Crochet Podcast 187: Crochet Thrift Store Finds & Hook Review Update

Crochet Thrift Store Finds and the Hook Review Update

Thrift-store crochet can teach you as much as a pattern book, especially when a handmade piece shows up for 80 cents. This episode turns a rescued pile of crochet, plus a few accidental knit purchases, into a source of stitch ideas, garment shapes, and honest keep-or-donate decisions.

Alongside the haul, Christa shares a big update on her crochet hook testing, and one early takeaway jumps out. Clover has competition, at least for some hands and some crochet styles.

A new veranda setup changes the feel of the podcast

This episode opens from a new outdoor spot at the Yarnery, and the setting has its own personality. Christa is settled in on a new veranda with shiny blackout curtains in a silver tone, and the effect is more dramatic than expected. She wanted white at first, but the silver ended up working even better because it gives the space a movie-theater feel.

That cozy setup matters because it changes the pace of the episode. Instead of the usual finished objects, the focus shifts to a stack of handmade thrift-store finds. Some are crochet, some only looked like crochet from a distance, and a few are too charming to leave behind even when they need help.

The little details make the space feel lived in. There are curtains, sheers, a fake plant, a picture on the wall, and a TV mounted nearby, although the mount needs adjusting because the screen is still a bit crooked. It feels less like a formal set and more like a real crochet corner.

That casual setting fits the topic well. This is not a polished "haul" in the usual sense. It is more like a sorting table for ideas. Each piece gets a quick inspection, a price check, and a verdict. Some items are headed back to the donate pile. Some are worth keeping for inspiration. A few look like strong candidates for future patterns.

The crochet hook review is turning into a serious test

Why the hook update matters

The hook conversation starts with a simple question: why buy that many crochet hooks? The answer is clear. Christa wants to compare them herself, rank them honestly, and answer hook questions from experience instead of guesswork.

That means the testing is not casual. There are spreadsheets, side-by-side notes, speed tests, weight comparisons, and category scores. The review covers 18 hooks, and each one gets ranked from 1 to 18 in different areas. The higher the score, the better the hook performs.

Comfort came out on top in a channel poll, and that makes sense. If a hook hurts your hand, nothing else matters for long. Still, comfort is not the only factor in this review. Glide and speed matter a lot too, because a hook that moves through yarn cleanly will nearly always feel faster.

One hook in the test is so awkward that the yarn has to be pushed off the hook with a finger on nearly every stitch. That kind of detail is exactly why this review has value. A hook can look fine in a package and still be annoying in real use.

Christa also makes a point that helps build trust. These hooks were bought with her own money. That matters because she wants full freedom to say when a tool works and when it doesn't. She mentions a past neck light review as the kind of situation she would rather avoid. When a product is sent for review, honest criticism can feel messy. Buying the tools herself keeps the opinion clean.

If you want more background on why Clover hooks come up so often, the site's own Clover Amour Crochet Hook Set review gives useful context.

The brands in the mix, and the surprise contender

Clover is still the default favorite for Christa because it feels fast. For her, speed and glide are tied together. If a hook glides, it moves faster. If it drags, every row takes longer. That is why Clover remains the benchmark.

Tulip was not part of the original Amazon order because there were already Tulip hooks on hand, but the comparison became too important to skip. Once a Ginland, also sold as Seven Sun, started feeling oddly familiar, Tulip got added to the speed test and full review.

That Ginland or Seven Sun hook stands out because it borrows features from both camps. It has a Tulip-style thumb bump, but the rest of the shape feels closer to Clover, although the shaft is bigger. That kind of hybrid design is worth testing because tiny shape changes can shift how a hook behaves.

WeCrochet Dots are also part of the bigger conversation, especially since viewers have asked for a direct comparison. Pencil-grip crocheters and knife-grip crocheters often land on different favorites, so Tana's opinion is included too. That is a smart move. A hook that feels perfect in one hand can feel awkward in another.

The review is still growing because more hooks are on the way from AliExpress, including Tulip Red and other bargain sets. Christa notes that Clover and Tulip styles can be found there, but WeCrochet hooks are harder for many international buyers to get. For anyone comparing ergonomic options, the site's guide to Clover vs Tulip for different holds is a helpful companion.

There is a true contender for Clover, and maybe two, depending on whose hand is holding the hook.

That is the big surprise. The early unboxing impressions did not predict the final favorites, and that makes the review more interesting. If you have ever assumed the answer was settled, this test says otherwise.

