Inspire & Create

Hair Pin Lace Tool

What is it?

If you’re looking for something old that is really new again in the world of crochet then hairpin lace is just the ticket. Historically called “fork work” or more recently “hairpin crochet”, this is one of those truly unique art forms that comes and goes as each new generation of artists discover it… again. Each of these new generations, however, contribute new and more creative technique. Though credit for the creation of this technique is generally ascribed to Katherine of Aragon it was certainly very popular in Victorian times. For those who are into crochet and want fast results, hairpin lace crochet is the perfect technique. The variety and creativity enabled by the loom belies the ease and speed with which they are accomplished. Using Clover’s Hairpin Lace Loom and a crochet hook appropriate to the size yarn being used we can create strips of lace that will later be joined together in any number of ways producing various textures and patterns. How many? Well, that’s up to you but considering all of the different weights and textures of modern yarns available combined with your own personal creative index and it’s pretty much unlimited.

Art. No 3104　Hair Pin Lace Tool

What does it do?

Hairpin lace is a technique using a crochet hook and a special loom. Originally a metal U-shaped hairpin may have been used from which the hairpin lace name probably originates. Clover’s modern loom, however, consists of two parallel metal rods held at the top and bottom by removable connecting bridges. These parallel bridges also allow us to easily and precisely adjust the width of our lace to create the desired pattern. The hairpin lace technique is to crochet around these two vertical rods which are set a specific distance apart by the connecting bridges. Set the width according to the pattern instructions or by your own creative whim. As you rotate the loom to add loops you crochet them together in the center. The result is lace strips of a specific creative design that are subsequently joined together to form our finished project. The dramatic appearance of hairpin lace is unique and easy to identify.

Selected Projects for Hair Pin Lace Tool

Pullover

Men’s scarf

Fall scarf

Watch “How-to” here:

Embroidery Stitching Tool

What is it?

There are many projects we can make with fabric for fashion, quilting, home decor, accessories or crafts. But how do we make them truly ours? How can we personalize what we’ve made so that it really shows our own creative vision. One very dramatic way to achieve that is hand embroidery. And what could be more personal or creative than three dimensional hand embroidery that easily adapts to our every whim? If we can imagine it, we can do it. Welcome to the amazing world of dimensional embroidery with all of its possibilities. Embroidery using a punch needle is often and properly referred to as “thread painting” because of its inexhaustible potential for intricacy and style. Rembrandt to Monet to Picasso, it’s your call. Our potential mediums extend from embroidery floss to hand dyed floss, pear cotton, wools, silks, metallic threads or even 2mm silk ribbon. With all of those fibers we can lay down a virtual kaleidoscope of color and texture on our canvases. And Clover’s Embroidery Stitching Tool is the best way to ensure that your creative experience is all you want it to be.

What does it do?
Hand embroidery with a punch needle is a fiber art technique that involves looping yarn, floss or ribbon in the format of a pattern through fabric. The Clover Embroidery Stitching Tool and its accessories enable us to apply our desired fiber to any selected fabric easily and precisely.

Embroidery Stitching Tool
The punch embroidery technique requires a special needle that is thin, hollow and attached to a comfortable handle for easy manipulation. Our selected embroidery fiber flows through the handle and down through the needle exiting through the eye at the point. As the needle is punched through the fabric and retracted it leaves a loop on the opposite side of the fabric. Succeeding loops fill in our pattern. The handle of the Embroidery Stitching Tool accepts three different sizes of needles to accommodate different sizes of fibers and even has a guide to show us the direction of the needle for successive stitches.

Art. No 8800 Embroidery Stitching Tool

Extended Needle Threader

The Clover Extended Needle Threader enables us to pull our thread, floss or ribbon from the entry point on the top of the handle all the way to the eye of the needle. Easy peasy and no frustration.

Art. No 8810 Embroidery Stitching Tool Needle Threader

Clover Embroidery Hoop
Perfect for Embroidery Stitching. Inner Hoop Grips The fabric firmly, keeping it tight.

