Crochet reference

Choosing a crochet hook

Tulip or Clover. Inline or tapered. Skinny metal or a big soft handle. People argue about hooks a lot. Here is what the words mean, what crocheters and hand-health groups actually say, how to find the best crochet hook for a beginner, and what makes a hook easier on sore hands. The best hook is the one your hand forgets it is holding.

Two head shapes

Inline and tapered. Teachers do not agree on which is easier, so we do not pick one.

The handle is personal

One person's cozy handle is another person's clunky one.

Try before you buy

Borrow a friend's hook for ten minutes. It tells you more than any review.

Head shapes

Inline vs tapered crochet hooks

Look at the top of your hook from the side.

On an inline hook the head is the same width as the shaft. The notch, called the throat, looks like a straight cut into a rod. The throat is deep, so it holds the yarn firmly. Susan Bates hooks are the usual example.

On a tapered hook the head sticks out a little past a thinner neck. The throat slopes gently into the shaft and is shallower. One guide says the yarn slips off it more easily. Boye hooks are the usual example.

Inline: head as wide as the shaft, straight notch. Tapered: head sticks out past a thinner neck, notch slopes in. Drawn at the same size; hold your hook sideways at eye level and compare.

Which should you pick?

Teachers and crocheters do not agree. One reviewer finds the inline shape makes stitches more even. Another prefers tapered and notes that many people use only inline. One hook maker suggests tapered for speed, which is that maker's opinion. Marly Bird says neither is better, even for beginners. If loops keep slipping off your hook, the deeper inline throat may help. If you crochet tightly, a pointier tip may get into stitches more easily. If you switch styles, make a swatch: one reviewer's 4 mm inline hook made the same gauge as a 4.5 mm tapered one.

"Round" and "pointed"

People use these words for two different things, which is why the arguments go in circles. Sometimes they mean the whole head, inline or tapered. Sometimes they mean only the very tip. Many teachers say inline hooks have the pointier tip, and at least one hook maker calls tapered hooks the "pointed" ones. Tips vary inside both families. A good tip slides into a stitch easily without splitting your yarn or poking your finger.

Which hooks are which

Some hooks sit in between, and writers do not always agree. These are family names, not rules.

Hook	Head	Notes
Susan Bates	Inline	Every source we read agrees
Boye	Tapered	Every source we read agrees
Clover Amour	Tapered	Cushioned handle
Tulip Etimo	Tapered, a mix, or inline-like	Writers differ; one says its groove is straight; cushioned handle
Furls Streamline	Hybrid, or inline	Writers differ; teardrop handle

Handles

Handles: plain, cushioned and ergonomic

Plain. One piece of metal, wood or plastic. Simple and cheap. Some people find it too narrow to hold for long, most of all the thin steel hooks used for thread.
Thumb rest. The flat spot partway down, where your thumb and finger settle. Many people like one. Some are happy without.
Cushioned. A metal hook set in a soft handle. Clover Amour and Tulip Etimo are the two people compare most. They are close cousins: an aluminum hook, a soft grip, about 14 cm overall. The one full side-by-side review we read liked the Clover handle more, and other crocheters say the reverse, so it is taste.
Big ergonomic handles. Larger, cushioned or shaped handles meant to fill the hand. A wider handle means you do not have to pinch as hard. One reviewer finds they help most in a knife grip and add little in a pencil grip. Bigger is not always better.
Wood and resin. Shaped in one piece, some with a longer teardrop handle that fills the palm. Heavier metal versions divide people: some say the weight makes sore hands worse, some say it helps.

You can also fatten up a hook you already own with a slip-on grip, or even tape.

Sore hands

Crochet hooks for arthritis and sore hands

We are a crow, not a doctor. If crochet hurts, please see a doctor or an occupational therapist, who can look at how you hold your hook and suggest changes that fit your hands. Here is what arthritis and hand-therapy groups say, in plain words.

Go wider and softer. The smaller a thing is, the tighter we tend to grip it. The Arthritis Foundation suggests hooks with rubberized grips, or building up the handle with tape.
Loosen your grip. Tight gripping puts more force on the joints.
Take breaks. A few minutes about every half hour. Stand up, walk, stretch.
Warm up gently. Gentle warmth before you start may help. Skip the heat if your joints are red and swollen, and keep that session short.
Change position if it hurts. Pain is not normal, so do not push through it. Support your elbows. Try a different hold.

No health source we read names a best hook or a best hold. So try before you buy. A crocheter we know lent a cushioned hook to an older friend with sore hands. After one try, the friend went and bought her own.

