This in turn opened up to me a wonderland of in-between or nonstandard crochet hook sizes. Not only that, the mm sizing makes it plain where there are gaps in the standard hook sizes, and how large each gap is. I no longer have to deal with traditional hook size systems that are riddled with overlaps and exceptions. It has improved every day of my crocheting life. Instead of the “H hook” of my childhood I now think “5 mm hook”. See the How Many Crochet Hooks? section of my other crochet hook post. That’s a fine reason, but if it were the real reason for the sizes, we’d only need about eight sizes-one per yarn thickness category. “I think this yarn is too thick for this hook. It also standardizes our results as an international crochet community.īefore this realization I thought the different hook sizes were there to make crocheting with different yarns more pleasant. There are two more reasons: it’s the way to get the most polished stitching gauge for each project. When the stitch gauge is based on the hook size and not on the yarn thickness, or personal habit, some amazing crochet fabrics are possible! Starwirbel, Weightless, stretchy slip stitches, and many more. So stretchy! Easy slip stitch Expedient Cowl.Īt some point in my crochet life I realized why we have so many crochet hook sizes. When I did this with all of my crochet hooks, I found out that about a third of them were not the sizes I thought they were (based on how I use them). I get my true size of each hook in a jiffy. No forcing a hook in or out of the holes of a needle sizer with the risk of scratching the hook in the process! Once I know where on the hook I make my stitches (see #1 above), I measure that with a slide gauge or caliper. You can also search for millimeter calipers. It’s now also at JoAnn Fabrics, Amazon, Walmart, etc. If I could find a reliable source for my favorite slide gauge I’d have it in my shop already. I tossed them all out and only use a slide gauge. They’re even given out for free at yarn shops and conferences. Needle gauges, the kind with holes, are everywhere. So the other reason I watch where I make stitches on the hook is to know where to measure the hook size. My green crochet hook made my stitches look more stringy and uneven than they had to, even for a newer crocheter.Ī big revelation for me (thank you Nancy Nehring) was that the crochet hook’s true size is where my stitches are made on it. Pictured at right is my first crochet hook (green) and one of my current favorites ( gold). The taper will give my tall stitches loose top loops. Some hooks have such a long throat that I can’t avoid making my stitches there. My goal is to avoid forming stitches on the tapered part (“throat”) of the crochet hook. I especially watch the starting loop on the hook because it will become the top two loops of the new stitch. I watch exactly where on the hook I make each stitch.
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