However……..sometimes a yarn comes along that is really Splurge-Worthy. Don’t know what I’ll make with this stuff, but I’m going to get me some. My LYS (hearthstoneknits has it) so I’ve been able to pet it and handle it and dream about it. You know the drill.

What is sending me over the moon? It’s called Buffalo Gold. It’s a laceweight yarn sold by Paradise Fibers. It comes in a small but luminescent range of colors. The colors have a lot of luster although they’re subtle. No glitz here. Just luscious color and a ‘hand’ like I’ve seldom seen.

I’m sure Georgia at Hearthstone Knits will be happy to take your order for this snuggl-icious yarn.Contact Hearthstone at:

You gotta check this thing out. I wonder if we can still buy this item anywhere but Ebay?? Anyone out there own one or ever used one? Does it really work? Inquiring minds and fingers want to know.

Well, I answered my own question by going to Ebay and finding two of these for sale. I’ve bid on one and will be receiving it before long. I’ll report back on how well it works. Can’t wait to give it a try!

UPDATE – I purchased one of these ‘Knitters’ on Ebay. Couldn’t figure out how to work it with the instructions that were included. Took it to my local crochet club meeting where experienced crocheters and knitters each had a try at it. No one could figure it out!! No wonder K-Tel didn’t keep them on the market very long. Would love to hear from anyone who has used this implement successfully.

Who hasn’t seen these hooks hanging in every yarn and craft store in America?

Step Back! Don’t reach for them! Don’t be taken in by their shiny package or their nice colors!

Boye hooks, produced by Wright’s Products, are terrible crochet hooks. OK! Don’t throw rotten tomatoes at me or condemn me to cyberhell. I promise that not ALL Boye hooks are bad. Just the new ones!

If you can find an older set of Boye hooks, buy them! They’re great – smooth, well finished, sleek, and useful. The newer ones – not so much. Sadly.

By now, you know I prefer inline hooks. But, I can crochet with any old hook. Right – OLD hook. I can’t crochet with poorly finished hooks that snag the yarn and put a lot of ‘drag’ on the yarn.

Sadly, Wright’s is continuing to market a hook with an excellent brand name but that is a truly inferior product. I urge you to purchase Susan Bates or Clover hooks which are in the same price range and offer superior products.

Here’s how my sweater turned out:

****What’s good about this pattern:

Easy to follow instructions that aren’t too wordy. Deconstructed style (in my version although Ken’s picture on his Lulu Storefront looks much more tailored). See?

http://www.lulu.com/content/1731464

****What’s bad about this pattern:

Not much! I need to work on the sizing and sleeve width. I actually wanted a 3/4 sleeve length which was easy to accomplish with this pattern as written. I think I’ll play around with some edgings for it too.

****What I’d like to see added to this pattern:

Lots more work for Ken! I’d love to have my future effort short circuited by Ken having written the pattern for different yarn weights. Wait! I can do this myself! However, if Ken wants to take on this extra task for the low asking price of his pattern, I won’t complain.

PROJECT NOTES:

I used a Bernat Super Value worsted weight yarn which is a fairly heavy worsted weight. I think I will try it with a thinner worsted weight or a DK weight next. I wanted a boxy shaped sweater. I got that. However, the sweater pictured on Ken’s site is more tailored. Had I used the hook size called for in Ken’s pattern, I would have achieved a sweater that looked far more like the one Ken designed. Since this sweater is exactly one size larger than I would prefer, this is a good indication to me that the gauge for the pattern is spot-on. This is good news since that means I can play around with the yarn weight, using my completed sweater as a guide. This gives me a lot of confidence in wanting to make myself another sweater. I am NOT greatly experienced in crocheting adult sweaters or shaped garments, so this is a good starting place for me.

I have learned what works best for me – and that is to use a separate skein of yarn for each major part of the sweater under construction. In this case, the body of the sweater is a single piece. I used one full skein and part of a second skein for the body. I used a separate skein for each sleeve. Doing so allows me to customize the first sleeve, try it on, add length, frog, or whatever I need to do – then match the second sleeve to the first without having to worry about running out of yarn. Overall, this may add a couple dollars to a project. In this case, I could have purchased one less skein and had plenty to finish the sweater. If you have yarn on hand, depending on your size, I suggest winding off half of a larger skein to create two skeins for your sleeves. IMO, there is no real downside to having more yarn on hand. This yarn will make a cheery scarf and/or cap for a child or adult female.

Further note – this sweater was made as an alternative to the Fiesta Yarns’ Garden Party Jacket. I purchased the yarn for the Garden Party Jacket and spent hours attempting to interpret the pattern – with more than an hours’ help of my friend, Ronnie, who can decipher ANY pattern! Not so in this case. The Garden Party Jacket is a complete bust and I’m out the $6 it cost me. My LYS has kindly offered to refund my money for this pattern after I requested that they remove it from their shelf – which they did. I asked for help from the Fiesta Yarns’ folks via email, received a quick reply that the pattern is old (2001 but still new on the shelf at my LYS), but have heard nothing further from them. Lesson Learned! I’ll stick with designers whose work I can evaluate myself or who come well recommended from crocheters whose skills are similar to mine.

THANK YOU, KEN. You’ve got my creative sweater-making juices flowing.

This set of hooks was recently purchased by a friend of mine, DJ. I admit to having been present at the purchase and to have aided and abetted DJ in adding to her hook collection. We both gave the hooks a quick trial the first night she had them, but soon, she was crocheting away at her usual speed, light years quicker than I will ever crochet. Since she actually shelled out the cash, I asked DJ to write a review for us. Here it is:

The PROVO CRAFT kit came in a sturdy zippered case with all the pieces tucked nicely into memory foam. The six crochet hooks (sizes F, G, H, I, J, K) twist into either of the two handle styles (includes a Knifty Knitter head which I haven’t used as yet). I have a touch of arthritis in my hands and found that these ergonomic handles are comfortable and reduce fatigue. The package says it was designed by a woman who wanted to crochet through her MS symptoms, so if you experience pain or difficulty holding a regular hook, this kit may help keep you crocheting.

I love that these are inline hooks. If you like Susan Bates I think you’ll like Provo. The drawback for me (and my daughter noticed it too) was that the neck/shaft of the hook feels too short. After a few minutes working with it, however, I was able to adjust and crochet at my usual speed.

I have seen online that Knitting-Warehouse.com has the Provo kit at a very good price but since I have never bought from them I cannot make a recommendation.