The kinds of hooks
- Aluminium: smooth and cheap; the yarn slides easily. The most common first hook.
- Ergonomic: a soft, thick handle that is kinder to your hand and wrist if you crochet for long.
- Bamboo or wood: warm and light, a little grippy, so slippery yarn stays put.
- Steel: very thin hooks for fine cotton thread and lace.
- Plastic: big hooks for chunky yarn.
Sizes
The size is printed on the hook in millimetres, for example 5 mm. US hooks also use letters (H-8 is 5 mm) and old UK hooks use numbers that get smaller as the hook gets bigger. Always go by the millimetres.
Your yarn label tells you which hook size to use. A thicker yarn needs a bigger hook.
The best first hook
A 5 mm (US H-8) aluminium or ergonomic hook with a medium (worsted) yarn in a light colour, so you can see every stitch.
Good to knowFor toys (amigurumi), use a hook one or two sizes smaller than the label says, so the fabric is tight and the stuffing doesn’t show.