Art. No 8812 Clover Embroidery Hoop (18 cm)

Art. No 8813 Clover Embroidery Hoop (12 cm)

Embroidery Needle

Art. No 8801 Embroidery Stitching Tool Needle Refill (Single Ply Needle)

Art. No 8804 Embroidery Stitching Tool Needle Refill (3 Ply Needle)

Art. No 8803 Embroidery Stitching Tool Needle Refill (6 Ply Needle)

Art. No 8802 Embroidery Stitching Tool Needle Refill (Needle for Medium-Fine Yarn)

Selected projects:

Design Collection 1 for Embroidery Stitching Tool (PDF)

Design Collection 2 for Embroidery Stitching Tool (PDF)

Book Cover with wool embroidery (PDF)

Placemat with Embroidery (PDF)

Watch “How-to” here:

Wonder Knitter

What is it? – As children, most of us can remember having an old wooden spool with four rounded metal pegs protruding from one end. By threading yarn up through the center and then wrapping the yarn around the pegs we could maneuver bottom loops over top loops. As a result we were able to form some very cool woven strands or, as known to some, i-cords. The resulting knitted braids, or i-cords, were very attractive and actually had many applications. These cords were used as fashion accessories and embellishments, home decor objects or embellishments, jewelry (you can even add beads as you go), toys, purse handles, decorative shapes, the list goes on and on. It seemed the only limiting factor was the knitting tool itself. There were lots of different manufacturers but they essentially produced the same end product. Enter the creative folks at Clover. The result is the Clover Wonder Knitter. Designed to accommodate both developing knitting mediums and emerging creative technique, the Wonder Knitter is now the “go to” tool to create any i-cord project you can imagine.

What does it do? – The Clover Wonder Knitter is an amazing tool that allows you to knit i-cords with an almost unlimited variety of yarns, cords, ribbons, or strips of fabric. It accomplishes this with four functional parts.

3101　Wonder Knitter™

Handle – The handle is shaped to make it comfortable to hold in your hand for those long knitting sessions. The large interior core allows you to use knitting mediums from fine to really bulky even including beads or other decorative devices. You’re limited only by your creative vision. The handle is also fitted with a handy yarn guide mounted on the side that feeds the yarn onto the knitting heads and allows you to apply tension during the knitting process.

Rotary Wheel – The rotary wheel articulates with the handle and allows you to turn the knitting head with the flick of a finger. This saves time and a lot of wear and tear on your hands since you don’t have to reposition the tool with every stitch. A little comfort goes a long way.

Knitting Head – The knitting head is where the rubber meets the road. These wheels with their protruding pegs are the point at which each knitted stitch is formed. The Wonder knitter is supplied with two heads, one with three pegs and one with six pegs that snap onto the Wonder Knitter. Having two wheels allows you to adjust the diameter, stitch size and appearance of the final knitted product. Throw in all of the different fibers available today and the potential resulting appearances are virtually unlimited.

Pick – The pick is the simplest part of the Wonder Knitter but even so is not without its own features. Most importantly is the shape of the point and its angle to the handle. These allow you to engage each loop and easily maneuver it into place with a minimum of effort. Easy on the hands and wrists and increases the efficiency (and speed) of the knitting process. Again, a little comfort goes a long way.

By Steve Butler

Mini Wonder Clips & Wonder Clips by Clover

What is it?

You know them. You love them. And they’re everywhere. Few sewing, knitting or crafting tools have ever enjoyed a more widespread and enthusiastic reception.

Years after their introduction they are still perhaps the most versatile and useful sewing tool ever devised. Often copied but never equaled, the Wonder Clip designed and manufactured by Clover not only exhibits the highest, most exacting manufacturing standards but is the only true Wonder Clip that continues to evolve to meet the developing needs of sewing, knitting and crafting trends and techniques.

And evolved it has. Clover is very excited about the latest sequel to its legendary precursors. The new Mini Wonder Clip is destined to be big, very big. It is designed specifically for the most difficult work we do . . . detail work.

The Mini Wonder Clip sports a more fine point which makes it perfect for any application requiring absolute precision. Miniature patchwork, doll clothes, appliqué or any other requirement for holding small sections of fabric together while still leaving room to manipulate your project for sewing.

Think of how difficult it is to hold binding around a very tight corner on your project. For this and so many other sewing challenges Clover’s new Mini Wonder Clip simply means “Problem Solved”.

What does it do?

