When is a hook not a hook?

I've been trying hard to get back into crochet and my star blanket has been seeing a fair bit of work. A potential disaster has actually been the making of it. It turns out that losing the old fashioned Aero hook I was using was actually the best thing I could have done because when I was last in Purl City Yarns I came across Clover ergonomic hooks. They're the only kind that Purl City do, and at the time I was sceptical to say the least, but I needed a hook and they weren't particularly dear so I thought I'd take the risk. Well I'm hooked (groan). Who knew that the shape of the handle and the angle of the hook bit itself could make such a difference? It turns out there's a whole spectrum of angles/lengths and handle styles, with a useful guide here. Some of the hooks in the guide are only really available in the US, but the general principles apply to ones available here. The limiting factor for my crocheting had always been cramp in my hands but I'm delighted to report that I haven't had to stop because my hand hurt once since using this hook. This means that the blanket is know very much lap-sized which has come in handy recently on cold knit nights in the Oakwood where there is very little heating.

This, among several other reasons is why we have been looking for a new venue for Knit1Sip2 and I'm so excited to tell you that we've found one. The group is moving to The Craft Barn in Hadfield from 10th April. We'll be there from 8-10pm and it's £2 to cover the room hire; we've had some tea and coffee donated so they'll be free until supplies run out! I shall be blogging more about upcoming workshops that I'm doing there too, so watch this space.

L'Adder

I'm thrilled to say I've got a pattern in the new Issue 32 of Knit Now. All the patterns in this one use 100% British wool and I'm so delighted to be included in such wonderful company. My design is L'Adder, a pair of fingerless mitts in Blacker Yarns  Romney Guernsey 5-ply. It's a traditional gansey weight yarn and is worsted spun - this means that the fibres are really locked in together and results in a very hardwearing yarn.
The sample was photographed on the wintry Cumbrian coast by Dan Walmsley and I think he's captured the essence of the design perfectly. Hard-working hands clad in hard-working yarn with more than a nod to our maritime past. I chose to use a stitch pattern known as Snake and Ladder which was used in Cornish and Isles of Scilly ganseys. The name was the obvious pun! Working gansey patterns on a smaller scale is great fun and good practice before you embark on a full-blown garment.
The magazine is in the shops now (WH Smith and the major supermarkets seem to be the best bet) or you can buy both print and digital editions at moremags.com. There's also a really super supplement to the print issue this time - a guide to those 'beyond the basics' techniques you keep seeing in mags but aren't really sure how to do.