TWO MAJOR EVENTS TODAY IN JIMBOLANDAnd the EGG HOOK WINNER IS>>>>

(see the end of this post for the BIG WINNER of the NATCROMO EGG HOOK DRAWING!!)



AT LAST, FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER IN THE KNOWN UNIVERSE, BEHOLD

THE JIMBOMATICtm

Yes folks you are witness to the first in the Universe hook that's going to shake the crochet world!!!

What, you ask, will this hook do??

Well let me tell you the possibilities are endless!

Do you see that little wire leading out the back of the hook?? Well that wire has a USB port fitting on the end... letting you connect your JIMBOMATICtm to your computer and the World Wide INTERNET!!

Are you starting to see the possibilities?

Lets say you're a crochet designer. You simply plug your JIMBOMATICtm hook into your computer, load the software and start crocheting! Your computer will automatically produce a DEAD ON pattern that is instantaneously registered, then published on the internet... customers are automatically connected through paypal to your bank account.

Lets say you're a crochetier who fell in love with the design that was made by the designer above. You simply plug your JIMBOMATICtm into your USB port, search the internet for the pattern, click paypal when you find your pattern, and you'll be guided step by step in making the design.. the computer won't let you skip stitches or loose count. A little sub routine at the beginning will even help you set your gauge!!


Lets say you're want to join friends in a "crochet along" where your group is making a particular complicated Afghan. Your JIMBOMATICtm hooks will automatically interact so each member will make a perfectly fitting square!

Lets say you're into tapestry crochet... the JIMBOMATICtm optional FREESTYLE software will let you download your original artwork and will automatically show you a list of the colors, length and weight of yarn to use, along with a stitch by stitch instructions that will guide you to a perfect crochet reproduction!


This little hook will open a whole new world of crochet, for beginners through seasoned professionals, but just one more thing this AMAZING HOOK has done...

It has April Fooled you!!!!!!

HAHAHAHA

GOTCHA!!

you gotta admit such a thing would be pretty cool, eh?



AND THE WINNER OF THE COVETED EGG HOOK, MARKING THE END OF THE NATIONAL CROCHET MONTH GIVE AWAYS......


THE VERY PERSISTANT

EMERALDJAYNE62

YAHOOOOO CONGRATULATIONS EMERALD!! HOPE THIS HOOK WORKS WELL FOR YOU. PLEASE PM ME WITH ADDRESS INFORMATION!


AND THANK YOU ALL FOR ENTERING.. IT WAS A FUN MONTH!!

Yes its REAL....

Isn't this just amazing!!!

This was made up by the graphic wonderwoman, Darlisa Riggs at Crochet@crochetuncut.com

Three from the tree ST. Pat's AUCTION OVER!!

Thanks to all who bid!! Close on on the greenie eh?? AND some good buys were had as well!

So.... High bidders, please use the "make a donation" button for Pay Pal, or contact me for other payment arrangements.

More to come.... stay tuned.... HUGE HUGE announcement coming in a couple days!!! I'm so excited I can hardly type!!! So PLEASE come back and see the good news!!! Tell your friends!

And thanks for dropping by!!
Jimbo




and looking at the other side of the middle hook AND a belated St. Patrick's day hook, we have:



(sorry, couldn't get the lighting right so the color comparison between top and bottom pictures are a little different.. but we're close.)

Told you I'd have something new? Well here it is, and a couple extra too. The new one is the bottom hook that I'm holding in my grubby stained and scarred hand. But I'm holding it so you get the idea of how the indents are placed along the handle. They're made so there's a cozy large diameter grip surface for your pinkie and ring finger. Middle finger fits well in the flare between the hook shank and the handle, and the thumb and forefinger are free to roam around the hook shank and head, doing whatever they please. Such an easy and painless hook to hold. You MIGHT not want to put it down! Its made of Deadman Crick Bush Maple, is 5 inches long and a snug M, loose N (9.5mm), a unique size for a unique hook. Bet it would be great for rugs.

The other two are pretty amazing as well.

The middle hook is one that I almost gave up on, but the more I looked at the grain, the more I fell for it. So I filled the cracks and watched it for a couple weeks to see that they didn't open further. They didn't. So here it is. I really should have taken a picture of the back side of this one too cause it's really REALLY pretty as well with some bark exposed. Its made of Black Locust from next door and fits my hand like a glove at 7 1/4 inches long. Oh and its an L. I've edited the post to show you the back side of this extraordinary hook, including that filled crack.

