Custom Graydog Crochet Hook

Manufacturer: Jill & Bill Barnes of Graydog Woodenware
Type of Hook: special request by husband for our anniversary; it has our birthstones on it; size F
Own/Covet: Own (blogged about it here.)
On the Hook: A gift using the Crazy Stitch, also known as the box, block and diagonal stitch; a very addictive stitch.

What I like about this hook: Gradog was the first-ever hand-turned crochet hook I ever purchased which totally revolutionized the way I crochet today! (I'll feature the first-ever Graydog hook in a future post.) Because of this, I will admit I am biased towards them. That said, I loved how Bill & Jill worked as a team: He carved the hooks, she jeweled them. Their hooks got so popular they stopped taking custom orders, but somehow my husband was able to convince them to create this one for me. This particular hook has a graceful neck and body which allows me to make my taller stitches more uniform. The head is tapered like a Boye. I love how the jewels sparkle in the light; I often use this hook during public crochet demonstrations.

Graydog hooks were offered on eBay, often going for hundreds of dollars each, as people feverishly tried to outbid each other -- the Graydog hooks were highly prized! Unfortunately the Graydog hooks haven't been seen on eBay for a few years, and it seems their official ebay store has been recently closed. Their last sale, as of the writing of this blog post, on Etsy was in 2010. It is not known if they're still offering a hook, or two, for sale, but worth favoring -- just in case.

This hook has been featured in Piecework magazine, and in Crochet Traditions magazine.