Crochet reference
Crochet hook size for DK yarn
Ask three places what hook goes with DK yarn and you get three answers. The label says one thing. The Craft Yarn Council says another. Your pattern has its own idea. They are all starting points, and here is how to pick.
Most labels we read say 4 mm
That is a US G-6, on 8 of the 13 DK labels we read. Start there if you have no pattern.
The Council says 4.5 to 5.5 mm
That is a US 7 to I-9. It calls its numbers guidelines only.
The project picks
Toys go smaller. Shawls go bigger. Squares and baby blankets sit near 4 mm.
What DK is
What is DK yarn?
DK stands for double knitting. It is a yarn weight, not a technique, and you can crochet with it all day. On the Craft Yarn Council’s scale it is weight 3, called Light: thinner than worsted (4) and thicker than sport (2). It goes by other names:
| Where | What the label says |
|---|---|
| US | DK, light worsted, or a 3 in the yarn symbol |
| UK | DK or double knitting |
| Australia and New Zealand | 8 ply |
The 8 in 8 ply is a name for the thickness, not a count of strands. No label? Wrap the yarn around a pencil, snug and side by side, and count the wraps in one inch. The Council puts DK at 11 to 15, and says the test is subjective, so treat it as a clue. A 100 gram ball of DK is often 200 to 300 meters long; cotton DK runs shorter.
What size
What size hook for DK yarn?
We read the makers’ pages for 13 DK yarns and wrote down the hook each one prints. Then we read 35 DK patterns and wrote down the hook each one uses.
| Where the number comes from | Hook for DK | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Most yarn labels we read (8 of 13) | 4 mm (G-6) | |
| The other labels | 4 to 5 mm, 5 mm, or 4.5 to 5.5 mm | Two gave a knitting needle and no hook |
| Craft Yarn Council, weight 3 | 4.5 to 5.5 mm (7 to I-9) | It calls its numbers guidelines only |
| The 35 patterns we read | 2.5 to 6 mm | By project, below |
So start at 4 mm, or at whatever your own label says, then let the project move you. Not sure what a G or a 7 is in millimeters? See the crochet hook size chart, and go by the millimeters: one DK label we read calls its 4 mm hook an F.
Why the label and the Council disagree
We looked for an official reason and did not find one. One yarn shop’s theory is that DK labels start from the knitting needle size, and some of what we read fits: two makers gave only a needle, and on most others the hook and needle were the same number. But several makers print a real crochet gauge beside that 4 mm hook, so it is not only a copy.
Here is the part that helps. The Council’s gauge for DK is 12 to 17 single crochet across 4 inches. The 4 mm labels that print a crochet gauge give 16 to 18. That is nearly the same fabric from a smaller hook. Hands differ, and the Council says so itself: if your swatch is too big, use a smaller hook. Neither number is wrong. They are two starting points.
By project
DK hook size by project
| You are making | Hook in the patterns we read | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Amigurumi and toys | 2.5 to 3.5 mm | A small hook makes tight fabric, so the stuffing stays in |
| Granny squares | 4 mm in all five we read | See crochet hook for granny squares |
| Blankets | 4 mm in four of seven; 4.5 or 5 mm in the rest | Go up for a softer blanket |
| Hats and small things | 4 mm, sometimes 5 mm | |
| Shawls and lace | 5 mm in four of five | A bigger hook opens the stitches and adds drape |
| Sweaters and cardigans | 3.5 to 6 mm | Follow the pattern and check its gauge |
That is 35 patterns, picked by search: a look, not a study. Our searches leaned toward toys and shawls, so those rows lean too. Garments are the wide one. For anything that has to fit, the pattern’s gauge matters more than any chart, ours included.
Go up or go down?
- Go down for firm fabric: toys, bags, baskets, anything that should hold a shape. Go too small and it turns stiff and hard to work into.
- Go up for soft fabric: shawls, lace, a blanket with drape. Go too big and it turns floppy and full of gaps.
Try it: three swatches
- The label hookMake a small square with the hook on your label.
- One each sideMake one a size smaller and one a size larger. Same yarn, same stitches.
- CompareLay them side by side. Measure them. Fold them. Hold one up by a corner.
- Keep oneKeep the one that feels right for what you are making. That is your hook.
DK vs worsted
DK vs worsted vs sport
These are the Craft Yarn Council’s numbers for the three neighbors. DK is a step thinner than worsted, though the edges blur: a light worsted and a heavy DK can be close.
| Sport (2) | DK (3) | Worsted (4) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Council hook range | 3.5 to 4.5 mm | 4.5 to 5.5 mm | 5.5 to 6.5 mm |
| Single crochet across 4 in | 16 to 20 | 12 to 17 | 11 to 14 |
| Wraps per inch | 12 to 18 | 11 to 15 | 9 to 12 |
Can you swap one for the other?