The top hook is a brand new wood for me. Well not a new wood, but a new treatment of an old wood. The wood is bird's-eye maple. Usually bird's eye is a very light color, creamy maybe. Not this one. This is called "smoked" maple and it's just that, smoked. Don't know how they do it, but the wood is a smokey color all the way through. It even has a faint smokey aroma that makes me want to go sit by the campfire and daydream. Beautiful, VERY lightweight but strong hook! Amazement guaranteed. This is an H size (5mm) and is 6 1/2 inches long.

AND this just in.... I wanted to make this hook and have it posted for St. Patrick's day, but didn't know enough about the wood, so my timing was off. See what happens is this wood (Vera Wood) had interesting grain color. When I got the blank, it was a pretty Irish green... the only wood i've ever seen that has a natural green color when cured. Anyways after turning this ultra hard wood, (and more tool sharpening), the color was a sort of greenish brown. Took several days in the sunlight for it to turn back to green and by that time it was well past St. Patricks day. Fine thing eh? Anyways, Vera Wood is from the Lignum Vitae family, the hardest woods known. But this wood has other things going for it. The first you see.. its a really pretty green color. The second you don't see, and that's the aroma of the wood. It has a flowery sweet smell that permeated my shop area while turning the hook, and it's still very evident in the hook. In fact its said that Vera Wood has medicinal properties and that tea is made from it's wood chips. Interesting stuff eh? AND you know what else? The wood has is self waxing. There's no finish on this hook whatsoever. None needed. It's just nice and smooth with it's own finish... good for the hook owner, bad for the maker. You shouldn't need to retouch the finish, as the finish is self contained... just vigorus rubbing with a clean cotton cloth should do it when. The bad part (for me) is in trying to sand it down. The waxes immediately load up the sandpaper. So LOTS of sandpaper has been used up taking this hook to the condition you see.
The Vera Greenie is a J (6mm) sizewise and is 6 1/2 inches long.
If Jimbo hooks ever become collectable, the Vera Wood Greenie will be a rare one because I really doubt I'll make another one. There is one more out there... one that I made for my very lovely and talented Sister in Law, Trish. So only two Jimbo Vera Wood hooks are in existence and it'll likely stay that way.

Ok so lets make this a little faster auction and close bidding at noon (pacific standard time) this coming Monday, March 30.

As per usual, you can send bids by email to me at


jimbocrochetwhittler@yahoo.com

I'll try to post bids as they come in.

Oh and don't forget the give-aways in the post below this one... in celebration of National Crochet Month. I'll be giving that egg hook away soon... very soon. In fact lets set a date of April 1, first day after NATCROMO, so if you haven't entered, PLEASE do so.. alls you need do is post a comment in the comment box below the picture of the egg hook.

And thanks for dropping by!!

Jimbo
Bids:
Bottom, New grip 9.5mm
AnaMaria goes $20
Marty bumps it to $25

Middle L:
Jenny goes $20


Smokey H (top hook):
Debora likes the color (me too!)..$30

Vera Wood Greenie J:
Jayne goes $10
Lyn bumps to $25
Jayne risks $30
Lyn bumps to $33
Alice takes it to $35
Lyn goes to $40
AB takes it to $46
Lyn's back with $48
AB again with $52



_____________________________________________________________________________________



(auction below has expired)
















Just realized I had this one set to close at 10am this morning!! ALMOST forgot!!
Anyways High bidders please consider using the "make a donation" button in the left margin for paypal payment. Other forms of payment can be arranged as well, just email me with your preference.
Thanks to all for bidding and with luck and warmer weather, there'll be another auction up shortly. Watch close because i have a BRAND NEW HOOK DESIGN coming!!

Jimbo



Mary Beth Temple (http://gettingloopy.com/) told me during my 3 minutes on her famous podcast, to have more hooks up for sale... so I took her at her word and here are four more...




And the dust still hasn't settled! And I'm not yet touching the ground after winning the "Flamie" award (see post below). Ah but life goes on and I can't rest on my laurels. Laurels don't make good hooks anyways. Gotta thank Laurie, out Lady of the Front, and moderator of "Crochet Liberation Front" in Ravelry for all her hard work in the Flamie awards... and to Mary Beth for MC'ing the podcast. And congrats to all the other winners!!!

ok ok So lets see what we have up next.