For a broader take on how crocheters compare these brands, Clover Soft Touch vs Etimo Tulip and Crochet Hooks 101 show how personal hook preference can be.

What is being measured in the review

The review is not based on one vague feeling after a few rows. Christa is tracking several clear categories:

• Comfort
• Glide and speed
• Price
• Weight
• Packaging

Grip was going to be a separate category, but it became hard to score cleanly. Susan Bates, for example, can feel great in one way and lacking in another. So grip got folded into comfort instead.

Weight is being tracked, but it does not decide the final ranking. That is a good call because some crocheters like a lighter hook, while others prefer more substance in the hand. Christa plans to call out the five heaviest and five lightest hooks, even though that is more about preference than quality.

Three hook videos are already filmed, and more are on the way. One covers the Amazon haul, one shows the hooks in use during actual crocheting, and one includes Tana's pencil-grip feedback. After the new arrivals land, the whole project will be pulled together into a top-five and bottom-five roundup.

Even the AliExpress orders are part of the experiment. Some hook sets were marked at $15 to $20 in normal listings, but bundle deals brought them down to around $3. That is cheap enough to tempt anyone, but Christa is careful about one thing. You need the real brand, not a lookalike. If you browse those marketplace listings yourself, the AliExpress Clover hook results show how easy it is to mix genuine and questionable options together.

Thrift-store crochet finds with real pattern potential

Why these rescued pieces are worth a closer look

The thrift-store section is the heart of this episode. Christa has been buying handmade pieces over time, mostly when they hit sale days. Some items cost around a dollar. One little blanket cost only 80 cents. On "50 bob day," nearly everything in the shop drops to the same low price, and that makes it easy to grab a piece for stitch study alone.

There is also an emotional side to it. Handmade items can look a bit lonely on a thrift-store shelf, especially when they show wear or need mending. A small granny-square blanket with some opening seams was bought partly because it was cute, and partly because it deserved another chance.

The goal is not to keep every piece. Instead, each item gets sorted into one of a few piles. Some stay for inspiration. Some may become future patterns. Others go back into circulation through donation. That makes the haul feel practical rather than cluttered.

A few of the buys turned out to be knit rather than crochet. That was a disappointment, but not a total loss. Even the knit pieces offered ideas about shape, stitch scale, mesh, and finishing. When you study handmade clothing this way, you stop seeing only the object. You start seeing the construction.

For blanket lovers, that tiny rescued granny piece fits nicely with this granny square blanket pattern with matching edges, which keeps the classic look but gives the edges a cleaner finish.

The thrift haul, piece by piece

A quick table makes the haul easier to scan.

The small lined granny blanket is one of the sweetest finds. It is not perfect, and some of the squares are opening, but it still has charm. After a wash, it becomes a usable little comfort piece for a pet space.

The colorful striped top was a miss. At first glance it looked like crochet, but a peek inside showed machine-knit construction. That one goes straight back to the donate pile.

The most exciting garment is the little Granny-front cardigan or cropped sweater. It has two-double-crochet granny motifs on the front, a mesh back, and sleeves with striped detail. The front is low, but the shape has real beach-cover-up energy. This is the kind of thrift find that sparks a pattern because the bones are already there.

Another standout is the Vest with Tassels and that Broomstick-Lace Look. Christa is less interested in the color or the exact styling than in the stitch and the neckline trick. A ribbon is sewn into the back of the neck to stop stretching. It is a simple fix, and it is smart.

The Black Lace-Up Top is small, bold, and easy to imagine remaking. It uses cotton yarn, has a straightforward shape, and relies on front lacing for fit. Even though the black yarn hides some detail on camera, the construction comes across clearly.

The Flower Bag might be the most useful summer idea in the pile. The floral motifs are joined with a webby structure, and the bag has a single-crochet base, lined interior, and chunky double-layer handles. The zipper is broken, but that almost does not matter. The motif work is what makes it worth studying.

The 80-cent blanket is the best bargain of the lot. It has texture in the body, a ribbed border, picots, and a little butterfly applique that gives it a lot of personality for such a small piece.

Then there is the Furry Shrug. On the hanger it looks like a fuzzy sweater. On Tana, it turns into one of the best pieces in the whole stack. The center reads like a crocheted panel, while the eyelash section appears machine-knit. That means a direct copy would not work in the same way, but the concept could be remade with granny stitch or space-based crochet instead.

