So, most of you know that I’m literally besotted with my KnitPro Symfonie hooks. They are wooden hooks and have a metal end with a screw attachment that turns them into Tunisian hooks when you attach a nylon cable. Nifty, right?
I love them because the wood forces me to loosen my tension, before I switched to the Symfonie hooks I was using cheap metal hooks which caused my hand to cramp because I was holding the hook so tightly. I’ve been asked whether the wooden hooks don’t break easily and I must say that they are pretty sturdy. I have broken two 4mm hooks but both because I was being silly trying to force the hook through a stitch that was too tight.
A while ago I was asked to create two lacy cowgirl hats for flower girls. I decided on using packaging twine to make the hats because it’s more sturdy and easier to shape. This means that the ‘yarn’ is also much stiffer and quite difficult to work with. I was using a 5mm Symfonie hook but was battling a bit, partially because I didn’t want to break the hook by yanking it through the tough twine too quickly. The fact that I was being so careful meant that it was taking too long to make the hat and to top it all off, I’ve also been placing quite a bit of strain on my hand.
So, off I went to the LYS around the corner from my parents’ (I’m staying in Joburg at the moment) to find an alternative. There really wasn’t much choice of brands but I was quite happy with the fact that they stock KnitPro because I do love the product.
I walked out of the store, which is having a huge sale at the moment (!!!!) with a 4mm and 5mm hook. Nothing else! Can you say self control?
So, what is the Soft Grip hook like? It’s quite comfortable. I’m managing to crochet faster because I can hold the hook easier but I think if the hook had been designed about one or two centimetres longer it would be even more comfortable.
You can see the difference in hook length in the photo below.
I am happy with my purchase though as it is saving my hand and speeding up my work.
Update: Now that I have been using the soft grip hook for quite a while I must say I am quite converted. The metal hook is definitely faster than the wooden hook, which means that I get more work done and the soft grip does not make my hand cramp up, which is why I stopped using metal hooks in the first place. Don’t get me wrong, I still love my Symfonie hooks, they are just so pretty and every time I pick one of them up it just brings that little something extra to the project I’m working on. I do think that when I have large orders to fill I may just stick to the soft grip hooks instead. The nice thing is that they are also much less expensive than the Symfonie hooks, so building up a full size collection won’t cost an arm and a leg.