Hook sizes

[theworm]

I'm working on a pillowghan for my mother-in-law and I'm using a G sized hook. I made the first few squares with a Boye hook. Then I went away for the weekend, and with all the new restrictions on airplanes, I bought a plastic hook to take with me. I don't like the light weight feel of plastic hooks as much as the aluminum hooks, but it worked out quite well for me. When I got back home, I went back to the metal hooks. The Boye hook seemed to be splitting the yarn more, so I switched to my Bates hook. I was amazed at how much smaller and tighter the square came out. It really has a completely different look. I was so suprised to see that a G hook is so different between Boye and Bate hooks. I'll use the smaller Bate hook square for a baby blanket - add some other colors around it and it will be a pretty preemie blanket, but I can't use it for the pillowghan. I'm back to Boye.

 

I'm just suprised at the huge difference that I saw. I thought that a G hook was a G hook was a G hook, but apparantly I was wrong.

[Shell]

that's something I will have to keep in mind. I'm so disorganised I just pick up whatever is closest...

[salos]

That's something worth sharing. Thanks!

[xampx]

I have the problem of forgetting what size hook i was using whenever i put a project down lol.

 

I have noticed that my plastic ones are generally more 'open' than the metal ones so i tend to forget about the plastic ones

[nightowl]

You're right, theworm! The alphabetical names for US hook sizes are just that -- names, not a guaranteed size. Bates and Boye are not always the same; they use different scales for their sizes. My Bates G is marked 4.00mm and my Boye G 4.25mm. If you hold them up against each other, you can easily see how much bigger the Boye hook is. (But see below.)

 

Most of the time the safest thing to do is go by the metric millimetre size rather than the letter. This is the actual measurement of the diameter of the shaft, so two hooks with the same mm measurement should be the same size, even if Brand A calls it size X and Brand B calls it size Y. For instance, the Bates N and the Boye P are both 10mm.

 

I say "should" though because I've recently discovered that even this isn't foolproof. According to Bill at Turn of the Century, the metric sizes marked on the hooks aren't always accurate. He says the Boye G marked 4.25mm is actually 4.50mm -- and gosh darn it, you know, he's right! I checked with two different gauges and the Boye fits snugly into the 4.50mm hole. Heh, I've seen so many crocheters asking where they could get a 4.50mm/G7 hook and it turns out all they had to do was buy an ordinary Boye G!

 

So I'd say normally go by the mm size, but if switching brands, check both hooks in a gauge to make sure they're really the same size.

 

Smiles,

[busy]

I do NOT like Boye. It rips the yarn. Bates is much better. As far as size, I've never really noticed a different in the metal ones. Probably just the material that makes it feel and work differently.

[Creations of Cris]

Bates has TWO sizes of G hooks- one is a 4.00mm and the other is 4.25mm. Amazing what a difference there can be with .25 mm. I have both so I have to be very watchful when grabbing a G hook! Silvalumes are my FAV!

 

Cris~

[Creations of Cris]

I have the problem of forgetting what size hook i was using whenever i put a project down lol.

 

I bought alphabet beads at the craft store- slide one on a safety pin and clip it to your project-- which works well unless you have different sizes (like the Bates G hooks) or types of the same letter.

 

HTH,

Cris~

[theworm]

Wow! I've learned a lot!

Thanks everyone!

I have had the same problem with the Boye hook splitting the yarn, but I'm going to finish this project withe the Boye hook so it is consistent. I'm glad because I like the looser stitch for this project. In the future I'll be sure to look at mm size, not letter. I had no idea that they weren't standardized.

[craftybutterfly]

This is good info, I didn't know this. But I sappose I'm safe since I only use Boye, as a rule. Never cared for Bates and run far and fast from plastic hooks. Thanks for sharing!!!

m

[BreaGia]

I've never used bates but I don't have many problems with boye. I find that I can work smoothly with boye-better than with another brand I tried (I can't remember the name). The yarn slides well on my aluminum ones but I haven't tried my big plastic ones yet.

[JCB]

I bought alphabet beads at the craft store- slide one on a safety pin and clip it to your project-- which works well unless you have different sizes (like the Bates G hooks) or types of the same letter.

 

HTH,

Cris~

 

What a great idea... one of those now-why-didn't-I-think-of-that moments I actually have alphabet beads in my stash. I'm gonna go do it right now. Thanks!

 

Joan

[Stitchinpick]

I bought alphabet beads at the craft store- slide one on a safety pin and clip it to your project-- which works well unless you have different sizes (like the Bates G hooks) or types of the same letter.

 

What a fabulous idea! I really, really, really have a problem with that! I am shopping for beads right now. I have too many projects going at once, and I constantly mix up my hooks.

 

In fact, I finished a baby blanket halfway through with the wrong hook. It showed, but I didn't catch it until it was done. I felt so sad. It had a zilliion hours in it, as it was a very intricate pattern. The person I gave it to did not seem to mind. I saw her baby in it many times.