Hooks with Provenance at Auction is over. Thanks for dropping by

  I wish I could tell you that I personally picked up this piece of Kauri from a tell in New Zealand.  Alas, it was purchased from Woodcraft and I have to wonder if they realize what they were selling. This hook is made from THE oldest known workable wood (petrified wood might be older but it isn't workable as normal wood).  This wood is certified to be at least 35,000 years old.  Imagine.  The hook you'll be getting was growing in a tree before the ice age, when saber tooth tigers were stalking woolly mammoths.
  Actually Kauri tree descendants are still growing in New Zealand, but have been harvested to near extinction, and are no longer legally harvested.   Not so with the ancient buried Kauri trees.  But even those are getting rare.

    The tree that donated this wood was blown down or otherwise felled and buried in what might have been a tsunami, and the mineral conditions must have been such that the wood in this very hook was being  preserved in a workable form all during the time the pyramids were being built.  It was there, gracefully aging when Jesus was born.  Its humbling to think about.  You'll be holding a piece of wood from a tree that may have been alive and bending in the wind when the first cave paintings were being done. 

  This is one of the most uniquely beautiful woods I have worked with.  It has remarkable "chatoyance" , an iridescence that when finished appropriately has a depth that's hard to describe.  It's an understatement to say that his hook shimmers and the softness of the finish is truly amazing.

  I've yet to see a photograph that adequately captures chatoyant wood, and the photos you see are no exception.  New Zealanders recognize the shimmering beauty.  The call it "Whitebait" named after a shimmering fish. You'll just have to see for yourself.

  Please think about this before bidding.  This is a true collectors item.  This fact plus the nature of the wood  dictates that it be treated differently than a typical wood crochet hook.  Take a look at the enlarged picture of the heel end.  The photo is enlarged at least 8 times actual size and it's still difficult to see just how closely the annular rings are spaced.  This is extremely dense wood.  But it's almost the lightest woods you'll find short of Balsa.  It's not as soft as Balsa but much softer than usual crochet hook woods.  That means that while the hook will work amazingly well, it is not strong and will not suffer tight crochet or rough treatment

  As to care.  The hook should be stored separate from other hooks because the wood is soft and light. Cleaning shouldn't be done with  water, better to use a soft cotton cloth and maybe a little beeswax.  Or if you'd prefer, you can send it to me for that kind of work.

  As to use.  Once again, this hook is made to use, but  use should with natural soft yarns with careful, loose stitches to avoid any chance of breaking the head.
  Technically this hook is slightly over 7 1/8 inches long and is sized at 7mm (between a K and an L).  I have not marked the hook because I refuse to cover any part of the wood that has been waiting over 35 thousand years to be admired by human eye.  Besides it's just too pretty to mess up with my signature and size markings.  

And now for another hook of distinction......


  July 10, 2015 late afternoon 5.6 miles up the Deadman Creek road at Jimbo's REAL front porch, clouds were gathering while  Karol, some friends, and I were getting dinner ready.  Thunder echoed through our little canyon and we started wondering if we should get the kerosene lamps out.  We all cleared the floor several inches when a flash and cannon shot blasted a mere 40 yards from the cabin! After settling down and starting to breathe again,  we all went out to see if there was a fire or trees down.  Nothing was found out of the ordinary.  Next day Karol found this next to our access road.....

 This is what's left of the trunk of a little Hazelnut Bush that was growing between some towering fir trees.  What's amazing is the canopy of the firs almost block the sky above that little Hazelnut, but NONE of the firs were affected and you can see from the photo that the ground wasn't scorched.  How could a bolt of lightning thread it's way through those towering firs and hit that little Hazelnut?  Just the little Hazelnut?  We couldn't find any other damage whatsoever (you can see the greenery around the scorched trunk).  More than a little mystified, we were,  as were the forest rangers who had a look at it later.  Wonderous things happen up on the Crick.
 And this little Hazlenut, after a year to cure and a little help from Jimbo, donated this.....

