Spoiled for Choice, or: Which Crochet Hook Is the Right One?

Crochet hooks come in a wide variety of shapes and materials.

They’re made of plastic, steel, aluminum, or wood. They’re thin, thick, long, short, with or without a handle, curved or straight, cheap or expensive—so the choice isn’t easy for some people.

How do I choose the right crochet hook for me?

Everyone crochets differently and holds the hook in their own unique way. The crochet hook should fit comfortably in your hand, have a good grip, and not strain your wrists or fingers even after several hours of crocheting. Some people crochet very tightly, so it’s helpful if the hook head isn’t too round, allowing you to easily insert the hook through the stitches. The hook should also be well-shaped; otherwise, the yarn will slip out and you’ll have to rework the stitch.

In many craft stores, you can try out different crochet hooks to see which one feels best. You’ll often have the chance to crochet a small test piece as well. The staff will be happy to offer advice and assistance if needed.

With a crochet hook, it’s like with many other things in life—first impressions matter.

With that in mind, I hope you have fun choosing the right crochet hook. ☺

I crochet a lot in all hook sizes and have tried out many different crochet hooks.
Since I crochet very tightly and often get sweaty hands, a crochet hook with a wooden handle is the ideal solution for me.
It sits comfortably in my hand and doesn’t slip back and forth, as has often happened to me with the simple ones that have plastic handles.

My mother-in-law has arthritis and crochets a lot to keep her fingers from getting too stiff. She swears by the PRYM crochet hooks with plastic handles. She says they produce a nice, neat crochet fabric, even if you have to hold the hook a little more loosely. And she still crochets vests, shawls, and ponchos that are absolutely gorgeous.

But the best approach is what Wollness-Oase recommends: ask in the store and try the hook out briefly.

Thanks for the thread and all the replies here in the thread.
The thread is now also listed under Materials A–Z.
https://www.crazypatterns.net/de/forum/topic/18235/material-techniken-von-a-z

I agree with Pe-ka’s mother-in-law—I also have severe rheumatism and started out with cheap aluminum hooks. Plastic and wood weren’t right for me either. By chance, I bought one from Prym, and I haven’t used any other kind since. My stitches look much neater (or so I imagine, at least), and it’s much easier to crochet with it for long periods of time. With other hooks, I’d have to stop after two hours at the latest because my hands would hurt so much. Of course, I immediately stocked up on a set in all sizes, and now I can keep crocheting for hours on end without even a hint of pain.

I’ve been crocheting quite a lot for about half a year now, and I’ve become pretty frustrated in my search for the right crochet hook. I crochet very tightly, almost always with yarn that requires a hook size of about 2 to 2.5. With almost all the crochet hooks I’ve tried so far (and that’s waaaay too many), the metal is so soft that it bends quite easily. The much-praised Prym hooks with the soft grip are especially bad in this regard. When I do find a hook that doesn’t bend, the tip is usually too round to work well through my tight stitches.
Right now, I’m crocheting with a really cheap hook I bought at a knick-knack shop for 1€. It’s sturdy and well-shaped at the hook, but the grip isn’t exactly comfortable, and it’s actually a bit too thin for me—but the next size up is a whole mm thicker (they don’t make half-mm sizes).
I’d be interested to know if others have this problem with hooks bending, and if so, what’s your solution?

Hi Karin,

You might want to try this type of hook https://www.wollewelten.de/nadeln/material/metall/55640/stahl-mit-vergoldeter-spitze-haekelnadel-einfach-staerke-0-75mm if you haven’t already. (They also come in aluminum—neither type should bend...)
You can also easily “make” a handle for it! Either mold a suitable handle around it using Fimo, or repurpose a pen that fits comfortably in your hand by removing the refill, etc., heating the tip of the crochet hook with a lighter, and sliding it through the refill opening.

Best wishes—Nina

Thanks so much for this tip! I’ve actually thought about making a handle out of Fimo before. I just didn’t quite dare to try it because you have to harden Fimo in the oven, and I was a little worried that the crochet hook wouldn’t be able to withstand that.
But the pen idea is also a good one. I hadn’t thought of that yet!
Thanks in any case! :-)

I’ve also modified a few crochet hooks with Fimo. It works really well, and the metal hooks aren’t affected by the oven heat. 

