First Hook Auction for 2013

AUCTION IS OVER... HIGH BIDDERS PLEASE CONSIDER USING PAYPAL BY CLICKING ON THE "MAKE A DONATION" BOX IN THE LEFT HAND MARGIN OF THIS PAGE, OR EMAIL ME FOR OTHER ARRANGEMENTS.  THANKS EVERYONE FOR DROPPING BY

For the first auction of 2013 I bring you....

Happy Hookin New Year!! So ok... we have 5 hooks of interest up for bids.

The top hook (lets call it hook #1) is made of Red Heart (properly named, eh?) and it's a biggie! This hook will make short work of your excess yarn, guaranteed. I made it during the time my vernier caliper was out of batteries, so I just winged it size wise. Now that I have new batteries, I see that the hook weighs in at 13.6mm. That's a BIG hook, but not huge. Smaller than a Q, but bigger than an N. Oh and it's about 7 3/4 inches long with a generous thumb rest. A VERY comfy hook.

 Next we have hook #2 which is an almost black Zircote H (5mm on my Bates gauge). This wood is alot like ebony without the excessive weight. Plus it does have some grain figure which you don't see well in the photos. Believe me it's beautiful wood. Amazingly smooth with a nice thumb rest and flat foot if you'd like to stand it up for display. Oh and it's a little shy of 7 1/2 inches long.

 Hook #3 has been up for sale before, but to my amazement, it didn't sell.  Not that I'm overly interested in selling cause this is one of my most favorite hooks ever.  That's why I'm setting a high minimum bid limit ($45 minimum bid), just because this is one phenomenal hook. It has the best character offered up by the old Apple tree that has been feeding me hook wood since the very beginning of Jimbo hooks. And this hook is one if not the best the old tree has to offer. The wood came from a branch I found on the ground after a bear did some pruning while climbing for apples (not an overly unusual occurrence, but magical nonetheless... kind of makes the bear a member of the Jimbo hook making group, eh?) The branch was already pretty much dry, but dried in my shop for a spell longer till it was ready to become a hook. Here's a view of the heel end, showing a bit of the bark and natural fissure that adds huge character to the hook, but doesn't interfere with it's crochetability. And those blond highlights? This is one hook that I wouldn't mind a bit keeping (thus the reason for the minimum bid request).

It's a K (6.5mm), will stand on it's own, has a generous thumb rest and is about 7 1/2 inches tall.


Moving on, we come down one to.. Hook #4.  This is one of my hand carved hooks. Rustic? Oh yeah. Useful? Heck yes, amazingly so. Inspirational? Lemme put it this way...if this hook doesn't inspire some really fine back to nature freeform work, I don't know what will. It's made from a smaller branch from the larger one that produced hook # 3 above. That means this hook was very likely bear pruned from the old apple tree.... adding a bit more magic to it's Deadman Crick provenance. Tales of previous tenancy remain on the now smooth handle, in the form of tiny paths carved by previous whittlers... the tiny bugs that make such interesting patterns in the cambium layer of sticks. See, it even inspires ME. This hook is an N (and pretty accurate for hand whittled), with a comfy thumb rest and is 7 1/2 inches long. OH, and I left some knife chip marks at the heel end... kind of my own form of little trail.

 Hook #5 is another Deadman Crick Apple hook...only this time it's an egg hook and made from a different branch than hooks #3 and 4. Egg hooks are amazingly comfortable. They fit in the palm of the hand and can be gripped with very small effort, freeing the thumb and forefinger to work their own magic with the yarn. This one is an H (5mm) and is abou 5 1/2 inches long. If you're an underhand crocheter (hold your hook like a pencil), you might not realize the benefit of this style hook right away; but overhanders will get it immediately, and the benefits in reducing hand and wrist pain will most likely be noticed right away.

Ok so there you have it... the first 5 of 2013. Now lets get to the bidding....You can email me your bids at jimbocrochetwhittler@yahoo.com and I'll post them as they come in. Tie bids will be decided by the earliest email posted. Please bid in $5.00 + increments.

Ooops, almost forgot... we need to close this auction sometime, eh?  Ok lets let'er run till next Jan 16, 10pm Pacific time.

Oh and that reminds me... I'm teaching a hook carving class on Jan. 16 here in Spokane.  Details can be found at  Telephone.. 509-892-9663  Fax : 509-892-9633 or  Email: spokane@woodcraft.com


And as always, THANK you for dropping by!
Jimbo

New Auction BIDS:

Hook #1:
Debbie's in for $25


Hook #2:
Jacqui goes $25
Paula bumps it up to $30
Jacqui comes back with $35

Hook #3: minimum bid is $45


Hook #4:
Paula goes $20
Karin's here with $25


Hook #5:
Michele's here with $20
Rita comes to the porch with $25