My thoughts about hooks
There are so many different types of hooks out there. Not just sizes, but there are ones with bigger grips, even ones that light up! The last ones are very useful when crocheting from dark yarn.
I have had a lot of issues with crochet hooks. I have carpal tunnel syndrome that comes when I try to crochet using normal slim hooks. I am fine as long as I use specialty ones.
So here are the ones I own. The metallic one on the right is the "normal" hook. You can get packet of those for a quid. The one of the left is slightly more expensive, but you can get these in different price ranges depending who is the manufacturer. That one in particular is Drops Circus hook. It's nice and sturdy. The material isn't slick so it's easier to grip and keep gripping with less effort.
My favourite is the middle one. This one is the Addi Swing hook. Material is somewhat slicker than the Drops Circus and it is somewhat flimsier. but the design makes it easy to grip using very little force. I can easily hold gently between two fingers and I can pull the yarn effortlessly. It is without a doubt my favourite hook. Ever since I started using this, all of my carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms vanished! I can crochet the whole day without any problems. The only downside is that this one is more expensive. Depending on the hook size, they are 6-8 pounds.
Anyone who crochets, has a favourite size. The size you should use is depended on the yarn. The ball or skein will have the recommended sizes on them. But sometimes they are less than useful. One of mine says 3.25-4.5. You can affect how it turns out by the hook size. For example, often it's recommended to use smaller hook for arigurumi. They need to be tight in order to hold the stuffing inside and not show it. Smaller hook makes the work tighter and less flexible. So vice versa, bigger hook, the floppier your work will be. I had started making a scarf with my favourite hook, but quickly realised that it was too tight and it wasn't flexible at all. Not entirely desirable when it comes to scarfs. So I changed to a hook about one full size bigger, and now it's perfect. It doesn't have any holes, and it's more flexible so you will be able to wrap it around your head. You can often play around with the hook sizes like this. Especially new hookers should try different hook sizes on same yarn just to see how it changes the look and feel of the item.
I have had a lot of issues with crochet hooks. I have carpal tunnel syndrome that comes when I try to crochet using normal slim hooks. I am fine as long as I use specialty ones.
So here are the ones I own. The metallic one on the right is the "normal" hook. You can get packet of those for a quid. The one of the left is slightly more expensive, but you can get these in different price ranges depending who is the manufacturer. That one in particular is Drops Circus hook. It's nice and sturdy. The material isn't slick so it's easier to grip and keep gripping with less effort.
My favourite is the middle one. This one is the Addi Swing hook. Material is somewhat slicker than the Drops Circus and it is somewhat flimsier. but the design makes it easy to grip using very little force. I can easily hold gently between two fingers and I can pull the yarn effortlessly. It is without a doubt my favourite hook. Ever since I started using this, all of my carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms vanished! I can crochet the whole day without any problems. The only downside is that this one is more expensive. Depending on the hook size, they are 6-8 pounds.
Anyone who crochets, has a favourite size. The size you should use is depended on the yarn. The ball or skein will have the recommended sizes on them. But sometimes they are less than useful. One of mine says 3.25-4.5. You can affect how it turns out by the hook size. For example, often it's recommended to use smaller hook for arigurumi. They need to be tight in order to hold the stuffing inside and not show it. Smaller hook makes the work tighter and less flexible. So vice versa, bigger hook, the floppier your work will be. I had started making a scarf with my favourite hook, but quickly realised that it was too tight and it wasn't flexible at all. Not entirely desirable when it comes to scarfs. So I changed to a hook about one full size bigger, and now it's perfect. It doesn't have any holes, and it's more flexible so you will be able to wrap it around your head. You can often play around with the hook sizes like this. Especially new hookers should try different hook sizes on same yarn just to see how it changes the look and feel of the item.
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