The Best Crochet Hooks for Beginners

Check the best crochet hooks for beginners because before even starting your first crochet project, it is crucial to prepare your set of tools. Choosing the right crochet needle might be an exciting endeavour, but it is also the one where fundamental mistakes can be made. Let’s then plunge into the sea of all the crochet hooks and learn all about them.

You might also like:

• The Best Tunisian Crochet Hooks
• The Best Ergonomic Crochet Hooks

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The Anatomy of a Crochet Needle

You will get to purchase the best crochet hooks for beginners, but let’s start from the basics. Knowing your crochet tools is a basis that will ease your work in future projects. The anatomy of a crochet hook, also known as a crochet needle, is simple, yet already explains the use of it.

The Handle

The hook handle differs from one to another, depending on many factors, like the hook size and the material it was made from. In general, the smaller the needle size is, the thinner the handle also gets. However, some of the very thin hooks have quite chunky handles, just for the comfort of crocheting. When it comes to the materials, you can find a whole plethora of them, from wooden handles, through plastic ones of different qualities, to all metal crochet hooks. 

There isn’t really one better than the other. The best would be not to order hooks online, but try them in your hands and pick the most ergonomic handle that just feels good in your hands. With time, when you will develop your crochet skills, you will collect different hooks with many handle types that suit you differently depending on your progress and projects.

The Thumb Rest

This is a little flat space to place your thumb during crocheting. It helps you keep your tool with confidence and maneuver it the way you wish without tiring your fingers too much. It is more common in straight hooks not having a large handle.

The Shaft

This is the main crochet hook body part that determines the size of the stitch. It is also where the hook size is written on. During the crocheting you will wrap the yarn around the shaft part, hence it has to be perfectly smooth to prevent your yarn from tearing down and to ease your craft.

The Throat

The throat of the crochet hook is actually a crucial part that might make the crafting easier for you, especially at the beginning. The hooks with a deeper throat, called inline hook, keep the yarn more securely and it might be easier to control the yarn. Where the tapered hook, with visibly more shallow throat, are better for more experienced crocheters that work fast on their patterns, as the yarn tends to slide off it more easily.

The Hook Head

The very top of the crochet hook, called the head, is to be perfectly smooth and not too flat. Its purpose is to slide through the stitches sleekly, without tearing the yarn or tangling into the project.

 

How to Choose the Right Type of the Hook

Now you know the anatomy of a tool that is the same as every type of crochet needle. It is time to get a closer look at the types of the best crochet hooks for beginners that you can choose from. And whilst knowing your types of the hooks might come in handy, as a beginner, you won’t be working with all of them. However, you might also find this helpful YouTube guide to crochet hooks by Naztazia.

What you want to settle on is a basic, or regular, crochet hook. This is a basic looking, medium sized tool with a hook on just one end. If, however, your hands get tired easily or you’ve got arthritis, you might opt for an ergonomic hook, which has a larger handle.

What you want to avoid are basically hooks for advanced crocheters, meaning the Tunisian crochet hook. It is used for a specific technique, the Tunisian stitch, so there is even no point in getting that before you are experienced enough to try the new technique.

 

Address the Hook Size Correctly

As mentioned beforehand, the sizing of the hooks differs from very tiny ones for intricate designs, to bulky hooks that are perfect for fast making huge blanket designs. Very often, especially with the beginner friendly patterns, the hook’s size is already predestined. 

The sizing chart of crochet hooks differs per region. Check the table below for the specific information, but the rule of thumb is that thinner hooks are predestined for intricate, lacy projects, while the thicker ones are reserved for super chunky yarns and big designs. The middle ground is taken by the DK and Worsted size hooks, the most universal ones.

Size chart by Dabbles and Babbles available on dabblesandbabbles.com.

 

Being a beginner in a crochet world, you would want to stay in the middle of the hook size chart. The smaller the hook gets, the more intricate and complicated the project gets, so it requires strong skills and patience. Where the big hooks are great only for specific patterns and doesn’t allow you to properly learn the technique.

We recommend either DK or Worsted hook size for your first projects. This way you will not get frustrated with the complexity of the craft, while also learning new skills as you go.

What Really is the Best Crochet Hook for Beginners

Putting all that knowledge together, you can already see what are the best qualities your first hook or hook set should have. 

For sure you want to keep everything in moderation. That being said, you know already that medium size hooks are the most beginner friendly. But it also applies to the price tag. There is no point of buying very fancy and expensive crochet needles, as your preferences might change as you grow in experience. However, the cheapest hooks made with the law quality materials might break or tear down, shredding the yarn or even not allowing you to crochet further. Keep the price tag reasonably low, having in mind the thought that you will invest in more advanced tools with time.

