Types of Crochet Hooks

search

Types of Crochet Hooks

Learn about crochet hooks and how to choose your hook!

Types of Crochet Hooks
Types of Crochet Hooks

Today's society tends to decide value based on volume or weight of a product. In some cases such as choosing your crochet hook, this decision making is wrong. It makes for deciding at the store which hook to buy a more difficult choice. Think about this for a moment.

When it comes to Different Types of Crochet Hooks, you may be attracted to bright colors such as the resin hooks or even the shiny aluminum hooks on the shelf compared to a dull urethane hook but what should you buy?

Learn from Michael Sellick, the popular crochet master from The Crochet Crowd, on how to choose the right crochet hook for your next crochet project. Read about the different types of crochet hooks and use this crochet hook guide to help you to find the perfect hook for you.

There's a lot to discover about crochet hooks. In this article, we will look at weight, material (such as aluminum, resin, and wood), temperature, price, and more to help you make the best decisions for what you need.

PLUS! Check out the video directly below to see the amount of variety to be found with crochet hooks. Our in-house expert, Chris, will walk you through her collection of hooks.

Crochet Hook Weight

You need to choose something extremely light. Some of the resins you think are pretty light and you will manage with them, but you can get hooks that are feather weights to make your crochet project more enjoyable. How it is possible that a lighter one works better?

Simple… The weight of the hook contributes to the weight of suspending your hand in the air as you crochet. It adds slightly extra weight to your elbow. With weight, it takes more energy to maneuver the hook even know you will probably never realize it. 

Aluminum Crochet Hooks

I have the hardest time with aluminum over most of the hooks. The shiny finish looks great, but it impractical if you have extremely dry hands or sweaty fingers. Most learners tend to sweat because they are having trouble coordinating themselves and watching for tension and body position at the same time.

This allows the hook to slip in your hands so that you are not entirely in control of the meticulous movements you need to do. They are light but heavy too in comparison to other choices. Sometimes the hook area is a bit sharp (some brands) and has a tendency to snag strands of yarn.

Plastic/Resin Hooks

A plastic or resin crochet hook can pretty produce cool looks but the hook can give the same experience of dry or sweaty hands. I have experienced a squeaky hook… the yarn squeaks as it moves across the hook.

Resin is light but not the lightest in the market place. They hook area tends to be better then aluminum hooks.

Wooden Crochet Hooks / Bamboo Crochet Hooks

My Favorite!

Bamboo is my most favorite hook. For the simple reason that it addressed the weight issue. If you were sleeping and someone put this hook resting on your hand, you wouldn’t know it was there. Extremely feather light. It makes for manipulating with very little strain because weight is not an issue.

Wood absorbs your heat and holds the heat. There is no heat transfer between you and the hook. It matches your heat. Unlike the other two, they keep taking your heat. 

If you sweat, the wood absorbs it instead of providing a slippery surface. Best gripping by far and I find that I can maintain control that much better. The misconception of my brain suggested to me that wood hooks are fragile and will break easily.

I have been using the same hook for a year doing varies projects. Some loose and some tight without any issues. This is not a valid concern in my mind now. The price is about $4 - $6 more than a resin or aluminum but I find that pays itself pretty quickly with the level of comfort it provides. 

Crochet Hook Temperature

This is something very little people know about. Both aluminum and resin hooks mentioned above have issues with hand temperature. They absorb your body heat... stealing it from your hands.

They don’t conduct the heat, they are taking it away from you. This temperature stealing helps provide stress in your hands. It can cause your hands to cramp.

Also mentioned above in the wood/bamboo section is the benefit of that material when it comes to temperature. Since it absorbs it, you do not have the heat transfer you have with metal.

Crochet Hook Prices

Both the aluminum and resin hooks are inexpensive in comparison to the wood/bamboo crochet hook. But, as mentioned in that section, the bamboo is still my most favorite and probably the best product on the market. It's worth the extra money if you relate to the issues discussed earlier.

It comes down to your preference. The prices don't differ a lot between types but a few dollars here and there could make the difference of comfort. We all know how important that is when crocheting for long periods of time. Make sure you pick the one that's going to help you continue.

Conclusion

Choose what works for you and your budget. Consider the above pros and cons when making your choice. It's your hands, your project, and your choice... you ultimately have to pick what's right for you.

 

Learn more about Michael Sellick from The Crochet Crowd and take a look at some of his projects featured on AllFreeCrochet.

Your Recently Viewed Projects

Leave a Comment

Rate

Cancel Reply to Comment

Thanks for your comment. Don't forget to share!

I've been eyeing a set of new furls bamboo crotchet hooks for some time now. I still use my aluminium ones , iused I hem when I was first learning how to crotchet . I know bamboo is expensive compared to the others but they look so good when taking overlays of your work.

I had an entire set of lucite hooks and one by one they each snapped at the bend in the neck of the hook. I have seen different wood ones and I remember reading a while back that the way you crochet determines which hook is best for you. Something about where you place your fingers on the hook. I have tried all kinds in my 50 years of crocheting and I must say just because you pay more doesn't mean you get a better product. I have used old aluminum ones that were more comfortable then the ones close to $50 a piece.

I so agree with you Personal preference and they way one crochets are so important in a hook Maybe because aluminum and steel were the only widely available hooks when I was young I started with those And I inherited my grandmother's hooks The steel ones are so old they don't even have sizes on them I must say I don't agree that the bamboo hooks are best for me I've got a set of bamboo hooks and yes they are light but I find myself going back to my aluminum hooks The fabric seems to glide better As far as brands the ones I return to again and again are the tapered throat I had a hook with only the notch cut into it Oh was that a pain I missed the yarn more than I caught it when I would YO I gave that one away I have someRead More supposedly ergonomic hooks but I don't think they really are ergonomic They have a silicone handle and a Boye-type head and throat and the handle has the flat part in the middle just like an aluminum hook Now these I really like But it is a personal preference - and an ongoing one and unfortunately one must buy to try I've tried wooden handle aluminum hooks and don't really care for those either They are just too bulky Thanks for opening up this discussion

There are all types and kinds of crochet hooks out on the market today with new ones popping up almost every week. Each time I go to my yarn store I see another one that I want to add to my collection. I am not a fan of the clear acrylic ones but I do have a set and use them on occasion. I think they dont grip the yarn as well as some of the others.

Very insightful. This will help me research before buying one at the store.

Close

Report Inappropriate Comment

Are you sure you would like to report this comment? It will be flagged for our moderators to take action.

Thank you for taking the time to improve the content on our site.

Close Window