Now I'm no mystic.... at least I don't think so..... but if there's such a thing as a magical crochet hook, this one's got the provenance.  Hazelnut wood is known by those in the mystical arts to have magic properties.  The wood is said to be one preferred for magic wands.  And Hazelnut in particular is selected for healing properties, gaining wisdom and poetic inspiration.  Add to all that: this is a lightning struck Hazelnut.  Any lightning struck tree is said to retain powerful magical properties.  Take a look at the detail photo and you'll see burned patches where the lightning bolt seared the wood.
  So here we have a magical crochet hook.  Think of the wondrous things it will inspire in your crochet!
Muggle wise it's a K (6.5mm) and is a newt's eyebrow shy of 7 1/4 inches long.

So off to the auction!

 We'll run the auction till  Thursday, October 13th and close on that date at 10pm Pacific Time.  Please send your bid via email to      (Jimbocrochetwhittler@yahoo.com) with your bid amount.

I'll post bids as soon as possible (however I don't hang around the computer all the time, especially when I'm up on the Ranch).

If you are out-bid and would like to raise the bid, please increase the previous bid by a $5 minimum (done to eliminate penny increases at the last minute).

Tying bids will be resolved in favor of the earliest bid received.  I do charge postage now ($2.50 for US regular mail... more for foreign or speedy mailing and/or insurance).

I do take proxy bids if you prefer but again, tying proxy bids will be resolved in favor of the first received.

Thanks once again.  I appreciate everyone who drops by, bids or not.

Jimbo

Bids:

Ancient Kauri Hook:
Barbara bids $40
Diana bumps it up to $45
Lulia bids $106
Diana ups it to $111

Lightning struck Hazelnut Hook:
Barbara bids $40
Diana with $45
Lulia bids $87
Diana bumps to $92

AUCTION IS OVER! THANK YOU BIDDERS!! NEW AUCTION CELEBRATING INTERNATIONAL CROCHET DAY 2016

First off, I apologize for not posting for as my grand daughter would say, "like evuh".  No excuses and lots of excuses, none of which you'd want to hear, so I'll move on....

Happy International Crochet Day!!   This day, Sept. 12 was created, perhaps with a bit of whim and more as a time to focus on the good and gentle things after the horror of Sept. 11.  Goodness and gentleness is quintessential to crochet.   Tis in my mind an excellent day to promote such a gentle art. So I wish you the very best ICD "evuh"!

My blog has been very inactive lately... to the extent that I've lost followers.  I'm sorry for that, but hay (as the horse ordered when he walked into the bar) whats an aging and forgetful whittler to do but try to get the rusty gears meshing and let out the clutch.  Lower speed, but still moving, eh?

So here's what's offered up for bids at LONG last.....

Granted, it's been a long time but it's not that I haven't been thinking hooky thoughts.  More on that in a minute but first lets get into details of the first group which I like to call Crick Rustic.  That's the two hooks on the left side.  In fact to ease identification for bidding, lets assign numbers to the hooks in ascending order from left to right..  So:

 Hook #1 is the first of the Crick Rustic group.  It's hand carved by me from a fallen branch picked from the forest floor near the ranch up on Deadman Crick.  Lots of rustic in this hook.  Lots of comfortable years of crochet too.  I flattened an area near the heal and labeled this hook with it's size and the Jimbo TM.  It's a K (6.5mm) , has a cozy thumb rest and is 7 1/8 inches long.

Hook #2 is rustic too, just not "crick" rustic.  This one harks from a beautiful Lilac Bush.  Actually Lilac grows wild up near the Ranch but in honesty, this one came from a really pretty bush at a friend's house in Spokane.  A wee bit larger diameter for your ergonomic gripping pleasure, a generous thumb rest surface, beautiful bark character, and a unique size (5.75mm) all go together to make this a hook that you might enjoy using regularly.

