Fibre Tool FAQ

Hello yarn lovers, welcome to the Hook Baby FAQ! Here you'll (hopefully) find all the information you need, and answers to all the questions you have about knitbrooks handcrafted crochet hooks. If you have a question not addressed below, please feel free to email knitbrooks@gmail.com.

So, who makes the hooks?
All crochet hooks are hand crafted with care by myself (Kelly @knitbrooks) and my partner (Scott @thelivingnorth) at our home in rural Nova Scotia, Canada. Scott does any required milling of the wood to bring it down to the correct size for our multi-wood tools, and assembles the pieces + preps the material to be carved. He also removes the bark on any sticks and branches that will become future hook babies. I carve the hooks, and we both do a LOT of sanding in order to get those babies to a velvety smoothness before I woodburn the size into each one before they're treated with a polyurethane wood sealant. It is a labour of love, and most certainly a team effort + process I'm happy we are able to work through together.

Do you take custom orders?
We now offer a Build Your Own Hook option, which allows you to create the fibre tool of your dreams.

What's the difference between a regular update and a preorder?
Regular shop update: A small batch of fibre tools are made ahead of time, and each one is individually listed online as ready-to-ship. Each listing includes the size and a photo of the exact fibre tool you're purchasing, which is great if you prefer to see your babies ahead of time.

Preorder shop update: A certain number of slots are available and remain open for a week or until the slots are filled. You have the option of choosing from a select number of feature woods, and we will make your hook in the size you want (you can also request additional wood preferences and we will try our very best to make that happen). You will not see your hook until your package arrives at your home, so it's like a fun surprise!

I tried to buy something but was cart jacked / everything is sold out, what should I do?
While I would love to make sure every person who wants a crochet hook is able to purchase one, we are just two people working on a time consuming process; there are only a certain number of crochet hooks available in every shop update. To ensure a smooth and quick checkout, you can create an account ahead of time to avoid having to enter your information at the time of your purchase.

When is the next shop update?
Updates are typically scheduled once a month or every two months. You can find the next update date/time either in the knitbrooks instagram bio, or displayed in the announcement bar at the top of knitbrooks.ca. You can also sign up for the knitbrooks newsletter to be notified of the next update.

What sizes do you offer?
All sizes are reflected in millimetres (mm). If you are unfamiliar with this sizing, it's recommended you refer to a crochet size conversion chart or tool like this one from Crochet.com to ensure you are purchasing the correct size. Note that while hooks are carefully measured to reflect the listed or requested size as accurately as possible, each hook is made by hand and size may not be exact..

Hook are available in sizes as small as 4.00mm, and have been made as large as 20.00mm. To date, the following sizes have been made: 4.00mm, 4.50mm, 5.00mm, 5.50mm, 6.00mm, 6.50mm, 7.00mm, 7.50mm 8.00mm, 8.50mm, 9.00mm, 9.50mm, 10.00mm, 10.50mm, 11.00mm, 11.50mm, 12.00mm, 12.50mm, 13.00mm, 13.50mm, 14.00mm, 14.50mm, 15.00mm, 16.00mm, 20.00mm.

Please note that some of the sizes are NOT traditional/typical sizes. Does a 7.50mm exist in real life? Probably not. But maybe you're a tight crocheter and 6.50mm just isn't working for you!

How much do your fibre tools cost?
The cost of each hook entirely depends on wood type, size, and if it is of the woodsy or mutli-wood persuasion. All prices are in Canadian dollars - you can use currency conversion tools such as this one (or directly on Google) to calculate the cost in your currency.

Woodsy hooks typically range from $60 to $90 CAD.

Single-wood hooks range from $60 to $80 CAD.

Multi-wood hooks range from $70-$110 CAD

How much does shipping cost?
Shipping rates are calculated automatically upon checkout based off your location, and the shipping method you select. Learn more about our shipping policies here.

I purchased multiple items in separate orders, do you combine shipping?
We sure do! Any orders placed by the same person will be combined into and shipped as a single order. You can make this really easy for us by creating an account, and making all your purchases through that single account. Any major shipping cost differences will be refunded.

What length are your hooks?
The length of each hook will vary slightly, but at this time the average length is approximately 6.5 inches. If you'd like a shorter or longer hook, you're able to request specific lengths in through our Build Your Own Hook options.

How much does each hook weigh?
The weight of each hook will vary depending on the type of wood used, as some woods are heavier / lighter than others. However on average, a hook typically weighs about 35 grams.

Where does the wood come from?
Our woodsy hooks (any hook that resembles a tree branch, has bark on it etc.) are made from branches sustainably collected from the forest on our property in Nova Scotia, Canada.

Our multi-wood hooks began as a way for us to give new life to cutoffs and leftover pieces of wood from other larger woodworking projects Scott was working on through his small biz The Living North. This has allowed us to play with colours and incorporate exotic woods we otherwise would not have had the opportunity to work with. While we will continue to upcycle wood pieces when we can, the growing demand (and lack of leftover wood now that Scott has taken a step back from his own woodworking!) requires us to source from local specialty exotic wood stores in Nova Scotia.

What types of wood do you use?
Woodsy hook babies have been made from Canadian tree species native to Ontario, and will be made from trees found on our new property in Nova Scotia. This includes Maple, Oak, Walnut, Cherry, Ash, Apple, Plum, Elm, Birch, Hickory, among others.

Because our multi-wood hooks and needles are made from pieces of upcycled wood rather than branches, we are able to expand into tree species not found in Canada. You can read more about the woods we use in our Wood Guide here (some woods we were unable to identify as they were leftovers/cutoffs we salvaged from other woodworkers).

What is the wood treated with?
Our hooks are treated with a polyurathane wood sealant.

My fibre tool is broken / damaged, what should I do?
While we try our best to ensure each hook is top quality, they are handmade and imperfections & mistakes can happen on our end. If your hook arrives damaged or broken, or breaks due to no fault of your own, please send us an email at knitbrooks@gmail.com and we will get things worked out!

While there isn't much we can do if your hook suffers a casualty at the hands of your dog or toddler, or if you drop it / it rolls off a table, we are here for support and advice if you'd like to try and mend the damage yourself. Shoot us an email!

Will the bark on the woodsy hooks hurt my hands?
This entirely depends on how sensitive your hands are. While we make sure to remove and sand down any sharp areas on the branch, the hook IS still made from a stick and may feel rough to the touch. That being said, we want your hook baby to be entirely functional and comfortable to use!

Do you sell wholesale to yarn stores and boutiques?
It is our goal for 2023 to start offering wholesale options! If you are interested in carrying knitbrooks crochet hooks in your store, please fill out this form and we will be in touch.