Canadian Hooks, eh? and a couple others

This is a shot of Karol looking over a vast field of grape vines while on our recent trip up to the Canadian wine country. British Columbia Canada is a BEAUTIFUL place and their wineries are amazing. We spent several days with a group of good friends, touring the areas around Penticton and Kelowna BC. Beautiful countryside and friendly folks up there. I highly recommend the area for vacations even if you don't appreciate wine.




And what did I do while in BC? Collected hook wood, that's what! In fact the three hooks you see on the left are made from Birch sticks that I rescued from a slash pile near where we stayed. So you're looking at Canadian Birch hooks, eh. BC is big and so are these hooks. The grain is very pretty and these hooks are as light as Canadian Goose down. You have to weight them down or they'll float away. heh And they're for sale!!

Bytheway, these three hooks were designed based on a discussion over in Crochetville about why big hooks are generally avoided. It was quite a discussion (read the thread at http://www.crochetville.org/forum/showthread.php?t=113536&highlight=big+hooks) and it resulted in the hook design you see later in the thread. The trademark Jimbo flair is the only thing I changed from that design. The major concern that crochetiers seemed to have about big hooks was that the hook shank in the really big hooks was too big to grip comfortably. So, by making the thumb rest deeper, I was able to eliminate the problem and end up with a pretty nifty design. Another concern was weight. These Canadian Birch sticks are VERY lightweight. So what you have here is a set of BIG hooks that should be very easy and comfortable to use.

On the far left is an S hook (19mm) that's 22 cm (8 1/2 inches) long. It has a very generous thumb rest and a Jimbo whittle faceted heel. Price: $25 (Sold)

Next is a Q (16mm), again with a generous thumb rest and 20cm (8 1/4 inches) long. I'd let this one go to a good home for $25(Sold)

And to the left of the Q is an N (10mm), made of the same ultra lightweight birch and is 19.5 cm (8 inches) of hookey goodness for $25.(Sold)

Next is a carryover from my last sale. Can't figure out why it didn't sell, but hay, go figure eh. It's a beautiful Redheart N (10mm). This is a beauty you can easily see in the photo. Redheart is such a pretty wood and it's a pleasure to work with. This one is 19.5cm or 8 inches long. Price: $35

And last but FAR from least is another African Blackwood hook. This is the last hook I'll be making from this wood because the sawdust causes an allergic reaction. Of course the finished hook shouldn't bother anyone because its coated with hardened poly oil. Blackwood is akin to ebony and is a VERY hard and very beautiful. This is an H (5mm) and it's 18cm (7 inches) long with a wide thumb rest. Price: $45 (SOLD)


As before, please email me with your order. First orders get the hook(s).
If you'd like to buy, email me at

jimbocrochetwhittler@yahoo.com

Since this is a direct sale thing, there's no time limit. I'll simply edit this post to indicate when a hook is sold.

Thanks for dropping by!
Jimbo

Approaching Fall, an Exciting discovery, and hooks for sale

(just a little note to let you know we'll be out till Monday evening, Sept. 20... yall have a great weekend!!)



Ah yes my friends, fall approaches. Here is a shot from the Ranch (taken from the front porch!) of my son Clint and grandson Clinton out for a little walk as the colors start to change. It'll soon be even more beautiful up on the crick when the tamaracks turn brilliant yellow. A little nip is in the air and sleeping with the covers gathered 'round is sooo good.



And we made an exciting discovery! Brushrooms!! Bet you didn't even know the species existed but here's the proof! We found them up on the ranch a couple weekends ago. We're hoping they'll multiply given the damp and cool weather, and with luck we'll have lots more. Note that Brushrooms (Bristleus Fullerbrushums) are NOT edible. They do work well, though, for cleaning the bottoms of one's boots of mud and that nasty stuff the free range cattle leave behind. heh



And now the commercial stuff. Hooks for sale!



Left to right:

A Portland Oregon Plum K (6.5mm). This hook is made from a dead branch harvested from my son Lance's plum tree behind his rental house (shhhh, don't tell his landlord). Plum is a very nice hook wood and Portland Plum is, well, special because it's from a gem of a city. I love Portland. Such a clean and friendly place. Hooks from Portland HAVE to be special. This one is. It's 8 inches long and is itching to make something nice for you. Price: $25 SOLD

Next is an incredible hook that pictures can't duplicate. It's made of African Blackwood. Akin to ebony but with a beautiful distinctive grain that you just can't see from the picture. It's VERY hard wood (had to re-sharpen my tools twice while making it). And it makes beautiful hooks. This one is an F (3.75mm)and is 8 1/4 inches long. A collector's hook that should also work to make nice things for generations. Price: $45 SOLD

And now we have a beautiful Redheart N (10mm). This is a beauty you can easily see in the photo. Redheart is such a pretty wood and it's a pleasure to work with. This one is 8 inches long. Price: $35 (moved to sale above this post)

Next up is a new one for me. It's figured Moabi (Baillonella toxisperma), also known as African Pear. You can't see it in the photo but it's a bit "quilted" with highlights that change in the light. Pretty. It's an L (8mm) and is 7 1/2 inches long. Price: $25 SOLD

As before, please email me with your order. First orders get the hook(s).
If you'd like to buy, email me at

jimbocrochetwhittler@yahoo.com

Since this is a direct sale thing, there's no time limit. I'll simply edit this post to indicate when a hook is sold.

Thanks for dropping by!
Jimbo

Please also note the special Boies de Rose hooks for sale a couple posts below this one..there's still a little of that amazing wood left so I'm still taking orders!