Crochet

Patterns, projects and techniques

HOOK REVIEW – BOYE HOOKS

by

BOYE CROCHET HOOKS NEW SET COATS AND CLARK

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.

Comments

  1. I’ve noticed my newer Boye hooks are sharp at the top of the head. If it doesn’t catch the yarn, than it’s finding some other way to annoy me.

    Unfortunately, I am very anti-Bates as I don’t like the shape of the head/hook.

    I need to get a hold of some Clover or Addi Turbo hooks for comparison.

    BRIANNA, you may well LOVE the Clover Soft Touch hooks.  I don’t like the plastic handle on the Addi hooks and they have MM sizes only – which is not a bad thing, but they have no F hook, for instance.  You use only the numeric size which sometimes throws me, although it’s more accurate.  Not all F hooks are the same size!!  jd

  2. I recently bought a package of assorted Boye hooks and notice the rough edges. So I got some sand paper and sanded the heck out of them. I still ened up with a crummy hook. What I use them for is window props to keep my kitchen windows open!!!!!!!!

    ALL THAT WORK for window props.  No Way!!  At least you found a use for those dratted hooks! jd

  3. You’re absolutely right! I have some old Boye hooks which I love but the newer ones – forget it!
    So anytime I see older Boyer hooks, I snatch them up…

    SO YOU’RE THE ONE GETTING THEM ALL!  LOL.  jd

  4. You said it, the Boyes are EVERYWHERE! Every store, individually, in packs, in cute packages with yarn and patterns included, there is almost
    no way to avoid them as a newbie.

    When someone suggested Susan Bates hooks, I took off! I may not be the fastest hook in the west yet, but at least I’m enjoying it a lot more!

    MIMI, thanks for validating my viewpoint.  It’s a shame that Boye isn’t producing a superior product since they certainly do seem to support their product.  I fear that many potential crocheters will not progress – and may well simply throw down their hooks in frustration – if a newer Boye hook is their only experience with crochet hooks.  Susan Bates hooks are widely available, and a much better choice for beginners IMO.

    Thanks, jd

  5. I’m a newbie in the knitting and crochetting scene.. I need some circular kntting needles. I think I might get some interchangeble ones. So, what say you about the Boye circular needles?

    CLAUDIA – sorry, I don’t knit so I don’t have an opinion about Boye knitting needles.  I will say that knitting needles are of simpler design than crochet hooks so Boye needles might be just fine.  I hope readers who knit will put in their two cents (two dollars???) worth here.  jd

  6. Thank you so much for this review and also the comments! I’m new to crochet and luckily I made the right choice in buying Susan Bates’ hook instead of Boyes’. I just ordered a set of 6 Bate’s Silvalume hooks from Ebay two days ago!

Have you read?

Red Melt The Ice Slouch Beanie Crochet Pattern Review

Some crochet projects are made simply because we need a warm hat. Some are made because we need a quick gift, a stash-busting project, or something easy to work on while watching television. And then there are crochet projects that carry a message.

This Red Slouch Beanie Crochet Pattern PDF sits firmly in that last category.

Inspired by the Melt the ICE craftivism movement, this red crochet beanie is more than just a wearable winter accessory. It is a handmade political statement — soft, practical, visible, and rooted in the long tradition of protest through craft.

You can find the Red Slouch Beanie Crochet Pattern PDF here.

Crochet as Protest

Crafters have always had a way of saying things with their hands. Quilts have carried coded messages, embroidery has documented women’s lives, banners have marched through the streets, and yarn crafts have wrapped public spaces in colour and defiance.

This beanie belongs to that same creative lineage.

The phrase Melt the ICE gives this pattern its political edge. It connects the humble red crochet hat to conversations around immigration enforcement, detention, family separation, human rights, community care, and the role ordinary people can play in public protest.

And that is what makes this pattern interesting. It is not loud in the way a placard is loud, but it is visible. A red handmade hat catches the eye. It invites questions. It gives the maker a way to wear their values without needing to shout over anyone.

Sometimes craftivism works because it is disarming. People expect political protest to be hard-edged, but handmade work brings something different to the conversation. It says, “I cared enough to make this stitch by stitch.”

About the Pattern

The pattern itself is beginner-friendly and refreshingly straightforward. The hat is worked flat in rows, then seamed and gathered to create a relaxed slouch beanie shape. That makes it especially approachable for crocheters who are still building confidence with wearable projects.

Instead of needing to work in the round or fuss with crown shaping from the start, you are essentially making a rectangle and turning it into a hat. I love that kind of construction because it gives beginners a real sense of achievement. You are not just practising stitches — you end up with something wearable and meaningful.

The design uses a textured crochet fabric, giving the finished beanie a cozy, slightly chunky look. The slouchy shape keeps it casual and modern, while the bold red colour gives it that unmistakable activist feel.

Why Red Matters

The red yarn is not just a colour choice here. It is part of the visual language of the project.

Red is urgent. Red is warm. Red is visible in a crowd. It can suggest anger, love, warning, solidarity, courage, and care all at once. For a political crochet project, that matters.

A red slouch beanie can be worn to rallies, community events, mutual aid gatherings, craftivism meet-ups, or simply out in everyday life as a quiet statement of support. It is one of those pieces that can be as bold or as subtle as the wearer wants it to be.

Of course, you could make the pattern in any colour, but for the Melt the ICE inspiration, red feels intentional. It gives the hat its message before a single word is spoken.