Hook #3 is unique and made in response to a review conducted by crocheters in southern France!  Here's a link to the review if you've a notion to see how Jimbo Hooks measure up to some pretty stiff competition (including the one touted to be "the only luxury hook in the world").  In the "cons" of the review, balance was the main issue.  This comes from crocheters as you can see in the link pictures, who use the "pencil" grip style.  Looking at those photos, I can see the concern.  So Hook #3 is a new version with more hook forward balance that should eliminate that particular concern. If you're an overhand, pencil gripper, this hook shines  If you're an underhand toothbrush gripper, this hook will work well too because the heel extends just beyond the heel of the gripping hand. Sizewise this is an I (5.5mm) and is 6 3/4 inches long.
A special thanks to Sylvie Damie http://chezplum.com/ for her excellent and through review.  I'm hoping this is the first in a line of similar style hooks.

Hook #4 is another newbie.  A sliding grip, double ended H.  Good idea?  I think so.  Thing is, the cork grip will slide, though not too freely, along the hook shank so you can use it as a normal crochet hook with whatever shank length you'd like (up to oh about 7 1/2 inches); or slide the grip completely off for use as a double ended hook.  Amazing eh?  As stated, the hook size is H (5mm), constructed of bamboo (upgraded from a knitting needle) and has a tip to tip length of about 10 inches.  Doubt you'll find anything like this anywhere else but here on the Porch.

Hook #5 is a Bloodwood beauty.  Bloodwood is a very hard and beautiful wood.  Hardness and bouts of decent eyesight lets me make a rare smaller hook size.  This one isn't awful small but is getting that way for eyes that tend to cross much too easily lately.  It's a G (4mm).  A unique feature of this hook is a an abnormally large "gullet" as I call it (others call it the "bowl" or "groove").  The large gullet will allow use with bulkier yarns that would normally not be used with a G hook.  That said, I don't see any reason it couldn't be used with lighter weight yarns as well.  Oh, and the hook's 7 inches long

Hook #6 is an unusual beauty.  Bocote has rich dark colors and much lighter blond highlights.  You see that effect very pronounced in this beautiful hook.  Looks a bit like the blond wood was laminated to the darker wood, but nope; its all one piece.  Honest.  It's a size I (5.5mm) and is 7 1/2 inches long.

Hook #7 is both pretty and big (size wise).. It's made of figured Maple (a most favored wood for crochet hooks for it's strength and weight.  I like it too because it's such a warm friendly wood.  So it's a good big size.. a P (11.5mm), but easy on the hand due to it's light weight and minimal length (7 5/8 inches).  Rugs?  Bulky yarn projects will love this hook.

Last but right up there with the big boys is a genuine Deadman Crick Tamarack Egg Hook.  Now if you know Jimbo hooks, you know I've been making Egg hooks for a long long time.  In fact, the Jimbo egg hook just might have been the grandpappy of this hook style.  And it's been a sure footed staple that lots of folks who have grip issues love.  This one is a bit unique because I shaped the neck and head to somewhat resemble a Boye style.  It's still "in line" because the hook lip doesn't poke out beyond the shank, but the sides of the neck taper to the head.  Works very nicely.  It's a K and is 5 1/2 inches long.


Ok now the crass commercial stuff.  We'll run the auction till  Tuesday, Sept 20 and close on that date at 10pm Pacific Time.  Please send your bid via email to      (Jimbocrochetwhittler@yahoo.com) with your bid amount.
I'll post bids as soon as possible (however I don't hang around the computer all the time, especially when I'm up on the Ranch).
If you are out-bid and would like to raise the bid, please increase the previous bid by a $5 minimum (done to eliminate penny increases at the last minute).
Tying bids will be resolved in favor of the earliest bid received.  I do charge postage now ($2.50 for US regular mail... more for foreign or speedy mailing and/or insurance).
I do take proxy bids if you prefer but again, tying proxy bids will be resolved in favor of the first received.
Thanks once again.  I appreciate everyone who drops by, bids or not.
Jimbo

