Daystar Crochet Hook

Daystar Crochet Hook by Katherine Kowalski

Manufacturer: Daystar by Katherine Kowalski (on Etsy)
Type of Hook: "Tortoise" dyed hardwood, size J
Own/Covet: Own
On the Hook: Scarf using extended hdc stitches, blending two unlabeled yarns together.

What I love about the hook:  This Daystar hook is one of my longest "regular" sized hand-turned crochet hooks.  On average it is about 1/2" to 1" longer than the rest of my collection; if I had a larger hand, I might not have noticed this. I find the extra length adds a smidge more weight to the back end of the hook -- however, I'm willing to overlook this because of the fantastic length of the shank (the part just after the hook's neck, and right before the hook body begins to flare for holding).  The elongated shank allows me to make beautiful stitches requiring multiple yarn-overs without becoming stretched out by the thumb-rest area, and the finish is silky smooth so the yarn just glides!  The hook is a pleasure to use!

For those looking for Graydog Crochet hooks, imho, Katherine's hooks are about as close as you can get.

Capt Jack Sparrow Crochet Hook

Capt Jack Sparrow crochet hook, inspired by the
Pirates of the Caribbean movie series.

Manufacturer: LemonadeShop (on Etsy)
Type of Hook: Boye hook cleverly adorned with clay, size "H"
Own/Covet: Own
On the Hook: Nothing at the moment, but Capt Jack Sparrow did enjoy coming about to hand-crochet some chemo caps for young buccaneers in need. (Caron's Spa yarn is great for chemo caps!)

What I love about the hook: As a huge Johnny Depp fan, and of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, having the character of Capt Jack Sparrow testing his sea legs with the rapid yarn overs required for crochet stitches, I found crocheting with this hook to be a lot of fun. 

Shiver me timbers, one of the great things I liked about working with Heather (the clay designer for this brand of hooks) on this custom design, is that she was able to smoothly wrap the "ocean" around the thumb rest of the hook, tapering it into a smooth join around the mizzen of the hook (that's pirate talk meaning "middle") so I can freely twist the hook between my fingers with each stitch I create.  (I'm not a fan of thumb rests because I rotate the hook with my fingers).  Heather did a great job with the tiny details, complete with some pirate bounty, and sword!   And, although not pictured, Heather even gave Capt Jack Sparrow a cute bumm too! I'mjustsayin'...

I found that the weight distribution for this hook-decked-out-in-clay is no different than some of my jeweled beauties by other hook makers. It is comfortable to use, and ready to take on more amazing yarn adventures. :)

Sistermaide Crochet Hook

Dynamo pint-sized crochet hook by Sistermaide.

Manufacturer: Sistermaide (on Etsy)
Type of Hook: hackberry wood, size "J"
Own/Covet: Own
On the Hook: scarf for donation using short-rows of Tunisian stitching (original pattern)

What I love about the hook:  The hook was recommended by a participant on Ravelry in the Crochet Liberation Group.  I had never heard of this hook maker before, so being a fan of collecting crochet hooks I decided to give one a try.  Even though the length (5 1/4") was listed when I purchased it from the Sistermaide Etsy shop, I didn't give it much thought until it arrived in the mail.

Wow; this is one of the shortest crochet hooks (aside from steel hooks) that I own.  I wasn't sure how I would like it until I took it out for an official test drive.  What I've found is that this little hook is like a sports car -- it wants to go! Go! GO!  lol

Even with its slight taper, I am enjoying creating short-rows of Tunisian stitches with it; the head shape is perfect for "bar hopping," and the length fits comfortably in my palm.  Did I mention that it is lightweight too?  I like that!  And I'm looking forward to hand-crocheting more projects in the future with this pint-size dynamo crochet hook!  Thanks for the recommendation "OGirl."  :)