best crochet hooks for cotton yarn
I test different crochet hooks to see which perform best with cotton and cotton blend yarns.
Testing Information
Tapered aluminium hooks have always been my favoured hooks, so each new hook I test will be compared against these.
I have a collection of Boyes, Semco and generic aluminium hooks.
- The performance of the different materials that crochet hooks are made of are the main focus of this test. The style of hook (inline or tapered) did not make a noticeable difference to me during the test.
- To guage the difference, I also crocheted a swatch using acrylic yarn .
- I tried bamboo, wooden, plastic and acrylic hooks.
- Brand, style and size are specified.
Bamboo - unbranded from Amazon - inline - 4.5mm
- The bamboo hook did slightly better than the plastic hook, but I really dislike how you can sort of hear and feel the hook going through the yarn.
- To be fair, this was a very cheap hook and maybe that makes a difference.
Wooden - KnitPro Symfonie - inline - 4.5mm
- The wooden KnitPro hook was my favourite, but still does not move as freely through cotton and cotton blend yarn as the aluminium.
- That being said, it is a lovely smooth hook and the head is a nice shape and goes through stitches really nicely.
Plastic - Pony Colour - tapered - 6.5mm
- The plastic hook was my least favourite.
- The cotton and blended yarn grabs onto the plastic and does not go through smoothly.
- The labelling on this hook is raised and i imagine would catch on some yarns.
Acrylic - KnitPro Trendz - inline - size 5.5mm
- The acrylic hook is an ok hook but still not the most efficient with cotton and cotton blend yarns.
- I also found the actual hook catching a little as I crocheted.
In Summary
- Each of the hooks I tried perform marginally better with acrylic yarn than they do with cotton and cotton blends.
- I think the inline or tapered style does not really make much difference, so this would just be a matter of personal preference.
- My preferences in order:
- Aluminium – I am now loving Knitpro Waves hooks!!
- Wooden
- Acrylic
- Bamboo
- Plastic
- If I had no other hook to crochet with, I would use the wooden one and possibly the acrylic, but I would just find something else to do if I had to use the plastic or bamboo.
- In overall summary, I think aluminium hooks are the best and will continue using them for crocheting both with cotton, cotton blends and acrylic yarn.😊
I would love to know your experiences with the different hooks in the comments below.
Bonus Tip
- Just as a matter of interest to those crocheters out there who use the finer yarns and crochet hooks, the cheap bamboo set I bought from Amazon have a range of hooks from 1mm to 2.75mm. The actual hooks look like steel, but I can’t be sure. The bamboo handles are quite flat and I really enjoyed the feel of them compared to the more cylindrical handles of ergonomic crochet hooks. Once again, personal choice, but may be worth trying for $10.99 AUD.
Since writing this blog post I have discovered Knitpro Waves ergonomic crochet hooks!! Still an aluminium hook, but they have a flatish style handle similar to the bamboo ones above.
I love these hooks and find I’m able to use them for longer periods of time than the hooks without the handle.
I love them so much that you can now purchase them in my store as well as yarn.
Hi. My name is Nita Grover.
I agree about the crochet hooks. I have always used the aluminum hooks and small steel hooks. I started when I was 18, back in the 70’s. The only hooks available were the aluminum ones.
My sister bought me some of the ergonomic ones. I am in a nursing home and all my craft stuff is in storage.
I don’t like these hooks as well; too much in my palm, I guess.
Hi Nita!!
I’m happy to see that even though you’re not crafting at the moment, you’re still reading the craft blogs. I have just recently been using the Knitpro ergonomic hooks, and because my hands are starting to ache a little with the standard hooks, I’ve been enjoying the new ones. There’s not a lot to hold onto and 2 sides of the handle are flatish, so they are really nice to hold. I haven’t seen others like this. As with the yarn I’ve been selling, I like the crochet hooks so much, I’ve started selling those as well.
Hopefully you’re liking the more peaceful time a nursing home can offer and you’ll be able to enjoy some crochet or other crafting some time soon.
Thank you for leaving a comment and I hope and pray you are doing well.😊
Wendy