Wonder Clips are the absolute best choice for holding sewn materials together during the creative process.

Quilt bindings, hems, piping, seams, etc., can all be held in place while sewing. Don’t forget, no pin marks in leather, delicate or vinyl/laminate type fabrics. They are equally perfect for knitters when joining side seams, sleeve insertions, sleeve seams. For crafters they are like having a “third hand” that can hold any craft material securely in position while the project is manipulated.

Mini Wonder Clips

The Mini Wonder Clip is 7mm wide at the handle and 3mm wide at the business end, the pointed tip. It opens to almost 12mm which allows it to accommodate several layers of fabric or other materials. They are available in packs of 20 and 50 clips.

Art. No. 3188 Mini Wonder Clips (20 pcs.)

Art. No. 3189 Mini Wonder Clips (50 pcs.)

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Wonder Clips

The Original Wonder Clip is 10mm wide and 21mm long. It opens to 12mm. The base is also marked in 3mm increments to ensure accurate and uniform placement and application. They are available in packs of 10, 50 and 100 clips.

Art. No. 3155 Wonder Clips (10 pcs.)

Art. No. 3156 Wonder Clips (50 pcs.)

Art. No. 3159 Wonder Clips (100 pcs.)

By Steve Butler

Amour Crochet Hooks (Art No. 1220-1226)

What is it?

Lace crochet, it’s not just for doilies anymore. We all have them, doilies that grandma made. Dozens and dozens of doilies of every conceivable size, shape and color. The obvious benefits of “Textile Therapy” notwithstanding, what do you do with all of those perfect geometric progressions in thread? In the past we’d put ’em in a box and give them to our grandkids. Let them worry about it. But no more. In an era of expanding creative endeavor, lace crochet has taken on a whole new aura. Jewelry, scarves, belts, headbands along with fashion and home decor accents of all kinds are just the beginning. To up the ante, modern textile processes and world-wide search and sourcing presents us with an ever expanding variety of amazing new fine yarns and threads. And how about beads? Yes . . . beads. We can do jeweled lace crochet by adorning it with beads. Picture that elegant knitted evening jacket you just finished highlighted with beautiful little pearls. Or how about beaded jewelry or beaded rope fashion accents? How? Crochet. It’s all possible. New yarns, new applications and new techniques. Never has the creative potential of crochet been so unlimited. Unfortunately the old tools don’t always support all of the “new” that we want to achieve. For the fancy fine yarns and the tiny shiny beads we need new precision tools. Clover’s Clover Amour Crochet hooks (Art No. 1220-1226) are the ultimate in precision crochet tools. Designed with the end in sight, each has unique features designed to ensure trouble free crochet even with the most demanding applications. Or maybe you just want to do doilies. That’s okay too.

What does it do?

At its most elemental level Clover’s Amour Steel Crochet Hook enables us to manipulate the finest threads smoothly and precisely. Three unique design features separate Clover Amour Crochet hooks (Art No. 1220-1226) from the clamoring crowd.

Size selection

Serious thought was applied to determine the hook size selection that would facilitate projects ranging from the finest threads and beads to the transition for yarn size projects. There are 7 sizes included; 1.75mm, 1.50mm, 1.25mm, 1.00mm, 0.90mm, 0.75mm, 0.60mm.

Clover Amour Crochet hooks (Art No. 1220-1226)

The tip of each crochet hook is engineered specifically to engage and manipulate the thread smoothly, evenly and without damage. The Amour tip has a slight point so you don’t have to worry about splitting yarns when the hook is inserted. The lip is slightly rounded so no snagging or splitting when pulling through. And lastly the groove also has a rounded component to prevent our stitches from accidentally slipping off. The overall point design makes smooth, fast work of even the most demanding crochet designs.

Handles

This is the all important interface between human and mechanical device. Clover Amour Crochet hooks (Art No. 1220-1226) have smooth ergonomically designed handles made of a slightly cushioned elastomeric rubber. It’s both comfortable and durable. And the design shape is well suited for either knife or pencil grip. The result is hours of enjoyable, productive, stress free manipulation with minimal fatigue.

With products there are projects. Clover Amour Crochet hooks (Art No. 1220-1226) can help you make the most unique creations.

CLOVER Lace Motif