Learning the lathe-turning crochet hooks
January 30, 2008 by Noreen Crone-Findlay
Filed under yarn crafts
Woohoo!
I am so excited!
For the past year or so, I have been carving all the one of a kind handmade crochet hooks I make without having Jim turn them on the lathe.
It struck me that I should probably learn how to use the lathe to shape the length of the hook. I figured that it might save some time….. so I asked Jim to show me how to do it.
At first, I was very timid in my approach, but soon, I was just having a whirlietwirlie happydancing time!
OH! this is BLISS!
I am totally addicted to woodworking….. well that’s not quite right….. I LOVE sculpting wood.
I am NOT a woodworker. I don’t make a square corners. Therefore, I am not a woodworker. I love to shape and sculpt wood, but I don’t have any interest in learning how to build furniture or things with corners.
Anyhow…. back to turning the crochet hooks.
I started with 3 of them:
And, just as I was about to declare the second one pretty darned close to being done, I noodged a little on the tool, and phwing! The hook splintered and flew madly off in all directions.
The one in the middle is the busted one, (duh), and you can see how I’ve started the sculpting process on the other two.
This is fun!
By the way, Jim will still continue to be the numero Uno woodturner on the one of a kind spool knitters that we make. We both love the way we co-create on them. But, he hasn’t been involved in making the crochet hooks for more than a year, so he’s not feeling like I am taking over his turf on this.
aNd….. by the way……….. it didn’t save any time at all, but oh! it’s amazing to watch the wood spin and sawdust fly! Very gratifying indeed!
Noreen -
your description of the hook flying off the lathe gave me a chuckle. I spin with drop spindles, and I can’t count how many times I’ve spun fiber too thin until it breaks and the spindle goes flying across the room!
Enjoying your blog as much as ever….
Tammy
ROTFLOL!
Thanks, Tammy!
And, you KNOW why they call “D*R*O*P” spindles that, don’t you! It’s because gravity isn’t a suggestion…. it’s the law!