When I was starting out at crochet I came across a lot of information about peoples’ preferences for different hooks. When it comes down to it, it’s all a matter of preference but I thought I would talk about some of my favorites and my experiences accumulating my own collection.

My initial thought was, I’m going to get the cheapest hook I can find since I didn’t want to invest a lot of money into a craft I was not sure I could handle or wanted to stick with. I still stand by this logic. As a beginner there’s no need to go out and spend tons of money on expensive hooks. Amazon sells hook sets for as low as $1 and the 99 cent store also carries various hooks.

In the end I found a set of old metal Susan Bate hooks my mom had left over from her crochet days and that’s what I started off with.  Hook sizes vary depending on the brand (based on whether they are made in the US, UK, or Japan).  You’ll find below a guideline of size labels based on the metric size of the hook. The smaller hooks frequently used for amigurumi can be challenging to work with for beginners so I recommend starting out with a  5 mm or 6 mm hook.  I personally started with 5mm.  Patterns typically will suggest hook size based on either the metric size (my favorite way), letter sizes or number sizes. When you get more advanced a lot of amigurumi crocheters prefer to use hooks closer to 2 mm. I find the chart below comes in handy.

I quickly outgrew my Susan Bates hook wanting to make smaller amigurumi that didn’t look as porous.  You’ll find that that if you spend long periods of time at crochet, the metal hooks will start to hurt your fingers.  I quickly researched a few brands experienced crocheters had reviewed and did my own test.  The two brands that consistently seemed to be adored by the crochet world were Clover and Tulip both made in Japan and made ergonomic hooks.

The three I tried out were Clover brand soft touch, Clover brand Amour and Tulip Etimo.  Of the three, Clover soft touch is the cheapest costing around $6-$7 US at Michael stores or online. I found the hook to be much more light weight than the metal hooks. The grip was good made of plastic and with a rubber trim. I found it quite acceptable and much more comfortable than the metal hooks. (Which I still think are fine for short periods of crochet).

Next I tried the Clover Amour hooks which many crocheters had been raving about. These were a bit more than the soft touch line and typically runs about $8 US. The handle feels like soft rubber. While more comfortable than my metal hooks I felt the handle was a bit thick for my small hands and the rubber when held too long can start to feel sticky. It’s also a bit heavier than the soft touch line. For me it was okay but not my favorite.

Last I tried the Etimo hooks by Tulip and fell in love.  The grip is a soft plastic. It didn’t feel rubbery but is still very ergonomic for my fingers. For this particular hook I also noticed whatever is coated on the hook itself really makes a difference helping the yarn slip easily around allowing me to actually crochet much quicker.  I currently only own 4 as they can be really expensive. If not on sale they can run up to $13.  I was able to use some coupons at Joann’s and they ended up being closer to $9.  So far it’s been my hook of choice and I haven’t found anything I like better.