Do you have your crochet hook yet? I have put together this small summary of crochet hooks to help you choose the right hook for you.
Crochet hooks come in all sizes. They also come in all sorts of materials including bamboo, aluminum, and plastic.
And what the size is referring too is the how big the actual hook is in millimeters.
See the blue hook near the middle of the picture? Notice on the handle where it says “H/8-5.00MM” ? That’s the size of the hook. The H/8 refers to the US size of the hook and the 5.00MM refers to the exact measurement of the width of the hook.
An H hook is a great size for beginners. It isn’t too big or too tiny. If you are just buying a single hook to get started I would pick this one up.
However there are set starter sets. I actually bought this Susan Bates set when I started:
via Amazon
This set comes with hooks F – K. It’s a great starter set as most projects call for these sizes and is inexpensive.
If you want something a little fancier you can try this clover set. It’s really comfortable in your hand. And look at all the pretty colors. This set is totally on my wishlist.
via Amazon
If you’re wanting to do something that a chunkier look (like my Wavy Crochet Cowl, Super Simple Crochet Cowl, and Crochet Cable Cowl) then you’re going to need a bigger hook. My scarves actually call for a P size hook.
Depending on where the pattern you are following was written it will give you different information about your hook. Here’s a comparison chart of US, UK, and Japanese hook sizes.
via https://www.sionakaren.com/
As you can see, they are kind of all over the map. I recommend knowing the millimeter requirement for your pattern and matching your hook accordingly. However you are definitely able to play around with different hook sizes in different patterns.
Did this help demystify crochet hooks for you? Do you have any other questions? Let me know. I’d love to help.
Are you following my Learn to Crochet series?
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THANK YOU for your table including old UK sizes! I have a very, very old steel hook that’s clearly a size 3½ (I’m in Australia) and all the other charts told me it’s 1.8mm – which it clearly isn’t, it’s visibly smaller than the (modern) 1.5mm hook I have.
Your chart puts it at around 1.125mm, which makes more sense.
Thank you so much!