Honest Review

Six months of evening crochet with the same 100 HiMo locking stitch markers. What works, what annoys me, and what I wish someone had told me before I bought them.

Notes from the armchair, in your inbox

One short email a week with the hooks, yarns and tips that actually earned a place in my bag.