A crochet hook looks like the simplest tool in the craft. Then you spend three hours with the wrong one, and your hand tells you otherwise.
The right hook lets the yarn glide, keeps your stitches even and leaves your wrist comfortable at the end of the evening. It does not have to be expensive. It has to suit your yarn and the way you hold it.
Three things that decide a good hook
The handle
A plain metal shaft is pinched between two fingers and a thumb. A shaped, soft handle spreads the grip across your palm, which is where the comfort comes from.
The material
Aluminium is smooth and quick. Bamboo is light, warm and has a slight grip that keeps slippery yarn in place.
The size
The size on the hook must match your yarn. The ball band tells you which one to use.
Five hooks, from first project to forever
The budget starter
In Stitches Aluminium Hook
From KES 200
A plain, well-shaped hook with a smooth head. It comes in sizes from 2 mm for fine cotton up to 10 mm for chunky blankets, so you can try a new size for very little.
See the aluminium hook
Light and warm in the hand
DMC Bamboo Hook
KES 500
Bamboo is lighter than metal and has a faint grip, so the yarn stays where you put it instead of sliding along the shaft. Each one has a small painted flower on the handle.
See the bamboo hook
Comfort on a budget
DMC Silicone Handle Hook
From KES 700
A metal hook with a moulded silicone handle. The metal head keeps a clean shape, and the handle moves the pressure from your fingertips to your palm.
See the silicone handle hook
For hands that ache
Prym Ergonomics Hook
From KES 1,600
Reach for this one if your hands complain after an hour. The rounded, rubberised handle fills your palm, and the whole hook is light and warm to hold.
See Prym Ergonomics
The one crocheters fall for
Clover Amour
From KES 1,800
A smooth aluminium head on a soft handle, colour-coded by size so you can pick out the 4 mm at a glance. It comes in ten sizes from 2 mm to 6.5 mm, and the Amour Jumbo carries on from 7 mm to 15 mm.
See Clover AmourHear it from Clover
Video: Clover
Which size do you need?
| Yarn weight | Typical hook |
|---|---|
| Fingering and fine cotton | 2 to 3.25 mm |
| Sport | 3 to 3.75 mm |
| DK | 3.75 to 4.5 mm |
| Aran | 4.5 to 5.5 mm |
| Chunky | 5.5 to 8 mm |
Always check the ball band first. For more on this, read our guide to yarn weights.
Buying your first hooks?
The Prym Ergonomics set gives you five hooks in the sizes most patterns ask for, 3.5 to 6 mm, for KES 6,500.
Hold one before you choose
A hook is a personal thing. Come and try a few in your hand at our shop on the 1st floor of Sarit Centre.
Shop all crochet hooksOr call us on +254 798 316860
Prices correct at the time of writing.
