How to Crochet With Plastic Tube

Trim down plastic tubing to fit your crochet hooks.

Sometimes crochet hooks can be difficult to handle. A hook may be too short to hold or too skinny to effectively grip. It can be hard to work with metal hooks in low temperatures when the metal becomes uncomfortably cold and hard to maneuver. You can alleviate these problems by attaching a plastic tube holder onto the end of your hook. Thin tubing like that used for piping oxygen adds bulk to your smaller hooks. It also forms a barrier against any other uncomfortable features on your hooks.

Things You'll Need

• Crochet hook
• Thin plastic tubing
• Scissors
• Polymer clay

Instructions

1. Hold your crochet hook against the tubing to measure the length of your plastic tube holder. The tube should cover the flat portion of your hook and reach to the end of the hook or beyond, depending on whether you want to extend the length of your hook. If your hook doesn't have a flat portion, measure your tube so that the cover begins slightly inward from the shank.

2. Use scissors to cut the measured length of your tube. Be sure to make a smooth, even cut.

3. Slip your hook into the opening of the tube. If your hook fits snugly in place and does not move around inside the tube, your holder is complete. If not, remove the hook. Pack a layer of polymer clay around the hook where the tubing will cover it. Gently force the modified hook into the tube, squeezing it to secure the clay, hook and cover in place.

4. Crochet with your modified plastic tube hook as you would with a normal crochet hook.

References

• Art of Crochet by Teresa; How to Make Your Own Crochet Hook Grip; Teresa Richardson; March 2009
• Cut Out + Keep: Recycled Hook Holders & Crocheted Covers