If you crochet, and especially if you crochet with thread or fine lace, you need at least one Tulip Crochet hook. The handle is cushioned, sort of like those chunky, easy to hold pencils.
While crocheting the Wrapped In Lace shawl, my finger got extremely sore from the writing on the hook I was using. Why do they put the size information on the very spot where your finger is going to be holding onto the hook? Then I remembered my Tulip crochet hook that I had bought at my local craft store on Small Business Saturday in 2012. It was rather expensive, but I was having some hand issues at the time and thought the cushioning might be helpful, and I was right! Unfortunately, the size I had bought at the time was not the size I needed now. But lo and behold, my local craft store, Crafted Luxuries, had the right size and I picked this one up earlier this month to work on Kat’s second Wrapped in Lace shawl.
I will be acquiring a complete set of these, one hook at a time as needed.
To save money on buying a whole new set of hooks, you might want to modify your own to cover up the writings.
Sugru is the commercial name of a workable silicone putty used for just this sort of repair/add-on. You can fix all sorts of things. But Sugru is pricey, and has a short shelf life.
At Instructables.com, you can see how to make your own with a tube of 100% silicone caulk and some cornstarch to help it cure. It can even be dyed a color.
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-To-Make-Your-Own-Sugru-Substitute/