Help with Hook sizing

[Milli]

This is so simple, it's silly and I hope I'm not wasting anyone's time by asking. I understand that there are two hook sizing charts; what I don't understand is when a pattern calls for a certain hook, how do you know which chart it's from?

 

Thanks for any help.

[christinascrochethaven]

Standard Crochet Hook Sizes & Conversion

Smallest to Largest

U.S. METRIC U.K. B - 1 2.25mm 13 C - 2 2.75mm 12 D - 3 3.25mm 10 E - 4 3.5mm 9 F - 5 3.75mm 8 G - 6 4mm 7 H - 8 5mm 6 I - 9 5.5mm 5 J - 10 6mm 4 K - 10-1/2 6.5mm 3 L - 11 8mm 0 M/N - 13 9mm 00 N/P - 15 10mm 000 P-Q 15mm Q - 16 16mm S 19mm For thread, and particularly fine gauge yarn, steel crochet hooks are used.

 

Steel Crochet Hook Sizes & Conversion

Smallest to Largest

U.S. METRIC U.K. 16 0.60mm 14 0.75mm 7 13 .85mm 6-1/212 1.00mm 611 1.10mm 5-1/2 10 1.15mm 5 9 1.25mm 481.50mm 371.65mm 2-1/2 6 1.80mm 2 51.90mm 1-1/2 4 2.00mm 1 3 2.10mm 1/0 22.20mm 2/01 2.25mm 3/002.50mm 00002.70mm Don’t hesitate to use vintage or foreign patterns. For a long time, British and European citizens have been forced to convert to American sizing. Now it’s our turn. No pattern need be off-limits. It is just a matter of understanding what sizes convert to the size you are accustomed to using.

I hope this helps you understand hooks.

No question is ever too dumb, if you don't know the answer. Feel free to ask.

[christinascrochethaven]

http://www.craftmodo.com/2006/06/22/crochet-hook-conversion-charts/

 

The chart didn't out very good. Here's the link for the info. The chart will look better that way.

[Shell]

Milli on http://www.crochetaustralia.com they have a huge link right on their home page for crochet conversions (hooks, charts, yarns etc). I think you will find this very handy! The hardest part is knowing if a pattern is British, Aus, or USA. Because they all have different hook sizes!! UK/Aus now tend to use mm but older patterns will not be hook size in mm. The direct link to that page is http://www.crochetaustralia.com.au/webcontent3.htm

[nightowl]

Milli, I think you might mean you're confused between the "steel hook" sizes and the "yarn hook" sizes?

 

The steel hooks are used for fine thread work and have very small (and sharp if you stab yourself!) heads and a short stem which is the "size" of that hook and then widens into a bigger handle. In the US they are usually referred to by just a number, #6 for example. Some patterns also give the hook size in millimetres and it's this millimetre (mm) size that is used in European/UK/Australian patterns and stamped on our hooks

 

"Yarn" hooks come in all sorts of materials, including wood, plastic and aluminium. Obviously they're bigger! for use with yarn, but they are also a different shape; just below the hook is a narrower throat, but the rest of the hook is the same size all the way down (apart from a thumb rest if it has one). In the US these hooks are usually referred to by a letter; "a G hook", for example. Sometimes the letter is followed by a number -- G-6, H-8, I-9. Again in Europe/UK/Aus we stick to millimetres

 

All this might sound very confusing, but if you look at some hooks either in a store or online, you'll see that in practice you aren't likely to mistake the two. Your pattern instructions will usually say "size X steel hook" if it needs a thread hook; if there's a letter it's a yarn hook that's wanted.

 

Smiles,

[Milli]

Thanks everyone so much for your clear answers and links!

 

What I meant with the initial question was; when I pick up a pattern to start, how do I know if the hook they instruct is a steel (tiny) or a regular hook?

[faedragon]

T!

 

What I meant with the initial question was; when I pick up a pattern to start, how do I know if the hook they instruct is a steel (tiny) or a regular hook?

 

If the fiber used in the pattern is thread, then the hook used will be a steel hook. If the fiber used is heavier than thread, then a "regular" hook is used. Steel hooks are usually sized by # , regular hooks are sized( in the US at least) by letter, A,B,C etc. The regular hooks will also have a millimeter size on them. Another clue is usually given in a thread pattern, it will say size XXX steel hook.

[Milli]

Thank you!!!!!!!