Every good girl deserves a Boye...

is an ad from the 1950's for Boye crochet hooks. In addtion to the standard aluminum and steel hooks... here are some hooks you might want to add to your collection..

Bone Hooks

Steel Yarn Hooks

Interchangeable Hook Set showcased at the 1933 World's Fair.

Boye Interchangeable Hooks What's Old Is New Again

I used a Hobby Lobby 40% off coupon to buy the a new Boye interchangeable crochet hook set.

I just had to have a set to compare to the set that Boye made in the 1930's.



What do you think?

I like the case on the new hooks but think the old ones are better looking.

You can order the new INTERCHANGEABLE HEAD CROCHET HOOK SET from Amazon...the vintage one you'll have to order from me.

Cleaning Steel Crochet hooks

I was asked how to clean a vintage steel crochet hook on the Crochetville Forum. This was my answer.

To get rid of the rust, I dip only the discolored area of the hook in CLR or Lime Away for a few minutes then take an old toothbrush and a little dish detergent and clean it good.

Next, using "0000" steel wool moistened with a few drops of WD40 or a good machine oil, I rub the area well (this could take a while). Then I coat the hook with a little Blue Magic Metal Polish Cream let it dry and buff with a clean dry cloth.

If the hook is still discolored, I use a finger nail buffer or jeweler's cloth or both and buff it. I repeat the use of the steel wool and the buffer until the area is smooth.

Once all the rust is removed, I use the metal polish again and then wax it well. The best wax to use is Renaissance wax, the second best is bee's wax, next best is rub it well with waxed paper.

Remember that rust indicates that the protective coating on the hook has been destroyed and it will need to be washed regularly, protected with a good metal polish and kept waxed to prevent it from rusting again.

I restored the bottom hook in the picture using this method, when I started it looked worse than the top hook . Here is a link to a bigger picture with more detail.

Boye Vs Bates

A long debate is ongoing between crocheters regarding which is the better hook to use Boye or Bates. The debate continues and fans on both side will not give up their favorite.

The debate is over the shape of the hook, but I think the discussion should center around the length of the shank. Bates hooks have a short shank and Boye hooks have a long shank. Therefore how you hold your hook and the motion of making the stitches are affected by the length of the shank, if you hold your hook by the flat.

Try an experiment the next time you want to throw your Boye or Bates hook out.

• First, clean and wax your hook.


• Next, move your grip off the flat and, if you are using a Boye hook and are used to using a Bates one, move your grip up the shank to about where you would hold your Bates hook. If you are using a Bates hook and are used to using a Boye, do the opposite. Move your hand down the shank. This might help you get through your project without throwing you hooks out.

William E. (Bill) Elmore in his books The Elmore Method of Crochet and More Elmore recommends having both short shank and long shank hooks in your crochet hook collection. I agree.