If you enjoy using thrift finds as pattern fuel, Happy Thrift Store Day the Mandala Way is another fun reminder that secondhand pieces can spark new projects.

A quick Rico break and a look at the seasonal schedule

Rico steals the scene for a minute

After all the hooks and thrift finds, the episode takes a quick turn outside for a puppy update. Rico is still called "tiny," but the nickname clearly does not match the dog. Christa describes feeding him from her hand like feeding a pony, and that gives a pretty clear picture of the size difference between the name and the reality.

The fetch session is pure yard chaos. There is long grass, a missing ball, an orange ball, a blue ball, and one unfortunate ball that has to be left behind because it has poop on it. Rico, however, stays focused on the game and brings the ball back like a champ.

One practical detail slips into the scene too. A tile tracker is attached to the ball thrower, or "chucket," with a padlock so it is easier to find later. It is not crochet-related, but it is the kind of homegrown solution that fits the feel of the episode.

The Secret Yarnery schedule shifts with the season

There is also a useful update about the channel rhythm. Crochet season, as Christa sees it, runs from September through March. During those months, crochet is the main focus. From April through August, family mode takes over more of the schedule, so the plan shifts to one video each week.

The live chats are staying in place on the first and last Friday of the month. The most recent chat celebrated projects from the last crochet-along. The next one will pick the color and project for May's new crochet-along.

A few planned show-and-tell pieces did not make it into this episode. Easter baskets, foam bags, stacking baskets, and the usual finished objects were meant to come out, but they got left behind. That kind of loose end fits the tone of the whole podcast. It feels like a real crochet day, not a scripted studio moment.

Why this episode sticks with you

The best part of this podcast is not the bargain prices, although an 80-cent blanket is hard to beat. It is the way each rescued piece gets treated like a lesson in shape, stitch, or finishing.

That same mindset carries through the hook review. Tools and thrift finds both tell the truth when you test them in real life. A hook either glides or it drags. A garment either has remake potential or it heads back to the donate pile.

One handmade item on a thrift-store shelf can still do useful work, even if no one wears it again. It can teach construction, spark a better version, or remind you what details are worth saving.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is she testing so many crochet hooks?

She is testing a wide range of crochet hooks so she can compare them honestly based on real use. She wants to know which hooks feel best in her hand, which ones glide the easiest, and which ones slow her down. That helps her give a real answer instead of guessing.

What has she learned so far from the hook review?

So far, she has learned that Clover Amour crochet hooks are not automatically the best choice for everyone. Some other ergonomic hooks are giving them real competition, especially when she looks at comfort, glide, and speed. Different hands and different grips can change everything.

Why does she buy thrift-store crochet pieces?

She buys thrift-store crochet pieces because they are full of ideas. She can study the stitches, shape, finishing, and construction without starting from scratch. Some pieces become inspiration, some become remake ideas, and some go back to donation.

What thrift-store find excited her the most?

The granny-front crop cardigan and the 80-cent textured blanket stood out the most. The cardigan has strong remake potential, and the blanket is full of little details like picots and a butterfly motif. Both pieces gave her ideas right away.

Why does she care about comfort so much in a crochet hook?

Comfort matters because her hands need to last through long crochet sessions. If a hook causes pain, fatigue, or cramping, she will not enjoy using it. A hook has to feel good first, then it can earn points for speed and glide.

What is the best part of thrift-store crochet finds?

The best part is that they teach her to see construction differently. She does not just see a finished item. She starts to notice stitch patterns, seams, shaping, and small design tricks that she can use in her own crochet work.

Will she turn any of the thrift finds into new patterns?

Possibly, yes. Some of the pieces are strong remake candidates, especially the granny-front cardi, the lace-up top, and the flower bag. Even when she does not copy them exactly, she can use them as starting points for new ideas.

Why does she compare different hook styles like Clover, Tulip, and Susan Bates?

She compares them because no single hook works for everyone. Tapered and inline hooks feel different, and pencil grip and knife grip crocheters often prefer different shapes. She wants to understand those differences clearly.

Christa Patel is the creator behind Secret Yarnery, where she shares crochet tutorials, pattern ideas, product reviews, and behind-the-scenes updates from her creative life. She loves testing crochet hooks, exploring thrift-store finds, and turning everyday inspiration into practical crochet ideas. Her work focuses on making crochet more fun, helpful, and easy to follow for makers at every level.