Newbie Newsday: Which Material Is Best For Crochet Hooks?
There are three main materials for crochet hooks: wood, plastic, and aluminum (or other type of metal).
Obviously, which you prefer will be subjective and me telling you that I love aluminum might not be the best choice for you.
There are some considerations to be made though that could help you on choosing a hook material depending on your skill level and yarn being used.
First Consideration
If you are new to crochet.
I would recommend wood or plastic to a newbie. Wood’s natural materials make it “sticky” to yarn. That is, when you are crocheting, the yarn will slide slower along your hook, which can help you keep from losing loops as you learn to crochet different stitches.
Plastic is the next “stickiest”, but will allow a little more movement than wood. However, plastic hooks are known to “squeak” when using certain types of yarn, so that might deter some.
Once you get your stitches down, I highly recommend aluminum hooks. They are the “fastest” hooks for any type of yarn (more on that in a second).
Second Consideration
The yarn you are using.
Any hook will be okay for more yarn you choose; however, some hooks will do better with certain types of yarns.
When crocheting with slippery yarn, like rayon, or some cotton, a wood hook can come in handy to keep your loops from slipping around and falling off.
Other yarns, like boucle (knubby yarn), can be much easier to work with on aluminum hooks.
My best advice is to get one of each hook, try them out, and see which you like best. We are lucky that hooks, for the most part, are not too expensive and afford us the opportunity to experiment.
What is your favorite type of hook? Let us know below.
#adlink
7 Comments
kddomingue
I have various kinds of all three materials. I find that I reach most often for my plastic hooks which is kind of odd because I dislike plastic in almost any other type of item. Sometimes the type of hook I reach for is dependent on the curve and depth of the throat of the hook. I dislike just about every ergonomic hook that I’ve tried. Believe it or not, they all seem to either hurt my hand or make my hand cramp up. I also prefer a hook with a longer handle which is another plus for my plastic hooks.
Kimberly
I’ve only been crocheting for 5 or so years and started w/ aluminum. I now use the bamboo handle aluminum hooks and they are OK. I have arthritis and carpel tunnel, so I have to lay off of crochet sometimes. 🙁 Dr told me I may need to stop all together because of my neck and I laughed and said, that’s not gonna happen 😉
I do need to try a different hook that is less stressful on my hands and wrists though. 🙂
Rita Dean
I have both aluminium and bamboo and some plastic in different brands. I find that sometimes the curve of the hook it self will determine which I will use. Some yarns need a deeper book so the yarn doesn’t separate when booking and pulling it.. I would love to have some of the wooden hooks but I really think that they would break on me.
Carol Wagner
Very good basic advice. I was shown how to crochet on aluminum hooks, so that is primarily what I use and love the way the yarn slips off easily with little resistance. Recently, I crocheted vests for my granddaughters with a large plastic hook. It worked fine, but I like the weight and feel of the aluminum hooks.
raychole
I learned to crochet with aluminium hooks so I prefer those. But I also use plastic ones.
whereamiknitting
Good points made in your article. My favorite hook at the moment would be clover soft touch, but, I hope one day they will make the handle much longer. The next would be addi, not the swing but the long straight handle. Love a long handle. I have long hands and fingers
raychole
I started off on aluminum so I prefer those, but I also like plastic ones. Surprisingly, I’ve never used a wooden crochet hook before!