Dear yarn loving friends,

I’m currently knitting a Sunday Cardigan on big needles. The pattern is written for a bulky gauge and I’m using three strands of yarn, all feeding through my fingers, across the needles, and into the cardigan.

Sometimes I only get two strands of yarn to catch on the needles. That other strand drops and becomes a loop that lies on the surface of the knitting.

I usually don’t notice a dropped loop until I’m several rows beyond. Then I use a crochet hook to drop the stitch and go back to the pesky loop. I was using a tiny crochet hook that I stole from my sock knitting bag and found that it just does not work very well. I needed a bigger diameter hook.

Then I thought about the Addi Swing crochet hooks that we sell. Out came that hook and, wow, did it make a big difference. Now I could rip a stitch back for an inch or two and then “climb the ladder” as I used the crochet hook to reassemble the knitting.

The Addi Swing crochet hook is ergonomically balanced and feels good to use. That’s a big concern for crocheters who keep the hook in their hand for several hours at a time. As a knitter, what I really like about this hook is the large plastic handle. When I drop this hook into my knitting bag, I can find it easily!

Once again, I’m reminded of the importance of using the right tool for a job.

We carry Addi needles and crochet hooks. Take a look at what we have to offer and see if there is a “right tool for the job” that you can add to your knitting and crocheting. You just might find, like I did, that doing an upgrade from an old tool to a new one will make your needlework much more enjoyable.

Happy knitting and crocheting,

Wanda

PS You will find links below to two FREE patterns from Graywood Designs — one for a crocheted coaster that is a quick project that would be great to enclose with a holiday greeting card. The other is for our Sensibility Shawl — an engaging lace knit that uses worsted weight yarn. And, because I know some of you will be curious about the Sunday Cardigan, there’s a link to that pattern which is a paid download on Ravelry. Cheers!