Bids:

Hook #1

Hook #2
Barbara bids $30
Linda bids $45

Hook #3
Sylvie the lovely French Alp crochet designer bids $30
Pat goes $40
Linda bids $50

Hook #4

Hook #5
Sharon bids $10
Deb goes $30
Barbara says $50
Deb up's it to $60
Linda bids $65

Hook #6
JoAnn bids $30
Barbara with $50

Hook #7
Doug's in with $35

Hook #8
Pat bids $30
Linda bids $45

April Hook Auction's OVER but see too the Annual April 1 Rock the Crochet World Revolutionary Hook

Carol is the high bidder.  Thanks everyone for stopping over!

This has got to be one if not THE most beautiful hooks I've made.. so much so that a display stand is included.

I'm back!  So here's the scoop on this beauty that I've been saving and working on off and on for some time now.  The hook started as what looked like an "ordinary" blank of Cocobolo, one of the most beautifully colored woods with striking grain color variations found anywhere.  Actually it's from Central America and is prized for it's beauty and adaptability especially for musical instruments.  You'll see it on beautiful high end guitar bodies.  And I've used it before for hooks.  Amazing wood with natural oils that hardly need a finish, it machines so smoothly.  But this one does have a precautionary coating of polymerized oil, kind of a belt and suspender thing, to assure longevity.  So as the hook emerged from the blank, always a wondrous surprise for me to see how grain emerges, this angular dark-to-black-to-variegated orange emerged; with the confluence happening right where the thumb rest should be.  You can see it in the top picture.  So with careful placement of the hook, the thumb rest became outlined by the black stripe.  Not quite happenstance but impossible without the kind help of the wood.  A truly amazing hook emerged.  So much so that I decided this one deserved a display base.

Now the base is also made of a really beautiful wood, Wenge.  Wenge is one of the more difficult woods to work because it splinters so easily.  But it was chosen for the wavy and complimentary variegated grain pattern that leads to the hook.  

A unique hook and a unique size.  It measures at 5.25mm (between H and I), partly intentional because I didn't want to interrupt the grain pattern that was going so well, partly because it's not a hook size you'll likely have in your arsenal, and partly to encourage freestyle work (shouldn't an artsy hook make artsy crochet?).  Length is a bit more standard for Jimbo hooks, 7 1/4 inches (18.4cm).

A hook that, thanks to the natural beauty of the wood, can be enjoyed as a useful tool and as a piece of art.

And it's up for bids.  

Ok now the crass commercial stuff.  We'll run the auction till  Tuesday, April 12 and close on that date at 10pm Pacific Time.  Please send your bid via email to      (Jimbocrochetwhittler@yahoo.com) with your bid amount.
I'll post bids as soon as possible (however I don't hang around the computer all the time, especially when I'm up on the Ranch).
If you are out-bid and would like to raise the bid, please increase the previous bid by a $5 minimum (done to eliminate penny increases at the last minute).
Tying bids will be resolved in favor of the earliest bid received.  I do charge postage now ($2.50 for US regular mail... more for foreign or speedy mailing and/or insurance).
I do take proxy bids if you prefer but again, tying proxy bids will be resolved in favor of the first received.
Thanks once again.  I appreciate everyone who drops by, bids or not.
Jimbo

Bids:
(I'll be gone to the Ranch from today (April 7) till Sunday (April 10) but send your bids anyway... I'll post them when I get back.  Have a great week end!)

PK's in first with $15
JoAnn raises it to $40
Carol bumps it to $60

And now for something totally shocking and revolutionary to the world of Crochet....

THE ALL ROUND JIMBO HOOK

Yes folks I've done it again.  Never will you ever have to go searching for that thumb rest in order to orient your hook the right way.  This hook needs NO thumb rest whatever!  Why, you ask? Because, I answer, it has an all round hook!  No matter where you grip the hook or your grip style, this hook always has the yarn catching throat in the correct position.  "Why didn't we think of that!!??" cry major hook manufacturers in utter anguish and despiration while reaching for the phone to contact their bankruptcy attorneys.  And my answer..... "Duh, because you didn't think of it on April Fools Day!!"