Materials and grips

Hook materials

Aluminum. The everyday hook. Light, often a different color for each size. Slick. Yarn glides, and loops can slide off.
Steel. The fine hooks for thread and lace. Smooth. Thin ones can tire your hand.
Wood and bamboo. Lighter than metal, and can cost more. Grippy. Helps with slippery yarn, or stitches that keep falling off.
Plastic and acrylic. The lightest and brightest. The very big hooks are plastic. In between metal and wood for how the yarn slides. Some squeak, and a shiny metal hook can too.

One teacher points out that this matters less in crochet than in knitting. If your hook and yarn fight each other, try a different material before you blame yourself.

When the yarn squeaks

Some yarn squeaks on the hook. Some people shrug. Some people hear nails on a chalkboard. Both are normal. Nobody we read has tested why it happens, but makers report it most with acrylic and with plush or chenille yarn, and sometimes with cotton. Plastic hooks get named more than metal ones, and tight stitches and damp hands get most of the blame.

What makers say helps, most named first:

Loosen up. A tight loop drags on the hook.
Clean hands, clean hook. Wash and dry your hands, and wipe the hook.
Swap the hook. Try the same size in a different material. Plastic to metal is the usual swap, though a hook that squeaks for one maker is quiet for another.
Wax paper. Rub the hook with it. An old tip that nobody has tested.

Some makers run the hook through their hair. It works for a little while, and it puts hair oil on your yarn. Go easy with hand lotion for the same reason. If nothing quiets it, it may just be that yarn. Crows have heard worse.

Pencil grip or knife grip

Hold the hook like a pencil, or hold it like a table knife. Both are right. If you learned one way, keep it. The knife grip seems a little more common, though nobody has counted properly.

Your hold changes what feels good. In a knife grip the handle rests in your palm, so a fuller handle can feel better. In a pencil grip a big handle may add little. A thumb rest is used in both, and head shape does not depend on your hold.

Where to start

The best crochet hooks for beginners

Match the yarnUse the hook size on your yarn label or pattern. For a first project that is often 4 mm to 5 mm. See the hook size chart.
Start with a setA basic aluminum set gives you several sizes to try. Plain Boye or Susan Bates hooks are fine for learning.
Try the other shapeA Boye or Susan Bates set is all one head shape. Later, add one hook of the other kind in your favorite size and swatch with both.
Then the handleIf your hand gets tired, try a cushioned or wider handle before you give up.

Questions

What is the best crochet hook for beginners?

A plain aluminum hook in the size your yarn label or pattern asks for. For a first project that is often 4 mm to 5 mm, about a G-6, 7 or H-8 (letters vary a little between makers). A basic set is a good way to start, and plain Boye or Susan Bates hooks are fine for learning. No hook is the best for everyone.

Inline or tapered: which is better?

Teachers do not agree, even on which is easier for a beginner, and we do not pick one. Inline hooks have a head the same width as the shaft and a deep throat. Tapered hooks have a head that sticks out past a thinner neck. Crocheters report liking both, so try one of each in the same size.

Are Clover hooks inline or tapered?

Writers call the Clover Amour tapered. The Tulip Etimo gets three answers: tapered, a mix of both, or a straight groove like an inline hook. Susan Bates hooks are inline and Boye hooks are tapered.

Tulip or Clover?

They are close cousins: an aluminum hook in a soft cushioned handle, about 14 cm overall. The one full side-by-side review we read preferred the Clover handle, and other crocheters say the reverse, so it comes down to how your hand feels.

What is an ergonomic crochet hook?

A hook with a wider, cushioned or shaped handle, so you do not have to pinch it as tightly. You can also add a slip-on grip to a hook you already own.

Can I crochet with arthritis?

Many people do. Arthritis and hand-therapy groups suggest a wider, softer handle, a looser grip and a short break about every half hour. If crochet hurts, see a doctor or an occupational therapist, who can suggest changes for your hands.

What are good crochet hook grips for arthritis?

A cushioned or built-up handle. The Arthritis Foundation suggests hooks with rubberized grips, or building up the handle with tape. No health source we read names a best hook, so try one before you buy.

Pencil grip or knife grip?

Both are right. If you learned one way, keep it. In a knife grip the handle lies in your palm, so a fuller handle can feel better.

Sources

Where this comes from

Read November 12, 2026. Where sources disagree, we say so. No hook maker paid to be here, and we do not sell hooks.

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