Lets go from left to right in the picture (which I apologize for because it isn't perfectly clear... low light conditions). So excuses aside, the left hook is a knockout beauty for it's grain and color. Its made of Bloodwood (can you understand why?). Not an indigenous Crick wood, Bloodwood is found in rare corners of my shop, in small chunks that are crying out to be adopted by a talented crochetier. Actually, I'm not sure that this was the LAST chunk that I have. Anyways, it got my attention, especially after the dull brown shell came off and all that gorgeous grain came to life. A Bloodwood Beauty! Specs: Its a J (10mm) and goes 6 1/2 inches, or about 16cm long.



Next one to the right of the Bloodwood Beauty is a willowy Redheart G. This hook was made in response to a discussion I recently had with my friend Andee, who bytheway is not only good lookin, but one heck of a crochetier! I was lamenting the fact that its hard to make hooks that are comfortable for the "pencil grippers", and Andee, bless her, suggested a simple triangular grip... a bit akin to those triangular pads you get on some pencils. So I thought i'd give it a try and this hook is the result. I made is slender because pencil grippers need more front end balance and light weight. Well this hook almost floats! And Redheart? Well its my wood of choice for the travelling hook, it has such good qualities. Stats: Size G (4mm), 6 3/4 inches or 17cm long.



Third from the left is a fat bodied, small hook built for comfort. My good friend Ken Spiering (a VERY well known and beloved local Spokane artist..you shoud google him...

Anyways, Ken dropped this massive chunk of well cured wood off at my house the other day. Turns out that it's a piece of the trumk from a large ornimental crab apple tree that Ken scored from scrap wood at one of our local parks. VERY nice strong wood. Beautiful slightly pinkish hardwood. So this chunk became a portly handled #7 (4 1/2mm). Oh and its 7 inches (17.7cm) long.



Now comes the Sepale hook... Looks like mahogany eh? Similar color, similar open appearing grain, but this is alot harder wood than your ordinary mahogany. And the grain under the finish is irridescent. Beautifu wood that you have to turn in your hands to fully appreciate. This one is an I (5.5mm) and is 6 3/4 inches or a bit over 16.5cm long.



Lets run this auction till this coming Monday (March 23) at 10am Pacific Standard Time.



Per usual you can send me your bids by email at

jimbocrochetwhittler@yahoo.com

I'll try to post bids as they come in.

Oh and don't forget the give-aways in the post below this one... in celebration of National Crochet Month. I'll be giving egg hook away soon... very soon.

Thanks again for dropping by and thanks again for your votes!!
Jimbo


Bids:

Bloodwood Beauty J:
Janet begins with $15
JP goes to $35
Lolly bids $40
Elizabeth hops it up to $45
JP bumps it to $48
too tempting for Alice... $50
AB: $52


Willowy Redheart G:
Sherri starts it all with $20
Lyn jumps to $40
AB $42
Sherri goes to $45

Chunky Crab Apple 7:
Melinda says $20
Nicole goes to $25


Sapele I:
Lolly's here too with $20
Debora goes to $25
Elizabeth raises up to $35

i won I WON I WON!!!!!

Unbelievable!!! I won the Flamie award from the Crochet Liberation Front in Ravelry for the best crochet hook maker 2008!!!!

I'm so far off the ground, I can hardly reach the keyboard!!!

WAHOOOOOOOOO

Thanks sooooo much to all who voted for me and to whoever nominated me!!

What an incredible honor... I'm humbled!

AND I JUST FINISHED AN INTERVIEW WITH MARY BETH TEMPLE IN HER BLOGCAST, CO-HOSTED BY OUR LADY OF THE FRONT, LAURIE WHEELER.... THANK YOU GUYS!!!!!

Warm Whittled Hooks...and two more BEAUTS AUCTION IS CLOSED! thanks to all who bid!

Thanks guys!! High bidders please consider using paypal, which you can access through the "make a donstion" button in the left margin of this blog page. Thank you all for your bids!! Another auction has just been entered above, and please feel free to enter my NATCROMO egg hook giveaway a couple posts down from here.


