If my wheel doesn’t have a spot to store an orifice hook, I’m sunk. I constantly misplace orifice hooks, even sometimes when they have a spot on my wheel. I don’t know what it is, I’ve found several in the wash and in between couch cushions.

After spending too much time trying to thread my leader through an orifice without a hook, I figured out a way to make a couple different quick emergency hooks.

I always keep two things in my spinning kit to use as emergency hooks, paper clips and dental floss.

The paper clip hook is quick, but sometimes it can be fiddly, if you have a long orifice. I usually use a small clip because they are the most bendy, which helps getting it into and out of the orifice.

I open the clip all the way and make a small hook at one end. I make the hook with little pliers I have in my spinning kit, by pressing the end against a hard surface (like a table), or sometimes just with my hand.

Dental floss is quick too, and easy to carry around in it’s handy little box. I use my grocery store brand, and make sure that it’s waxed or coated in some way. The coating gives it just enough stiffness to not collapse while I’m threading.

I break off about 12”, fold it in half, and tie it together at the open end. This makes a loop style orifice hook that’s good for especially a long or a sharply curved orifice.

A bonus to having dental floss on hand, it can be used to tie skeins, or as emergency stitch markers.

There aren’t pretty, but they get the job done in a pinch!