The Crochet Hook

Hook sizes in the US are usually denoted by letters and numbers, for example H/8. But they usually are also marked with the European or metric size in millimeter (mm). So, the US H/8, is also the European size 5.00mm.

all crochet hooks are not made equal. even different brands can vary slightly in size (and I mean only very slightly). But, that variation may mean the difference between you getting gauge for the pattern you love, or not. 

Steel Hooks

The smallest hooks are steel hooks. They go from size...Metric - 0.75mm/ US - #14 (smallest) to Metric 3.50mm/ US 00 (largest - there is no UK size equivalent for these).

Steel crochet hooks are used for thread crochet and very fine yarns (lace weight or cobweb yarns). They are also used extensively for bead crochet. The heads of the finest hook scan fit through teeny seed beads! Below you will find a table of steel hook sizes.

Steel Hook Sizes

Metric(mm)	US	UK/CANADIAN
0.75	14	-
0.85	13	7
1.00	12	6.5
1.10	11	6
1.30	10	5.5
1.40	9	5
1.50	8	4.5
1.65	7	4
1.80	6	3.5
1.90	5	3
2.00	4	2.5
2.10	3	2
2.25	2	1.5
2.75	1	1
3.25	0	0
3.50	00	-

 You can find the more common sizes in plastic, but usually you'll find them in aluminum. These sizes range from Metric - 2.00mm/UK 14 (no US size equivalent), to Metric 19.00mm/ US S (No UK size equivalent). 

These hooks are used for yarns ranging from cobweb/lace weight at the fine end of the scale right up to 3 or 4 strands of worsted held together for the largest size.

Aluminum Hooks

Beginners may prefer to start off with plastic hooks, available in general craft stores. (The larger sizes are only available in plastic as their aluminum counterpart would be way too heavy to work with).

Plastic is fine to start off with, but you may find your plastic hook to be slightly rough and catch on your yarn - not ideal. This becomes frustrating, and you may like to check out the next level - aluminum.

There are many metal crochet hooks around - the most popular being Boye (Wright's) and Susan Bates. These hooks are also widely available in craft stores other discount stores.

   Aluminum/Plastic/Wood Hook sizes

Metric (mm)	US	UK/CANADIAN
2.0	-	14
2.25	B/1	13
2.5	-	12
2.75	C/2	-
3.0	-	11
3.25	D/3	10
3.5	E/4	9
3.75	F/5	-
4.0	G/6	8
4.5	7	7
5.0	H/8	6
5.5	I/9	5
6.0	J/10	4
6.5	K/10 1/2	3
7.0	-	2
8.0	L/11	0
9.0	M/13	00
10.0	N/15	000

  Crochet has come a long way in it's time and whereas hooks were made in bone, and ivory you can now also find handmade hooks formed from beautiful woods.

Rosewood Hooks

 You can also get crochet hooks which have a hook on one end and what looks like the end of a knitting needle on the other. This is an "afghan" or "Tunisian" hook. In this method of crochet the loops are picked up along the row, then "knitted" off on the way back.

you can also get hooks with hooks on both ends! They are for what's called "cro-hooking", "cro-knit" or more recently "crochet-on-the-double". This is similar to "Tunisian", whereby you pick up loops and knit them off, but you can crochet 2 colors and have a reversible fabric with one color more dominant on one side and the other more dominant on the other side.

you can also find square hooks! It's more comfortable to use than the rounded ones.