As you know, during the time of those big sporting events held in a large UK city I attempted to make my first sweater. I still haven’t finished but work progresses steadily, albeit not as feverishly! One of the hazards of feverish crochet marathons can be seen to the left. I managed to crochet a big bruise right on my index finger just above the second joint. I guess this is partly due to the way I hold my hook (pencil grip) and the fact that I use metal hooks (Susan Bates Quicksilver).
I posted on the Ravelry boards about it, hoping for a few suggestions. Some suggested those ergonomic hooks that are made to the shape of your hand. But because of my crochet style, a round hook is important. I have a lighted hook that has a flat handle, but I tend to roll my hook back and forth as I work, making a flat one kind of annoying.
One person suggested taping and that seemed to be the solution. I had some racquet tape on hand. It’s the same tape they sell in the home improvement store or drugstore that you wrap around leaky pipes. It’s stretchy and sticks to itself.
I wrapped my hook in this manner, making a thicker part right where the hook hits my finger–see the picture at right. At first it seemed a little awkward, but after a few minutes I found I really liked it! It’s slightly spongy and gives a good grip to hang onto. It doesn’t really look that great but I don’t care! It makes my hand feel much better!
Another upside to this particular method is I can spot my favorite hook on my desk now. Before it tended to blend in with the other pens and hooks I usually have lying about. And it doesn’t roll away when I put it down. The tape gives it a nice grip on the table.
So if your hook is giving your hands trouble, try this! If it doesn’t work, you’ll have enough tape left over to repair a leaky pipe if you need to…
Craftaceous Period 