Laurel Hill Crochet Hooks

Product Review

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In celebration of International Crochet Month, Laurel Hill gave me a free, ebony crochet hook to review for you. It’s a unique hook that I’m thrilled to have in my collection.

About Laurel Hill

It’s so important to support companies that are socially and environmentally responsible. I was happy to hear that Laurel Hill products are natural and sustainable. Read more on their site!

The wood

According to the Laurel Hill website, the ebony wood of this hook is recycled from furniture and music manufacturers. It is beautiful, light, and comfortable to hold, with a high gloss finish that makes it nice and slippery. I tend to go for metal hooks because I like the slickness of them. No wood hook is going to be quite as slick as metal, but this one is pretty close!

The thumb grip

I’m a big fan of this grip. I don’t know why exactly, but it felt particularly comfortable to hold. Maybe it’s the warmth of the wood, the smoothness of the finish, the shape of the curve, or a combination of all of those.

The shaft

The design of this hook is unique, at least in my experience. The shaft is tapered all the way from the thumb grip to the tip. Most hooks, even if they’re tapered at the end, have a straight section with a uniform diameter.

I thought this shape was going to cause my tension to be uneven, but it really didn’t. When making my stitches, I naturally stopped my loop in the same spot every time. So my stitches were just as even as they normally are.

Puffy stitches

The tapered shaft is amazing for stitches that involve having lots of loops on your hook at the same time, such as clusters, puffs, and bullions. The loops further back on the hook are ever so slightly larger than the ones at the front.

This makes it much easier to pull through, and helps stop those back loops from getting too tight. I often have trouble with bullion stitches, but found them much easier with this hook.

Gauge

I was curious to see what point along the shaft actually matched the stated size (I / 5.5 mm). As you can see, it was right at the tip.

Since my stitches rest further down the shaft than that, I’m likely to get a different gauge with this hook than with other hooks of the same size. This is not unusual though, as all hooks have variations that can cause differences in tension.

For example, a more slippery hook will likely give you a looser gauge than a grippier hook. You may even find that the type of grip affects your tension. That’s why it’s so important to swatch and measure your gauge, regardless of the hook you use!

I tried this hook out on a swatch for an upcoming project. Can you guess what this is going to become?

The tip

This is technically an inline hook, but it feels a bit like a tapered hook too. Because of the tapered shaft, it’s an interesting cross between both types. I love how pointy it is, and I didn’t have the same splitting issues I typically have with inline hooks.

Overall Impression

I’m gradually developing quite a collection of gorgeous, handmade, wood hooks, and this one fits right in. It’s comfortable and smooth to use as well.

I did find my gauge ended up being a bit looser, about what I would normally get with one size larger. My favorite part is how well it works for puff and bullion stitches. It’s just the perfect tool for those!

Get Hooked on Laurel Hill!

Laurel Hill has a full line of crochet hooks and knitting needles, including circulars and interchangeables, as well as some fun accessories. Check out all their products at LaurelHillOnline.com!