How great are "chunky knits"? They're so cosy and grow so fast. I have some shop bought chunky knitting needles and crochet hooks but thought it must be extra satisfying to use homemade ones so I thought I'd have a go at making my own using a length of 18 mm pine dowel (though it actually measures 20 mm). I bought it from my local Homebase store and a 0.9 m piece costs a little over £3.
So far I have made a crochet hook, I used a hack saw to cut a section approximately 22 cm long (I also cut the remaining 68 cm in half to make knitting needles at a later date, but who knows when I'll get round to that).
I roughly marked the position for the notch using a marker pen about 2-3 cm from one end and cut it out roughly using the hack saw. I tidied it up using some wood cutting tools. A set of 9, all with various tips, cost £1.99 from "The Works"- I love that shop, you can pick up some real bargains.
Then using the sanding attachment of my electric multi-tool I worked the tip into a blunt point and tidied the notch up before using a fine sand paper to neaten everything up! It took a while to achieve a point I was happy with, perhaps 40 minutes, and I found that it was much quicker to press the "hook" into a hard surface whilst sanding the end with the multi-tool and use a good bit of pressure. A lot of dust is created so if you're working inside a dust mask is highly recommended, a pair safety specs is a good idea too.
All that's left is to crack on with some speedy crochet. I've used Cygnet "Seriously Chunky" which suggests 10-12 mm knitting needles but looks lovely and snug using my jumbo crochet hook- perfect for a cowl I would say . I included a packet of Parma Violets for scale (and then promptly ate them).
Its really is quite satisfying to crochet with and very quick!
Until next time craft in earnest, Craftin' Ernest x
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