Heh.

Jimbo Crochet Hook Auction......is over! Thanks bidders and visitors!

This auction is in the books!  Thanks everyone who stopped by,  I enjoy your company! And to the winning bidders, please consider using paypal by clicking on the little yellow box labled "make a donation" in the left margin of this home page, and include postage ($2.50 per hook) in your payment for regular postage.  Thanks again everyone!

Jimbo

Oh it's been ever so long since I did an auction and I apologize.  Just can't seem to get these old bones moving lately.  Thanks for your patience!
Ok lets get right toit.
The first hook is the Red Heart hook at the bottom of the picture.  It's not for sale but is a give away for a contest in Ravelry, celebrating National Crochet Month.  Here's a link if you'd like to enter.  Ravelry  Hopefully you can find the rules for the contest there and don't have trouble entering.  The hook is a K and is knockout beautiful in color and grain figure.
Moving right along to the hooks up for auction.. lets move from left to right and number them 1 - 6.

Hook #1 we'll call a Slipstitch Hook.  Why?  Slipstitch crochet wants a very pointy hook. This hook is very pointy.  You know I'm not sure anyone else is making Slipstitch hooks.  And I've only made a few, but saw a youtube thing on slipstitch crochet recently and decided there might be a bit of a market for such a hook.  It's a Birdseye Maple beauty and hits the size scale at L (8mm).  Lengthwise it's 7 5/8 inches long.

Hook #2 is a Rosewood beauty that's not quite so pointy but you know what they say.... "You don't have to have a point to have a point" (Obleo).  This beauty is a size 7 (4.5mm) and is 7 5/8 inches long.

Hook #3 came from a chunk of Elm a friend gave me.  I like it for the little pieces of bark that I was able to leave on the handle.  Bark likes to be hooks too, so I include it whenever possible. Adds character and natural beauty to the hook.  This one's an M (9mm) and is just shy of 8 inches long.

Hook #4 is a hybrid.  A dark Bocote handle with a very high quality coated aluminum hook in size B (2.25mm).  The hook is a bit after the Boye style (not inline).  An ergonomic Jimbo B hook!  I don't think my aging eyes and hands could carve one so small, so I did what I could.  Made a comfy handle and attached a tiny hook.  Oh, and this one's 7 inches long.

Hook #5 is the old Jimbo original Egg Hook style, with a bulbous handle that fits like an egg in the palm of the hand, a feature that is of great benefit to many crochetiers with hand issues... plus it's so smooooooth it will easily stand in as a "worry stone".  Size?  I (5.5mm).  Length? Overall, a touch over 5 inches.  Bulb diameter?  1 1/2 inches.  Oh and the most important part!  It's made from a chunk of Deadman Crick Apple, from the tree has such meaning to me.  Real Deadman Crick pedigree.

Hook #6 is a Maple H (5mm).  Maple is my go-to hook wood.  It's easy to acquire (I've four Maples in my yard here in Spokane, and lots of the bush variety up on the Ranch).  It's light weight for it's strength, and always has beautiful color and grain.  This one's 7 7/8 inches long.

There you have it, folks.

Ok now the crass commercial stuff.  We'll run the auction till next  Tuesday, March 22 and close at 10pm Pacific Time.  Please send your bid via email to me here (Jimbocrochetwhittler@yahoo.com) with your bid amount.
I'll post bids as soon as possible (however I don't hang around the computer all the time, especially when I'm up on the Ranch).
If you are out-bid and would like to raise the bid, please increase the previous bid by a $5 minimum (done to eliminate penny increases at the last minute).
Tying bids will be resolved in favor of the earliest bid received.  I do charge postage now ($2.50 for US regular mail... more for foreign or speedy mailing).
I do take proxy bids if you prefer but again, tying proxy bids will be resolved in favor of the first received

That's about it... lets get this show on the road!

