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What is MoEZ Afghan Crochet? Examples of MoEZ Afghan Crochet The MoEZ Gallery About the MoEZ Hooks Getting the MoEZ Hooks Getting the MoEZ Hook Kits The MoEZ Stitch Guide The MoEZ Hook Classes Calendar of Events MoEZ Discussion Forum The MoEZ Laugh Factory Fun Crochet Links Contact the Webmaster Contact MoEZ |
How were MoEZ Hooks created? by Valerie, MoEZ Creator (Co-conspirator) Several years ago I had just finished working on a crochet cotton wall hanging that took me over a year and a half to make. It was over 5 feet by 6 feet in measurement and it took an enormous toll on my arms, hands and wrists. It hurt so badly to crochet that I just couldn’t any longer. I started using a larger plastic hook to do crochet but it left such large holes that I was unhappy with it. So I made a decision to finally teach myself the afghan stitch. I always loved the way it looked but just couldn’t figure out the method to do it. After many failed attempts, from previous years, I swore this time I was going to do it if it killed me. I gathered as many magazines and books that I could find on the subject and with 8 publications I sat down to try to understand it. Many hours later I still was not seeing it. Finally I decided to just keep going and that is when I found out that it is a 2-step process, you need to put the loops on and then take them off. I finally realized that the reason the instructions were so vague is because it was such an easy stitch, nothing more than a slip stitch really. Now the only problem I faced was the texture of the material, it was just about bullet proof. It was so tight and stiff and it curled so badly that I thought there had to be a better way. First I took a plastic knitting needle and cut off the end, I glued a large crochet hook into the end and although the size was an improvement the yarn didn’t want to slide easily. So, I went to the store and brought home some wood, I told my husband, Monte, that I wanted him to make me a hook and he said he would give it a try. He whittled me a hook that was so much better than what I was trying to use. As a matter of fact, it worked so well that I requested larger and larger diameters. The larger diameter and longer length of the hooks made them ergonomically correct so my carpal tunnel and tendonitis were not an issue anymore when I crocheted. I found that I didn’t need to grip the hooks like I did normal crochet hooks. It created a looser weave in the afghans which allowed the yarn to relax a bit and the afghans came out very soft and pliable. It allowed for fewer stitches and fewer rows to make an afghan thereby using less yarn. It uses about one third the yarn that regular crochet does for the same size afghans. When looking for patterns to be used for the afghan stitch I noticed that they were really just graph patterns so it made sense that I would start looking through my cross-stitch patterns for things to do. Small graphs could be turned into large afghans which allowed me to make pretty much any picture afghan that I wanted. That in it self made the hooks my new best friends. I would use them at work and when people would see what I could do with them and how fast I could turn out finished afghans, they all wanted Monte to make hooks for them too. Thus the MoEZ Hooks were born, Mo for "Monte" (also short for more) and EZ because they really are easy. The MoEZ Hooks had to be refined along the way to save some time and get some uniformity in the shape of the hook end but they are still done primarily by hand. Monte works each hook for a specific customer as they want them. That way he can control the quality and we don’t have hooks getting damaged in storage. Plus the fact that he is the only one making them and he is trying to keep up with the orders as is. He customizes the hooks as per special requests and his quality can not be surpassed. Many have tried to copy the hooks but there have been none that can create the quality and perfection of these hooks. I am more than a little proud of what he has accomplished, as I am sure you have noticed. |