The Sharp Crochet Hook and a Rubbish Cake!

I was lucky enough to be sent a sharp crochet hook to try out by Jessica from The Sharp Crochet Hook. That was some time ago now, I procrastinated for ages about what I was going to do with it. Ideas were rampaging through my head. In the end I decided to just get on with it and give it a test drive.

What I was expecting was a hook with a sharp bit on the poking in end so that you can get on with crocheting straight away and not have to either run a blanket stitch along the edge or make holes with a bradawl (have I just made up that word or merely spelt it wrong?). A sharp ended hook is exactly what I got and it certainly did do the job it promised.

Here I have speared the fabric and literally double crocheted all the way along making a foundation for more decorative stitches. I found the hook tended to drag a few of the fibres of the cloth through with it which puckered up the fabric. This was remedied my going much slower and pushing the crochet hook further through to make the hole larger. I read other reviews (here and here) and this wasn't mentioned. They used different weight/type fabric so maybe that was why. Lynne and I found we encountered similar issues and we used similar type of fabric. See her review here.

With this one I followed a tutorial I found on Pinterest. I wouldn't recommend using the sharp crochet hook for this actual border pattern as the hook wasn't very smooth to do the treble clusters with. By this time I had got used to poking it through the fabric and very carefully drawing the thread back through without  snagging fibres of the fabric, but I couldn't pick up a decent rhythm with the clusters as the sharp bit of the hook kept catching. I should have stuck with one of the free patterns that comes with the hook which recommend you use the sharp hook to crochet a foundation chain on the fabric and then switch to a regular hook. I didn't finish my experimental piece of crochet as the part of the hook where you would normally have the size of the hook embossed has been filed away and it was a bit rough, it made my fingers a little sore, but I am rather pathetic, a less wussy lass probably wouldn't even notice!

I think this hook is great, it serves a purpose, fills a gap in the market and I think every keen crocheter should have one. However I think there are some manufacturing considerations to address. The sharp end of the hook needs to be smoother as does the grip area. Also the pointy bit of the 'beak' of the hook needs to be thicker and totally smooth so that it doesn't drag at the fabric as you pull the thread back through.  

☀

On my last post I mentioned it had been my Mum's birthday. That reminded me that I took photo's of the most rubbish cake I have ever made. It did taste nice thankfully but I wanted it to look gorgeous. At least the Bunting I won from Sew Sweet Violet made up for the fact that it was a terribly pants looking cake.

Ha ha haaaaa! Look at that crap icing. It was dripping through the holes of the cake stand.

We had ourselves a mini tea party. 

Sorry Mum, I couldn't talk about your birthday and not show a pic of the birthday girl herself! Mum hates having her photo taken.

xxx