Thanks again for your patience!!
Jimbo
.
.
.

BIDS:

#1 Doug bids $40
     Janet jumps in at $45

#2  Janet again with $40

#3 Doug with $40

#4  Vicki bids $30

#5  Vicki goes $40
      Mona bumps it up to $45

#6  Mona with $30

CRIMMIS HOOK CONTEST 2015 is over! Rita the yarn doodler wins!!

The 2015 Crimmis hook winner is Rita who emailed here entry for me to post.  The auction is also over and Barbara wins the Red Heart hook!  Thanks to all who entered, and a Merry Christmas to all!

Ah the very best time of year in my view.  And once again I've made a special hook for the occasion. In keeping with the tradition of giving at Christmas time, I made this very special Jimbo Crimmis Hook("Crimmis" coming from my middle son at about age 3).  Why is it special?  Well for one thing, it has a removable very real Christmas glass ball decoration on the heal end.  For another it's made of a traditional Christmas wood, Holly.  And yet further, its made in an odd size (8.5mm) purposely to encourage true freeform crochet work (I'm a huge fan of one-off, creative work).  This is not a hook that will want to be used to follow a complicated pattern and dampen your enjoyment of the season, no. This one's for rocking by the fahr ("fire" to those not versed in "Crick" lingo)  and letting your creative juices flow; maybe while sipping a hot cocoa, letting the pine smell of  Christmas tree take you back to happy Christmas times in the past.  This hook was made with that very same spirit at heart.
So ok lets get on with the contest!
Rules
ONE entry per person please
Enter with a "What I'll make with this hook" comment here (preferred) or by emailing me at jimbocrochetwhittler@yahoo.com.
Contest will be over on Dec. 16th at 10pm Pacific Std time.
Winner will be arrived at by a random drawing.

Hope this Christmas is your BEST EVER!!
Jimbo


And for those who would as soon purchase...  Here's a new auction.  One hook for now but with luck I'll add more as we go.

 A truly beautiful piece of Read Heart wanted to become an heirloom hook, so I did what I could to help it realize it's dream.  One gauge makes it out as a 7mm size but I just checked it against a Bates gauge and it shows the size as a K.  Go figure, eh?  One thing for sure..it's 7 1/4 very comfy inches long.

Care to bid?
Bidding rules:  We'll run the auction on this particular hook until 10pm Pacific Time on Dec. 16th.

Bid increases in $5 increments or more, please.

Please email your bids to me at jimbocrochetwhittler@yahoo.com .

Tying bids will be resolved in favor of the first received.

I do take "Proxy" bids if you choose to do that as well but if we get a tie on highest proxy bid, resolution will again be in favor of the first bid received, but in this case I'll notify the later bidder of the situation.

I'm not always close by the computer (actually I'm at the Crick whenever possible and there's no internet there ((yay))), but I'll try to post your bids as soon as I can.

Bids:

Redheart K/7:
Nicole's here from Down Under with $35
Barbara takes it to $40
Nicole goes to $45
Barbara raises to $55


ps If I get a chance to add more hooks, I'll do so and simply extend the auction close date for those particular hooks.  Good idea??  I'm not sure but it seems like it would work.  We'll see.

Broomstick needles revisited and Noste Auction IS OVER!

Thanks to all bidders and folks who dropped by.  High bidders please consider paying via paypal by clicking on the little orange box in the left hand margin of this page, marked "make a donation".  If you wish to pay otherwise, please email me and we'll discuss arrangements.  Postage in the US will be an additional $3.50 if that's ok.

Thanks again!

Jimbo

Up for bids!!  A kinda new idea for Broomstick Crochet and a large Spalted Aspen Nostepenne.

