Levels below 10 can be hard to get too, especially when it comes to getting the Cursed tools. Though here's a tip that I learned not too long ago, and I think that it might come in handy for other people who don't know it yet or are having trouble. The cursed tools are in the spring mine not the lake mine, don't forget. I suggest that you bring in a lot of Elli leaves or potions from the clinic before you go and take your basket.

Go into the mine, save your game before doing anything else, then use your hoe to find the staircase. When you do, memorize where it is, then reload your game and dig in that same spot to find it and go down. This way you don't use that much strength and you don't build up a lot of fatigue searching. Do this on every level. Also, save before you go down just in case its one of those dead end levels. (They can be a pain) With this method, your sure to get deep enough to reach your goal.