You go to the craft store in search of a crochet hook. You arrive at the “hook aisle” and suddenly you are faced with a dilemma. Who knew crochet hooks came in so many different shapes, sizes, and materials. Metal ones, wooden ones, straight handles, curved handles, skinny shafts, thick shafts, and some of them even light up! So which one should you choose?
All hooks are NOT created equal. It doesn’t take long for a beginning crocheter to figure this out. But what are the differences? I’m no hook designer or expert in the field, but I have been crocheting for close to 40 years and I can give you some observations and opinions from my many years of experience.
The pictures in the following examples are linked if you would like to take a closer look at the product or get pricing. Just click!
Aluminum Hooks
I have used many brands of steel/aluminum crochet hooks over the years, and I’ve developed some opinions about them. These are just my opinions, and you may feel differently about them. That’s okay. Perhaps that will generate a nice discussion in the comments.
I personally like the Boye name brand of aluminum crochet hooks. They are sturdy, unlike some brands that I’ve used, which bent and warped over time. I also like that Boye rounds the edges of the hook. Susan Bates brand are very similar, but they have a very sharp edge to the underside of the hook that would catch, split, and snag yarn as I worked, making life difficult and frustrating me. I finally got rid of nearly all my Bates hooks. I also like the color coding and the fact that Boye prints both the US “letter” size on the hook as well as the millimeter dimensions so that the conversion is right there. You don’t have to look it up if the pattern calls for a 3.75 mm hook.
Ergonomic Hooks
Are you looking for a more ergonomic option? A friend of mine loves these Addi Swing Hooks. She said it took her about a week or two to get used to the different shape of the handle and the resulting difference in the motion of her hand/wrist as she worked, however, once she adapted, the hook was much easier to use for long crochet sessions. If you are crocheting for more than an hour a day, or if your wrists are starting to feel the effects of repetitive motion, maybe an ergonomic hook is something you’ll want to consider.
Egg-Shaped Hooks
Finally, there are the egg-shaped hooks. They come in various forms, and various costs. During one particularly strenuous stretch of extensive crocheting, my wrist began to hurt very badly. I went out and bought an egg attachment for my aluminum hooks. The Boye hooks fit inside this egg and are secured with a washer. The egg greatly lessened the tension in my hand and wrist and allowed me to crochet for longer periods of time with less aches. I liked that it was an attachment so I had the option to use it or not. And I could still put my hooks away in my nice little carrying case, making them easy to store, unlike the permanent egg hooks or egg handles with hooks that screw into the egg.
So which one should you use? The one that feels right in your hand. No one can tell you which one that will be, because everyone crochets a little differently and has different needs. The only way to find out is to try some of the options. If you have a friend who crochets, maybe you can borrow a hook for a week or two and test drive it, so you don’t have to pay for it if you don’t like it. Regardless of which one you choose, I wish you …
Happy Crocheting!
~Lisa