Polymer Clay Handles for Crochet Hooks
by Larry B.
I have fibromyalgia in my hands, which makes it very difficult for me to hold and use a small crochet hook. Making polymer clay handles was the solution to my problem. I can make the handles any diameter I want. The first photograph is that of several of my crochet hooks with the polymer handles attached. As it turned out, the diameter of the handles was just a little too large to be comfortable. But as sometimes happens, a mistake turns into a serendipitous situation.
I noticed that when I was using the crochet hooks with the polymer handles I was having trouble keeping the angle of the crochet hook in the right place. It tended to roll around on me and was hurting my hands to keep the correct grip. So, what I did was take a small pocket knife and I cut notches in the handle where my thumb and forefinger needed to be. The fact that I had made the handles too fat was just fine because once I cut the notches into the handle, the size was just right. Notice the notches in the handle in the second photograph.
If you've never worked with polymer clay it is very simple. One can buy polymer clay at any craft store such as Hobby Lobby, Joan Fabrics or Michael's. The instructions for baking the polymer clay are on the package the clay comes in. I would suggest that you do not bake the polymer clay on anything you will use for food. I'm really not sure if it is toxic in that regard. I used a disposable aluminum pie plate and threw the plate away after baking the clay.
I made each handle a different color to make it easier for me to tell the size of each crochet hook. Many people make the handles quite elaborate in different colors. I used either one or two colors because it was the easiest on my hands. It is also a good idea to etch the crochet hook's size on the soft clay before baking.
I had thought about making a video, but there are so many videos on making handles on YouTube that there is no need. The video I like the best is at the website:
There she shows step-by-step instructions on how to make the handles.
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We would like to thank Larry for writing this tutorial for us! Erogonomic Hooks can be very costly but this a great way to make your hooks so they are more comfortable and will be exactly the right size for you!
Thank you, Larry!!!
Serenity in Fiber,
Lynne