Oh, The Hype Of It All.....

Ok, so I finally broke down and got some Noro yarn. Noro seems to be the Sacred Yarn of Valhalla and there was so much hype around it I was afraid to get any! What if I dared make something frivolous? A stuffed animal? A wristlet purse? I would shame my family and the crochet community and have to go into hiding with my hooks.

Anyway, I went to the only LYS that carries Noro Karuta. I found the yarn, I looked, I petted, I agonized over color! I got a nice purple one. The ball is only 54 yards though, so I have no idea what to do with it. Some sort of small neck thing? By the way, Karuta  is 40% silk, 30% wool and 30% cotton for those of us who were wondering.

A major gripe I have is this super spiffy yarn I got isn't even as soft as some of my soft acrylics. It's also uneven and looks like my cat was playing with it. Then why did I get it you ask? The brand name hype! I spent too long hiding in the shadows with my Malabrigo yarn and Clover hooks! It was time for my day in the sun! To dive into the pool of super fancy yarns! Turns out it was more like an overcast wade through a kiddie pool in the backyard. Perhaps I got a bum ball? Or maybe I'm just not posh enough to own Noro.

I think I'll make a nice wristlet purse and see what happens. Maybe I'll grow to like the yarn, or maybe I'll grow to never want to see it again.

What Did I Do Today?

I went to one of my "local" yarn shops today. Well ok, I live in Beaverton and the yarn shop is in Portland, so it's not really close to me but I find I like the overall attitude and atmosphere better. So, this gave me the idea to start reviewing my local yarn shops (LYS) from a crocheter's point of view.

The shop I'm at today is called Twisted. You can visit them at twistedpdx.com. The workers are always friendly and helpful, even after they learned I crochet and don't knit. As far as I can tell, the whole staff is very well acquainted with all the yarn in the store as well as the accessories. While they don't have a large selection of hooks or crochet books, they DO have a great selection of yarns. And if you like sock yarn, this is the place for you!

They carry quite a few fibers from local artists and farms, always a plus. Most of it is super soft sheepy goodness. So you can always claim that you aren't buying more yarn, you're supporting your community!

Another bonus is that they are never so busy that it's unpleasant to be there. Sometimes you can't find a seat in the front if the local knitting group rolls in but there's always some place to be.

They carry so much yarny goodness supplemented with handmade bags, spinning accessories and shirts and sweatshirts with the Twisted logo on them. They also have plenty of shawl picks, ceramic yarn bowls and snacky foods.

Yes, snacky foods. This is one of those cool shops where you can sit with your yarn habit and enjoy a nice cup of tea and a scone or cookie. They have a large tea selection and will also custom blend one for you. Or if that's not your thing, you can grab a cold drink as well.

The store itself has a nice set up too. Big front windows as well as good lighting, you know, so you can actually see the color of the yarn you're fondling. The aisles are not crowded in either. You actually have room to move and haul around armfuls of yarn without bumping into anything.....not that I would do that.....

So, how does it add up? (Out of five stars)
1/5 for crochet book selection. They have Creepy Cute Crochet and Twinkie Chan's book but no other good stuff. I don't really hold this against them, it's all supply and demand.
2/5 for hook selection and other accessories that can be used for both crochet and knitting.
3/5 for a nice place to sit and crochet.
5/5 for yarn selection, I always find something I just can't live without.
7/5 for yummy teas!

Worth going to and going back to! No snarky "knitter's attitude" from the staff (though you may get it from the other customers) and there's bike racks right out front too.

Welcome!

YAY! The launch of my first blog. I'm still working on the colors and layout, so be patient!

I love to crochet and was thinking that is mostly what this blog will be about, but we'll see! Don't look for anything super complicated about crochet in my posts. This will mostly be for beginners if I review or show how to do something.

Having said that, I thought I'd start with a review of a few hooks.  I've tried almost every kind of hook there is, trying to find the most comfy one for me. I hold my hook sort of like a pencil, so a comfortable grip is mostly what I look for.

From the top! Brittany hook. Wood, sleek, decorative......Not as great as I thought it would be. The decorative tip is so sharp it could give my cats a run for their money and the yarn kinda sticks on the shaft (the part between the hook and thumb rest). I was told to use hand lotion on it, I'll see if that works.

The dark wood one is palm wood I believe. It's easy to hold and looks really good but the shaft is about a half a millimeter long and I just can't deal with it. As soon as the yarn gets on the hook, it stops and kinds sticks.

The green one is your run of the mill aluminum in-line hook. "In-line" just means there's a groove and the shaft and hook are the same circumference. In-line hooks usually have a blunter tip on the end and a really broad, sharp hook and can split the yarn when you pull it back through the fabric you've made.

The gold one is another run of the mill aluminum hook. This one is a "regular" style hook. That just means that the neck (between the hook and the shaft) is tapered. The hook tip is usually more pointy than the in-line ones. I have no problems using these style hooks and would recommend them to anyone wanting an easy to hold and/or "beginner" type hook.

Last but not least the Clover hook. It has a larger plastic handle and an aluminum (?) hook. This is my favorite type of hook to use. For me it's super easy to hold, the rubber thumb rest is great, the yarn doesn't get caught, it's all the yummy crochet goodness I could want in a hook.

Try these out for yourself, see which one works best for you. And another thing, always remember, there is no wrong way to hold your hook and yarn! If someone tells you different, well, they can kick rocks!