The Spring-Wire Crochet Holder: A Needle Held by Tempered Wire

"A, in the drawings, represents a crochet-needle, which, in general shape and form, is similar to the ordinary crochet-needles, but, in its manufacture, is made directly from tempered wire, in lieu of wire not tempered, but tempered after the needle is made." "B, the holder for the needle, which is made from tempered wire. This needle slides upon the holder B, and, as it has a spring, it secures and holds it in whatever position it may be set."

**Spring holder.** Cut 35 cm of 1.2 mm piano wire with the hacksaw; it is too hard for side cutters. With the round-nose pliers bend it into a long narrow loop about 8 cm long to hold in the hand. At the top wind two tight turns round a drill bit 0.3 mm thinner than your steel crochet hook's shank, so the turns spring open and grip the hook when it is pushed through. Tuck the wire ends inside the loop with the flat-nose pliers. **Soft holder.** Bend a second holder the same way from 1.2 mm galvanised steel wire. **Test.** Push the hook into each holder, hang the spring scale on it and pull along its length until it slides; note the force. Slide the hook fully in and out 20 times and measure again. Compare with the notebook, then crochet 20 stitches with the hook set at two different lengths.

**Joseph M. Hoadley** of Birmingham, Connecticut, received US 76,916, dated 21 April 1868 and antedated 8 April 1868. His claims cover a holder formed with the needle from one piece of tempered wire, and a holder of tempered wire on which the needle slides and is held by the holder's elasticity. Five years earlier the same inventor had folded the needle into its handle (US 39,572). **Honest limits.** A bought steel hook stands in for Hoadley's tempered-wire needle, and piano wire for his holder wire. The notebook models each gripping turn as a straight spring arm; its elastic limits, friction and pull are examples. Your pull readings are the result.