So I've been interested for years in trying discover new ideas in the field of Crochet.  And this Broomstick Needle is, I think, a step in the right direction.  I inquired of Broomstick crochetiers and researched videos on Broomstick Crochet and found that most have resorted to using Kni##ing Needles as Broomstick Needles.  One very famous and good looking Crochet Designer was heard to say something to the effect that she'd like to throw that needle across the room.  Why?  Well for one thing, Kni##ing Needles have a long tapered point.  To gather a loop on the shaft and set the loop size, the Broomstick Crochetier must first stretch the loop out and poke the needle point through the opening, then slide the captured loop all that distance down the taper till it can be cinched up on the needle shaft.  Slow and cumbersome.  Answer?  A shorter point.  Cinchy.  I also noticed some effort being exerted in poking a hook head under loops gathered on the needle shaft.  A difficult and frustrating task.  Answer?  A patented needle with an access notch (see detail photo) that will permit easy hook access.
So this is the first of possibly many Broomstick Needles to be produced by the folks (me) at Jimbo Hooks.  And it's up for bids!
Specs:
shaft length 10 inches from shoulder to notch
shaft length including notch (knob to beginning of taper, 11 inches)
overall length knob to tip, 14 inches
shaft diameter about 32mm (1 1/4 inches)
Material is figured Maple, knob is Cherry

Nostepenne
Not new but really beautiful spalted Aspen Nostepenne is up for bids.  This is a bit larger version than my usual with about 6 inches of usable shaft, tapering from about an inch to about 7/8 inches. The slight increase in shaft length allows for a larger center pull yarn ball than my previous Nostes.
What's really beautiful about this Noste is the spalted figure in the wood.  Makes me proud that the piece came from the Ranch.
What's totally new in the known universe is an addition of a removable yarn stop flange that should allow build up of more than the usual yarn in the center pull ball.  Screw in the stop before finishing the ball, finish the ball while the stop keeps yarn from falling over the end of the noste, then unscrew the stop when the ball is finished and easily slide the ball from the noste.  The stop can be used also to keep the ball in place on the Noste for storage without worry that the ball will come undone.
Flange is Cherry, knob is BEAUTIFUL Olive Wood.

Bidding rules:  We'll run the auction up until 10pm Pacific Time on Monday Sept 28th.  Please email your bids to me at jimbocrochetwhittler@yahoo.com .

Tying bids will be resolved in favor of the first received.

Please no "Proxy" bids this time, due to a blog hiatus that will happen for a few days.  If we get a tie on highest bid, resolution will be in favor of the first bid received.

I'll not be close by the computer (actually I'm at the Crick whenever possible and there's no internet there ((yay))), but I'll try to post your bids as soon as I can when I get back (building a wood shed... Yahoo!!).

Please increase bids by $5 minimum.

Thanks once again for dropping by!
Jimbo

Bids:

Broomstick Needle:
Barbara's here with $25
Deborah takes it to $35


Spalted Aspen Nostepenne:
Sherri's here!  $35
Deboran bids $40
Karen bumps it to $50
Diana moves it up to $75

Broomstick Crochet, a new approach to needles.. and a Noste

INTERNATIONAL CROCHET DAY CONTEST!! HO0K AUCTION! and WHY I'VE BEEN SO LATE POSTING

Auction is over (Barbara gets the hooks)
and the winner of the ICD hook set is:
CARLA

INTERNATIONAL CROCHET DAY APPROACHES (SEPT 12)

Just had to include this link... a celebration of  International Crochet Day, AND a really clever tutorial
crocheted cactus!  Check it out.  Amazing!

International Crochet Day started back, oh, about 8 years ago as a twinkle in Jimbo's eye and has grown leaps and bounds  since.  Still not recognized as a paid holiday and no postal stamps have been dedicated to the event, but Crochetiers all over the globe are coming to know the day as one for celebrating the gentle art of Crochet.  How are YOU going to celebrate?  I'm having a contest and giving away an instructor and student hook!   I made them both the same hook  size (M) but very different lengths so an adult instructor using the big hook will be able to crochet the same pattern with a child student using the baby hook.  The instructor is 8 inches long; the student is 6 inches long.  Fun, eh?  

