The fastest answer to this question is; to read the label. But if it were that simple, we wouldn’t struggle to pick the right crochet hook for the job. Today a post about how to pick the right hook for your work, because reading the label isn’t telling the whole story.

Every yarn ball has a label, even the hand-dyed yarns have labels about the weight, length and with hooks or needles you have to use. If you follow the label, it will be just fine right? Well, depending on your project, the label isn’t telling the whole story for the perfect hook. Below you will find some tips on where to go roak when picking a hook or needle and when to follow the label.

1: Gauge

Must be one lucky shot if you always have the gauge of a project aligned with the stated gauge of the pattern. Not everybody crochets or knits with the same tension. If a pattern states a preferred gauge, try to stick to it. Move up a hook- or needle size if you’re coming short or downsize if your project is much bigger than the stated sizes.

2: Yarn under or Yarn over

A reason why you can change hooks from the preferred label size is if you use the yarn under technique. With the yarn under technique, a project can become smaller than the regular yarn over technique. In this case, you can size up a hook if you don’t want the project to be smaller. Even if the pattern or yarn tells you a size 2.5mm for a sample, pick a 3mm or even a 3.5mm to get the same results.

3: The Tinier the better

For cute little dolls, I prefer cotton yarn. Most yarns are from hook size 2.5 mm up to 3.5 mm. But if I want my dolls to be tinier, I prefer a hook size 2 mm for the same cotton yarn. The doll with become a bit tinier and the stitches will align more because of the smaller hook.

4: Doll’s clothes are always a size bigger!

For creating doll clothes, you want the clothes to fit. So if a 3.5mm makes the clothes too small, use a 4mm even when the label tells you that it is between a 2.5mm and 3.5mm hook.

5: Holes…. why

If you are crocheting or knitting fashion items, bigger yarn prefers a bigger hook or knitting needle. But this isn’t always the case for the beauty of the finished item. If you see holes in your work at an early stage, start over and switch hook- or needle size. It is better to add more stitches and rows than to live with holes in your finished project. For a sample; thicker yarn goes up from a 6mm hook, but most of the time a 5mm will do perfectly. Just try it out.

6: Double thread

Working on a project with a double thread? Always pick a bigger hook or needle. Don’t pick 2 times the hooksize that is preferred for the yarn. If the yarn label states a 2.5mm hook, don’t automatically pick a 5mm hook. Try it out first with a 3.5mm, 4mm, and even a 4.5mm. Better start a bit smaller to get the perfect measurements.

How to pick the right hook for your work

These are the 6 tips I wanted to share with you. Please remember that you just need to try a swap for the right gauge, and try out some different size hooks and knitting needles before really creating your new project. The label on the yarn only gives a suggestion that most people prefer. It all depends on how tight you crochet or knit, the tension of your yarn, what kind of yarn you are using, and more. For projects where you need to measure up to the gauge, please stick to that. You don’t want your sweater to be too small or way too big.