Please click on image for MUCH more detail

and as an encore two more!!:


(edited to replace original fuzzy picture with one that is clickable for better detail)


Can't get away from my roots. This is how I started whittling hooks, from sticks. And now, after holding these, I see why folks liked them and why some still like them even better than turned hooks. They have a certain natural appeal with minimal wood/bark removed and the shape made to fit the hand. They are inspirational in their natural beauty, and encourage the same of their owners. All three are hardwood hooks, two from the dear old apple tree up on the crick and one from my back yard decorative fruit tree. Call these rustic hooks if you like, but I'll tell you here and now, they don't seem rustic when they crochet! And they're warm and cozy and as comfortable as an ol hound dog on his pillow by the fahr!

Details? Ok from right to left.
Leftie is a Genuine Deadman Crick Applewood L (8mm) with a thumb and opposed finger rest, and a wee bit of curvature in the handle that just molds itself to the heel of your hand (if you're a knife, toothbrush, underhand gripper) The handle looks rough, doesn't it. Well you'll be surprized that it really is smooth... REALLY smooth. Oh and its 7 inches long.

Middle hook is the ornamental fruitwood hook. The wood on the back and under side of this hook is exposed the full length, and its beautiful. You don't see it here, you see the bark that I left on for a texture variation and to leave the hook as close to natural as possible. This hook also bears all the knife marks. I didn't sand it down (except for the hook and shank of course). I see the knife marks as artists see their brush strokes... sort of as a signature of their work. I whittled a "trigger" on this hook, under the thumb rest, for even more comfort. Heck I even left the chainsaw marks on the end of this hunka hunka hook! Love it!!
This hook is an H (snug in the H hole of my Bates gauge) and is 8" long.

The right hook is the smallest of the three. Its a 7 (4 1/2mm) and is also made from the generous old Deadman Crick Apple tree (wisht I'd counted the number of hooks that old tree has donated, but it must be in the hundreds by now). It has a comfy thumb rest and an overall curvature that seems to be made to snuggle in your hand hand. Of the three, it has the smoothest handle... one that would rival even my HARD hardwood turned hooks. Oh and its 6 3/4 inches long.

The ENCORE hooks!
The bottom hook is made of, well the label says it's Madagascar Rosewood. My mother in law bought the wood for me to make my sister in law a hook for her birthday... and at $35 for a 1 3/4" x 15" piece, I believe them. I keep saying hook after hook.. the beauties just get more beautiful. That's the csse with this one. Go figure eh? Well I'll promise you that if you like the picture you'll LOVE the actual hook. Its an H and it's 6 1/2 inches long. And its JUST DROP DEAD BEAUTIFUL!!

So is the Top hook but in a different way. This is a Tulip wood hook. Pink and blond. Its a G and a little taller, tipping the tape at 7".

So now you have two more to bid on!!

So there you have it...

Lets run this auction till 10AM March 17th.

And you can email me your bids at

jimbocrochetwhittler@yahoo.com

I'll try to post bids as they come in.

Oh and don't forget the give-aways in the post below this one... in celebration of National Crochet Month. I'll be giving something away each week.

And thanks for stopping by!!


Jimbo

Bids>

Left L hook:
Already!! AnaMaria opens it all with $20
Marillyn goes $30
Alice goes to $35 with 10 minutes to go!!

Middle H hook:
Dawn's going $20
Becky goes to $30

Right 7 hook:
Becky says $15
Mizz Kitty's here with $25
Nicole is back for more! $30

Encore hooks:

Rosewood H:
Lyn goes $25
Debora's in for $35
Lyn bounces back with $40
Tracey goes to $45
Candice jumps in with $50
AB in the last seconds $56


Tulipwood G:
Lyn goes $25 (is there an echo in here?)
Nicole's back for another... $30
Lyn says G I'll bid $35
Nicole this time with $40
Lyn goes to $45
Tracie here at $50
AB in the last nanoseconds $56

Its NATCROMO!!! And I'll be giving away stuff!! Including:

And the winner of the Burl Maple Button, is
tatatatatatatata TAT...

KelleBelle... Please email me, Kelle and collect your button!!

Next up? The EGG HOOK!!

Drawing #4 the grand finale:


entry and drawing date to be announced.... stay tuned!