So to enter the contest simply post a comment here,  or email your comment to me at jimbocrochetwhittler@yahoo.com.  All you have to do is say Please enter me.  I'll do the rest.


Since I'm so late in starting the contest, we'll run it a bit past ICD and announce the winner after 10pm Pacific time on September the 16th.  Please only ONE entry per person.
Happy International Crochet Day!!!  Spread the word!

AND WE HAVE A NEW AND TOTALLY UNIQUE AUCTION!  

I've been working my poor old arthritic hands to the bone making up a one of a kind set of 9 hooks that I'm guessing is new in the known universe.  A set of  VERY large  hooks, ranging in size from Mongo, the 42mm hunk-o-hook on the far left, to the more standard "N" (10mm) hook on the far right.   Why'd I make such a set?  Uh, well I can't really answer that except to say that that big size hooks are rare in wood and I like to do rare things. 

The really big hooks have tapered cheeks to reduce that "bump" you often experience when sliding a loop on to the shank.  And all but Mongo are carefully crafted of good ole American Maple.  Mongo is made of even gooder ole Deadman Crick Red Fir  (very light weight for the size).  These hooks are just itching to be making BIG, FAST projects and should be a real joy to work with.

To be a bit more specific, the hooks can be identified from left to right as ..

A: Mongo (42mm) 

B: V (25mm)

C: U (20mm)

D: T (16mm)

E:  S (14mm)

F:  Q (13mm)

G:  P (12mm)

H:  O (12mm)

I:   N (10mm)

Bytheway, the auction hooks are in the range of  8 1/2 to 10 inches long.

I'd love to sell this bunch as a set but realize that might be a bit much.  Even so, I'll set a price for the whole bunch at $400. We'll still offer up the individual hooks at auction, and if the total amount bid on the individual hooks add up to more than $400, we'll break up the set.  If the total is under or matches $400, I'll take the $400 offer and sell the set.  How's that? 

Bidding rules:  We'll run the auction up until 10pm on Wednesday, Sept 16th.  Please email your bids to me at jimbocrochetwhittler@yahoo.com .

Tying bids will be resolved in favor of the first received.

I do take "Proxy" bids if you choose to do that as well but if we get a tie on highest proxy bid, resolution will again be in favor of the first bid received, but in this case I'll notify the later bidder of the situation.

I'm not always close by the computer, but I'll try to post your bids as soon as I can.

Please increase bids by $5 minimum.

Let the auction begin!

Offer for the set ($400)
Barbara!

Individual hook bids::
A

B

C  Doug starts it off with $40 bid

D

E  Nellie bids $35

F

G  Missy goes $30

H  Debbie says $30

I  April bids $30
   Nellie goes $35

WHY I'VE BEEN SLOW POSTING.....

   If you know the general location of Jimbo's Front Porch, you may be aware that it's located  in the midst of the largest forest fire in Washington State history.  This half burned Colville National Forest sign is down the road from the Front Porch about 4 miles.  The fire got within 2 miles of the Ranch and was seriously threatening to burn us out.  We were at level 3 evacuation for several days, dozers cut a fire line around the house and crews came in to move combustibles safe distances away.  I placed a sprinkler on the roof , packed up family treasures, evacuated, and prayed for a break but with bleak hope.  We were told several times that there was no hope.  The wind was blowing the flames down our canyon at a frightful pace and we were in the direct path... and then the blessed rain came and the wind died down.  What a relief!!  Jimbo's Front Porch was spared!  The firefighters are amazing and we're all right, at least for now.  None of the three fires that threaten the Ranch are out by any means, and it's said they won't be till snow flies, but they've been slowed by our firefighter heros and mom nature, and I'm finally starting to breathe again.   About 80,000 acres of our forest has burned and more's to come, but it looks like our little place will (knock on wood) be spared.  Whew!!