Sometimes, but it is not a straight swap. Our Classic Granny Square shows how much it moves: in DK with a 4 mm hook it comes out about 4 1/4 in, and in worsted with a 5.5 mm hook about 5 3/4 in. Those are Krowshea’s estimates at the usual gauge for each yarn and hook.
- DK in a worsted pattern. The piece comes out smaller and lighter.
- Worsted in a DK pattern. The piece comes out bigger and denser.
- A blanket or a toy. Usually fine. It just changes size.
- A sweater. Swatch first and match the pattern’s gauge, or it will not fit.
- Check the length. A 100 gram ball of DK is longer than a 100 gram ball of worsted. Compare meters, not grams.
Holding yarn double
Two strands of fingering held together are a common stand-in for one strand of DK. Swatch first, and buy twice the length. Two strands of DK for one worsted? Sources do not agree. One says not reliably, because the doubled yarn can be too thick; a yarn company says two strands land one or two weights up. So it might be a worsted, and it might be a bulky. A swatch will tell you. A crow will not.
Does the kind of hook matter?
Not for the size. A 4 mm hook is 4 mm in any material. If you are still choosing one, see choosing a crochet hook.
Questions
Questions
What size crochet hook for DK yarn?
Start at 4 mm (G-6), which is what most of the DK labels we read print. The Craft Yarn Council’s range for DK is 4.5 to 5.5 mm. Go smaller for toys and larger for shawls.
What is DK yarn?
DK means double knitting. It is a yarn weight, weight 3 (Light), between sport and worsted. Australia and New Zealand call it 8 ply.
Can I use a 5 mm hook with DK yarn?
Yes. It is inside the Craft Yarn Council’s range, and it was the most common hook in the DK shawls we read. The fabric will be softer and more open than at 4 mm.
Why does my DK label say 4 mm when charts say 4.5 to 5.5 mm?
No standards page explains it. One yarn shop says labels start from the knitting needle size. Both numbers are starting points, and a swatch settles it.
Is DK the same as worsted?
No. DK is weight 3 and worsted is weight 4, a step thicker. A light worsted and a heavy DK can be close.
Can I use DK instead of worsted?
Sometimes. The piece comes out smaller and lighter unless you change the hook or the stitch count. Fine for a blanket or a toy. Swatch first for anything that has to fit.
What hook for DK amigurumi?
2.5 to 3.5 mm in the six DK toy patterns we read. Small enough that the stuffing does not show.
How do I know if my yarn is DK?
Look for DK, light worsted, 8 ply or a 3 on the label. With no label, count wraps per inch: the Craft Yarn Council gives 11 to 15 for DK, and says the test is subjective.
Sources
Where this comes from
Read November 12, 2026. Labels are the makers’ product pages; seven of the 13 were read from Internet Archive copies when the live page would not load. The pattern survey is our own count. Where sources disagree, we say so.
- Craft Yarn Council, Standard Yarn Weight System
- Craft Yarn Council, How to Measure Wraps Per Inch
- Craft Yarn Council, Standards FAQs
- Craft Yarn Council, Hooks and Needles
- Ravelry, Standard yarn weights
- Lion Brand, Wool-Ease DK
- Lion Brand, 24/7 Cotton DK
- Lion Brand, Coboo
- Lion Brand, Mandala
- Yarnspirations, Bernat Softee Baby
- Berroco, Vintage DK
- Cascade Yarns, Ultra Pima
- Knit Picks, Swish DK
- LoveCrafts, Paintbox Yarns Simply DK
- Sirdar, Snuggly DK (yarn details on its pattern pages)
- Sirdar, Hayfield Bonus DK (yarn details on its pattern pages)
- Scheepjes, Colour Crafter
- DROPS, Merino Extra Fine
- WEBS, What Size Crochet Hook for Each Yarn Weight
- Yarnspirations, How to Understand Yarn Weights
- Yarnspirations, Guide to Multi-Strand Crochet
- Sarah Maker, What is DK Weight Yarn?
- love. life. yarn., DK Weight Yarn
- Wild Woollys, DK vs Worsted Weight Yarn
- Skein Sisters, The Australian Guide to Yarn Weights and Ply
- Pattern survey: 35 DK patterns, 30 found for this page plus the five DK granny squares on our granny hook page; among them DROPS 162-1, 162-28, 199-15 and 199-16, Crochet ’n’ Create, B.Hooked, A Crocheted Simplicity, Bella Coco, Annie Design Crochet, HanJan Crochet, Plymouth Yarn F950 and Simply Yarn (full list in our research notes)
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