Where to Buy Crochet Needles

There are several places where you can browse for the best crochet hooks for beginners, both online and in physical stores. You can get your tools from the big online sellers, like Etsy and Amazon, or directly from brands’ sites, like Yarnspirations or Lion Brand.

You probably already know some small local stores or big chains nearby that sell everything crochet, knitting or for other handcraft projects. If so, they will for sure have their selection of crochet needles and if lucky, the seller will also advise you well on the products. We really do recommend going to the physical store yourself, to feel the tool you will be working with. We all have our own preferences, and we all have different hand built and ergonomics, hence there is no one answer suitable for all. 

Just remember, everyone starts somewhere. The point is to make the start the easiest and most pleasant as you can. And the one way to do it, is to follow our tips, but also your gut and your preferences.

 

5 Best Crochet Hooks for Begginers to Buy

WooCrafts Crochet Hooks Set with Case

Type: metal + plastic hook set
Size: range from B to J

Pros: The set contains 9 crochet needles of different sizes, so you can get to know all of the options. It is a budget friendly option and also a product that’s great for crocheters with arthritis. The set comes with a cute case to store all of it safely. A soft rubber handle gives a secure grip while crafting. The set also comes with pins to mark the beginning stitch.

Cons: The hooks are not of the highest quality. They are not aluminum, but steel plated, so they might drag the yarn a little bit. 

Buy it on Amazon.

 

Susan Bates Bamboo Crochet Hooks

Type: bamboo hooks
Size: whole range

Pros: The Bamboo Crochet Hooks are definitely more eco-friendly than their plastic equivalent. The bamboo also feels nicer and actually hands might not get that tired too fast. They are recommended for crocheters struggling with carpal tunnel syndrome. They are made with aluminum, which is soft on the yarn and doesn’t tear it. Tend to last for years.

Cons: The bamboo handle can be a little bit too slippery for some beginners. Not all the sizes are easily accessible online. 

Learn more on Blick., or buy it on Amazon.

Lion Brand London Kaye Hook Set

Type: plastic hook set
Size: S/M/L

Pros: Made with a high quality plastic, they are stronger and last longer than the usual plastic hooks. The plastic is smooth and has a nice grip to it, making the work easy and fast. They have a great price to quality ratio, being a frequent beginner’s choice.

Cons: The not so pointy tip of the hook might get stuck between threads. They come in a limited range of sizes. They are mostly recommended for bulky yarns, being not a very versatile option.

Learn more on lionbrand.com.

 

Pony Aluminium Crochet Hook

Type: standard aluminium hooks
Size: whole range, availability depends on the store

Pros: The aluminum ensures the lightweight build of a hook and its endurance. They last for years and don’t bend. Their quality hasn’t been compromised with the lower price tag. The used material is smooth, hence the yarn glides easily and doesn’t get torn. The Pony brand is well known worldwide and their hooks are very often available in local stores. 

Cons: Without a plastic, rubber or bamboo handle, even the biggest hook might be troublesome to grip with its rather thin aluminum handle. Being very popular, some sizes are hard to get online.

Learn more on ponyneedles-europe.de, or buy it on Amazon.

 

Furls Crochet Hooks – Wood Streamlines

Type: standard wooden hooks
Size: 3.25 – 10.00 mm

Pros: The all wood hooks are a stronger alternative to all bamboo versions. The collection comes in 3 different types of wood: teak, camwood and ebony. You also purchase the wooden display to make them look even nicer. The ergonomics of the handle is great, the surface is very smooth and doesn’t chip.

Cons: The price tag might be considered too high for a beginner’s purchase. The all-smooth surfaces can be a bit too slippery for first crochet projects. The use of luxury woods is controversial ecology-wise.

Learn more on furlscrochet.com, or buy it on thetightstitch.co.

 

Let’s Buy Your First Crochet Hook

We hope you feel less lost now with all the basic knowledge gathered here. The focal point to remember when choosing the best crochet hooks for beginners is to go for a middle sized one and get easy on the price tag. You will develop your preferences with time, changing your tools accordingly, so there is no point in spending too much money right now.

Bearing all that in mind, we can honestly recommend choosing Pony Aluminium Crochet Hooks. They are very lightweight but strong, making the first crocheting adventures not too demanding. They come in a variety of sizes and are accessible almost everywhere. With a nice flat thumb rest, they will make your crafting experience nice and easy on your hands.

In conclusion, we encourage you to have a trip to your local store that sells crochet hooks. This might be a small DIY shop, or big chain store. Nothing can replace feeling the hook yourself, checking its weight and ergonomics. At the end of the day, you should just have fun developing your crochet skills, using the comfortable and practical tools.