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Crochet Hook Sizes and Yarn Weights

Blog » Crochet » Crochet Hook Sizes and Yarn Weights

Crochet Hook Sizes and Yarn Weights

Liat Gat - Founder

November 4, 2021

The first thing you'll need when starting to crochet is a hook. But how do you know what size hook to grab depending on the yarn you have at hand? Here is a clear chart with the information you need to visually choose a crochet hook for any weight of yarn.

Choose a Crochet Hook Size Based on Your Yarn Weight

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Millimeters

U.S. Size

Steel Hook Number

U.S Number

Yarn Weight

 

1.4 mm

 

8

 

Lace

 

1.6 mm

 

6

 

 

2.25 mm

B

 

1

Fingering

 

2.75 mm

C

 

2

 

3.25 mm

D

 

3

 

3.5 mm

E

 

4

 

3.75 mm

F

 

5

Sport

 

4 mm

G

 

6

 

4.5 mm

 

 

7

DK

 

5 mm

H

 

8

 

5.5 mm

I

 

9

Worsted

 

6 mm

J

 

10

 

6.5 mm

K

 

10 1/2

 

8 mm

L

 

11

Bulky

 

9 mm

M/N

 

13

 

10 mm

N/P

 

15

Super Bulky

 

15 mm

P/Q

 

 

 

16 mm

Q

 

 

Jumbo

 

19 mm

S

 

 

  1. Crochet hook letters and U.S. size numbers can vary. Rely on the millimeter sizing so you don't get confused.
  2. The suggested yarn weights are a range. For each hook on the edge of a yarn weight, you could use the yarns on either side of the line. For a 5.5 mm hook, you could use DK or worsted yarn. For a 6.5 mm hook, you could use worsted or bulky yarn.
  3. I compiled this data from the Craft Yarn Council and The Happy Hooker.

Click here to download this chart as an image.

The first thing you’ll need when starting to crochet is a hook. But how do you know what size hook to grab depending on the yarn you have at hand?

I looked at several mind-boggling tables online before I decided to put together my own very clear chart with the information you need to visually choose a crochet hook for the weight of yarn you have.

Cascade 220 Yarn ImagiknitCascade 220 Yarn ImagiknitCascade 220 Yarn Imagiknit

This is a small piece of our soon-to-be published Crochet class. Learning to choose crochet hooks, including sizes, styles, and materials, will be thoroughly covered. Stay tuned!

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Was this crochet hook size table helpful to you? Leave me comment below!

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50 thoughts on “Crochet Hook Sizes and Yarn Weights”

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  1. Thank you so much for the information. After a 40 year gap between crocheting, I am trying not get back into the swim of it. I have done fairly b well in getting the basic stitches down by watching videos and am ready to try making a blanket. But I just got so confused as to what yarn, hook and how much to buy. matter coming across your website I think I am ready to start. I look forward to learning more from you..

  2. YES!!! I know this course will be detailed and I will be crocheting like a champ when I complete the course. May I suggest one more course for you to teach Liat? Tunisian crochet, I adore the look and I’m intrigued by the technique.

    1. Hi Pam, thanks so much for your comment and your vote of confidence! Tunisian crochet is actually really easy, I will take your suggestion and include Tunisian crochet in my second crochet class which will include advanced stitches, charts, and colorwork techniques. Thank you!

      1. You absolutely have my vote of confidence, you are a talented, natural teacher! I will be doing any crochet class you offer.

  3. I can’t wait until your crochet class comes out! I’ve tried to learn crochet but something about using only one hook…. lol

      1. Hi Sheila,
        Thanks for your question. Sorry for the delay in replying!
        Are you asking about an 0.6mm crochet hook? You would use a very fine crochet thread, maybe a size 30 (100 is the finest).

  4. You stopped one step shy of a total yarn/hook solution!
    Please include the Yarn Council’s standard yarn size codes as well – these are being promoted to standardize yarn weight descriptions world wide. The little yarn skein icons with their respective numbers also help break up a chart full of numbers. I’d put it in a column between the US Names and weight names.

  5. Hey Liat, the chart looks great! Thanks for adding the yarn weights to it; this is the most useful chart I’ve seen, and I’ve looked at plenty of them.

  6. Thank you for this information. I am looking forward to relearning how to crochet. (I remember a fair amount from when I was taught – from age 4 to around 10 years of age.)
    I am still eagerly awaiting learning how to knit in the style known as Portuguese. I once mentioned that I would really like to learn because it is supposed to be less stressful on my hands. (Until I can have surgery on my right thumb and wrist, regular knitting hurts so much, or until I can learn Portuguese style knitting, I am forced to use looms.)
    Again, thank you for the upcoming crochet class. It will be interesting to see if crocheting will aggravate my right thumb.