This is one of my original EGG hooks that I developed way back in '05 or so in an effort to help folks who have hand trouble and have had to either cut back crocheting or stop altogether. Anyways, if you've been wondering if an egg hook would help YOU, here's your chance for a FREE one. I made this a larger size (L) so you can use it for really fun, fast projects. Its 5 inches long.

So I'll post in the comment sections below here, and you can post a comment as your entry...
HERE WE GO!!!

Remember this will be the last NATCROMO giveaway from Jimbo.. But mark your calendars!! INTERNATIONAL CROCHET DAY is coming this Sept. 12. BIG Day!!! I'll be doing something spectacular for that day when ALL crochetiers go out and promote crochet!









What's NATCROMO??? Why National Crochet Month! Not to be confused with International Crochet Day, which falls on September 12th, National Crochet Month, celebrated for the month of March, has been around much longer. I'll confess, I didn't know about NATCROMO when I came up with the idea of International Crochet Day, but I think there is plenty room on the calendar for both and both serve a great cause... promoting the Art of Crochet everywhere.

So in celebration of NATCROMO, I'll be doing a number of give aways here in the blog.
Here comes give-away number 3!



Who's got the button? YOU, if you win this drawing!!

This is a one of a kind first ever in the Universe hand-made-by-Jimbo maple burl button! Its just shy of 2 inches in diameter and is about a quarter inch thick. Just the right accent for that bag you're crocheting? Cinchy! Just enter to win by posting a comment below!

I'll announce the winner next Tuesday, March 17, at 10am Pacific Standard Time.

I'll only draw from entries for the button, so if you've entered before and NOT won, please enter separately for the button (if you like maple burl buttons, that is).

And spread the word about NATCROMO!!

Oh and foreign entries are welcome!!

Jimbo

____________________________

First winner:
drum roll. tatatatatatatatatata TAT..... Serena!! Now you have a pin for your first Shawl, Serena... please send me a photo of your shawl with the pin and I'll post it in the blog. Oh and email me your address if you would.
Thanks to all who entered... and don't dispair! I'll do another one of these and you can start entering now. I've entered a picture below, labled Pin #2 All who didn't win and others can enter again for the next pin.


and now Pin #2!!


SECOND WINNER (SORRY I'M LATE ANNOUNCING... BEEN TO THE DENTIST)
The second winner IS......tatatatatatatatatatTAT MARATEA36!!! You know its interesting. I use a random number generator to pick the winners and for the first winner the number was 22. And the second winner? Number 22 again! Amazing? Coincidence?? Twilight zone stuff goin on here. Anyways, Maratea, if you'd email me an address, I'll be sending your pin/stick along shortly!.
Thanks again everyone for entering. And there will ba prize #3 coming up here VERY soon so drop by again!

Actually shawl pins and hair sticks are as old with my craft as crochet hooks. Pins are pretty fun to do, but not as fulfilling as Crochet Hooks, and I doubt I'll change my focus much, but on a whim I made these little fellas from a piece of genuine Deadman Crick Fir, 6 5/8 inches long and decided to give them to YOU (if you're the winner) to start off the celebration. We have Serena as our first winner, now its time to enter for the Pin #2.

As you see, both of these little sticks have great versatility in that they are reversible... honey color on one side, rust on the other. Both colors are totally natural. The sticks grew that way and the only thing I did to help them along to become a shawl pin / hair stick was to whittle it down a bit and smooth it out.

Don't have a ring for the pin??? Never fear! Jimbo's here! heh.. Just go to my friend Pam Gillette's website. What a talented person she is.. and so creative! In fact her instructions show using a crochet hook as the pin! (which bytheway that hook you see in her instructions???? Well it just HAPPENS to be a Jimbo Hook. Gotta love that Pam!!) So there you go...
Here's the link to Pam's site:

http://knottygeneration.blogspot.com/2007/09/make-your-own-shawl-pin.html (and if that doesn't work, just Google Pam Gillette Shawl Pin)

And here's an inspiration for beaded Shawl Pin Rings. VERY pretty, Alice!!
Here's HER link: (and i gave up on trying to insert this as a clickable link. Sorry i'm such a blogdummy) Anyways you can block and copy her address to your browser.. that'll work.....

http://craftioergosum.blogspot.com/


What are YOU doing to promote Crochet? hmmmmm?