Good to know! Thanks! :-)

@Karin1610:

I now have almost all the Addi Swing hooks. Thanks to the ergonomic handle, my hands don't cramp up anymore.

Since I also crochet very tightly, I usually use a hook that is at least two sizes larger than what is indicated on the label.

I also had trouble finding the right hook for me at first. With the thin handles, I crocheted far too tensely. Then I discovered Woll Lolli’s hooks on Facebook and I’m absolutely thrilled. You can have the handle customized, and I think you can even choose the type of hook. They aren’t exactly cheap, but once WollLolli, always WollLolli. In any case, I’ve just ordered my third one.
Here’s the link to the blog, or just check out Facebook.

CLICK
These are mine.

I’ve had a WollLolli since this week too, and it’s already getting a lot of use. :-)
I love this hook! 

@ Anton2412: I’ve already tried the Addi Swing, but unfortunately they’re not for me. I hold the hooks relatively far forward, so the curved handle doesn’t really help me—in fact, it gets in the way. I just can’t crochet smoothly with them. I find that a real shame, because I actually think they’re really cool.

@ Häkel-Elfe: These hooks look fun! Maybe I’ll give them a try sometime. Thanks for the link!

@ Karin 1610
I also crochet very tightly and also prefer a 2.5 mm hook. I wasn’t satisfied with any of the hooks available in stores, for the same reasons you mentioned.
However, I still had an old PRYM crochet hook from my youth in my stash.
My husband broke off the hard plastic handle and attached a wooden one for me. He’s very skilled, but he kept it very simple.
At Bauhaus, he got round wooden dowels with a diameter of 1 cm; they sell them by the meter there. He drilled a thin hole in the middle, roughened the metal stub, and joined them with two-part adhesive.
It holds rock solid. I can’t loosen it, it doesn’t bend, and it feels pleasant when crocheting.

@ Pe-Ka: Good man, that sounds great! :-)
I also have some old Prym hooks (which used to be much higher quality and couldn’t be bent), but unfortunately none in the sizes I need now. I only have a few very thin ones because I used to crochet a lot with even thinner yarn (doilies and things like that), and a few much thicker ones.
I’d really like to try ZwergnaseBaer’s suggestion first and get some steel hooks that I can wrap in Fimo. But first I have to find a place that ships to Austria without outrageous shipping fees. (Wolle Welten wants 14 euros—that’s a “little bit” over the top).
Unfortunately, there aren’t any really good craft stores in my area either...

@Karin1610
I'm also from Austria. Have you already checked Butinette? They also have a large selection of crochet hooks (I hope the one you're looking for is among them), and they charge €5.95 for shipping.
I always buy a lot there, and then I don't pay shipping anymore (from €75.00).
Good luck with your search!

One more little tip my mother-in-law gave me because of the very tight crocheting: I should use a hook half a size larger than what it says on the yarn label; then it's easier. It doesn't always work, especially not with the little rattle animals. But for the blankets and jackets and vests that I also like to make, it works great.

@Pe-Ka: I’ve ordered from Buttinette before—hooks that bend very easily. ;-)
But those were the ones with a handle. I’ll take a look at the metal hooks.

The problem with the thicker hooks is that I don’t really feel comfortable crocheting with them. I always find the sizes given on the labels too thick anyway.
Tight crocheting itself doesn’t bother me at all, as long as I have the right tool that can handle it. But I’m sure I’ll find the right one! :-)

I bought a 12-pack of very inexpensive aluminum hooks without handles from an online auction site, and the thinner hooks bent terribly. My hands would cramp up using them, too, and crocheting really wasn’t fun anymore. Now I’ve treated myself to this set from KnitPro with soft grips, and I’m thrilled. The grips fit comfortably in my hand, and the thinner sizes don’t bend.

@Nadeleule - Are the hook tips more rounded or pointed? The handles look really great.

Here’s something to make you smile: how to make a crochet hook out of a toothbrush.

http://www.liveinternet.ru/users/kissi1/post369145433/