    1. Thank you Yvonne! Yes, Portuguese knitting is up next after crochet and I am so excited! I am also looking forward to knowing if crochet is easier on your thumb. Once the class comes out please keep me posted.

  7. I have not crocheted in 40 years but I am interested in learning from your class how to pick the right needle and size of yarn. My grandmother taught me years ago but it is something that I never took up again. Looking forward to your class.
    Sue

    1. Hi Sue, thanks for your comment! Yes, we will go into this in the class because it’s a little different than in knitting. I think you will really enjoy adding crochet back to your fiber skills along with knitting. I’m having a blast crocheting the class projects. :)

  8. This is very interesting! Prompted me to take an inventory of my hooks. I have Boye steel hooks from 00 to 13. Most I bought back in 1959-60’s, with some inherited later from my MIL. Some of them have the price on them (19 cents, 25 cents, LOL). All of these have only a number; no letter or mm.
    I have Boye aluminum hooks B-N. Can’t find the M hook, but I think I have one somewhere. I have 2 each of H, I, and K, and one has only the letter, the second has letter and mm.
    I have a much newer Knit Picks double ended aluminum set of 4, marked 2-3mm, 3.5-4mm, 4.5-5mm and 5-5.5mm. No letter or mm designation.
    I also have 1 aluminum afghan needle 8 – 5.00mm and one 10 – 6.00 mm. and giant plastic hooks with no markings at all, but 9/16″ shaft, so probably would be a 20-25 or larger.
    My conclusion: needle sizes weren’t marked very well up until roughly 20-25 years ago, or maybe I didn’t buy any and just missed updated markings?
    And we won’t go into knitting needles–that’s my preferred craft–and I have many (way too many?)–probably 90% interchangeable circulars. The absolute best for me! They are much better size marked than crochet hooks and also have the advantage of any number of little needle gauges that you can use to determine size if you can’t find a mark. Needle crafts ROCK!

    1. Hi Teckla, great to hear from you! I think you are exactly right about the crochet hook sizes being inconsistent. And we didn’t even cover UK sizes, which are opposite to U.S. sizes! The steel hooks have very inconsistent letters and sizes. I will probably include a steel hook chart inside the crochet class – I didn’t include it here because for the yarn weight chart they’d all be in the crochet thread/lace category, so not really applicable to the general chart. Cheers!

  9. Very nicely done! I am gonna edit it to fit on a 5×7″ card and add it to my binder that I keep with my needlework. Question: I have a bunch of hooks I inherited and found an interesting conundrum — 2 hooks with the same Letter size but different mm size. Now I must say that some of the hooks are at least 100 years old. Hey they even have a price on them of 5 and 10 cents! Oh for those days! Did the sizing change somewhere along the way or ??? It did end up being a saving grace once to get my gauge though. So, they are all grouped together and I don’t sweat the small stuff. But it is curious. Haven’t found much to explain it though.

    1. Hi Barbara, I’m glad this is so helpful! Yes, hook sizes seem to have been very inconsistent up until 20-25 years ago. But like you said, having a variety is a great way to ensure you get gauge. Cheers!

  10. Victoria Gavidia

    Thank you for taking the time to create such a useful tool. Your crochet hook sizing chart is very helpful. I find that the YarnStandards.com chart may contain more information than your chart and seems to have overlapping hook and needle size ranges but perhaps it should be overlapping as they are, “recommended hook/needle size ranges.” Your chart is clean and simple. Thanks again.

    1. Hi Victoria, thank you so much for your comment. I tried to find a way to accurately simplify the chart and yet reflect those overlapping areas. The note #2 below the chart details: “For each hook on the edge of a yarn weight, you could use the yarns on either side of the line. For a 5.5 mm hook, you could use DK or worsted yarn. For a 6.5 mm hook, you could use worsted or bulky yarn.” Which is basically what the YarnStandards.com chart shows. I’m so glad this is useful to you, even if it is more general.

  11. Thank you for the crochet hook sizes chart. The most difficult information to find is the size of steel crochet hooks, the ones for #10 thread etc. There are numbers for sizing and mm info. They need to be put together for more than the 2 hooks you used. I am using a 1.6 mm right now. What number is that?

  12. Are the us numbers for the equivalent knitting needles? If yes, consider changing the column heading to reflect that fact. I like the idea of one chart that includes both crochet hook and knitting needle sizes

    1. Hi Doris, for me the numbers are not equivalent. For instance, a size 8 knitting needle is usually used with worsted weight yarn, not DK like on this chart. Crochet hooks and crocheted fabric work differently with yarn than do knitting needles and knitted fabric, so I think they recommend bigger hooks than knitting needles for each weight of yarn.

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