“ETIMO” refers to the special type of crochet hook handle. All “Etimo” hooks feature Tulip’s signature elastomeric cushion grip. The hook on this page—a gold aluminum with grey handle—is the original Etimo model. Since then, the Tulip Needle Company has added a Rose version (sweet pink colors replace the gold and grey). Also see the Etimo steel hooks for crocheting with thread and lace weight yarns.
THIS IS THE CROCHET HOOK that won our hearts the first time we (Doris and Vashti) held one at the National Needle Arts trade show in 2010. This was the first show booth in the USA for the Tulip Needle Co. of Hiroshima, Japan.
Since then, many have copied Tulip’s exciting crochet hook. Tulip’s elastomeric handles are the original and still the best! Some imitations feel sticky, plastic-y, or smell like rubber tires.
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The heads of these bead hooks, compared to other Tulip steel crochet hooks we tested, have a shape that makes them fit easier through the slightly irregular holes of seed beads. I could feel the difference more than see it as I tried slipping several beads of different sizes and brands onto the hooks.
Each comes with a good-fitting tube cap to protect the hook head. These caps are made of a nicer type of plastic than other caps we have from other brands. These caps don’t readily crack, scratch, or stretch out.
The signature “Etimo” elastomeric cushion grip in pastel colors is a special feature. They’re designed to give many comfortable hours of crocheting with thread and beads.
Many have copied Tulip’s exciting crochet hook. Tulip’s handles are the original and still the best! Some imitations feel plastic-y, sticky, or smell like rubber tires.
Steel Crochet Hook Sizes
Select from among the available sizes in the drop-down menu, listed in order of smallest to largest size. (Labeled sizes vary widely among different brands of steel hooks and time of manufacture).
Using These Crochet Hooks With Beads
Wondering about using seed beads with these steel hooks? Bead hole sizes and labeling vary among manufacturers, colors, finishes, and also within the same bead batch. The mm. size of a crochet hook does not typically measure the girth of the hook tip, so a crochet hook made in a different style, or at a different time within the same brand might coordinate differently with bead sizes.
Try to use the biggest crochet hook size for the job, if you are adding beads to a lace weight yarn project. This reduces snagging and the risk of slicing through delicate fibers.
Seed bead size 1° or 1/0 (a.k.a. “jumbo seed bead”) fits almost 100% of the time onto the 1.75 mm Sucre Bead Crochet Hook.
Seed bead size 6° or 6/0 (a.k.a. “E-bead”) fits almost 100% of the time onto the 1.25 mm Sucre Bead Crochet Hook.
The holes of seed beads can be a bit irregular within the same batch. The heads of these bead hooks, compared to other Tulip steel crochet hooks I tested, have a shape that makes them fit easier through seed beads. I could feel the difference more than see it as I tried slipping several beads of different sizes and brands onto the hooks.
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If your order contains more than one shippable (not downloadable) item, the shipping method automatically upgrades FREE from USPS First Class to Priority Mail. Priority mail shipments take just 2 or 3 days to arrive under normal conditions.
Download the three charts shown above—with extra columns!—as a free PDF. See below. There was no room for this material in my newsletter issue about crochet hooks. It pairs well with this one: Deluxe Crochet Hook Diagram.
Hey there, New Crocheter?: On the face of it, crochet hook sizes are beginner-level stuff. Question one quirky thing and you can end up in a maze. I did. Over the years I’ve had five key realizations. They build on each other in a logical order, below. I wish I could have read this post when I started questioning! Bookmark this if you’re not quite ready for it yet. Better yet, add a comment about where you’re at.
I originally created these charts for my own use.The PDF has more information than the three charts pictured at the top of this blog. For example, two more columns, and how to use the charts and understand the size increments. Each chart is a full-page size:
All Steel Crochet Hook Sizes in 0.10 mm increments: 0.40 mm – 3.50 mm
NON-Steel Crochet Hooks, medium-range in 0.25 mm increments: 1.75 mm – 7.75 mm
NON-Steel Crochet Hooks, jumbo sizes in 1.00 mm increments: 8.00 mm – 36.00 mm
Crochet Hook Sizes, the Five Keys
1. I watch exactly where on the hook I make each stitch.
I especially watch the starting loop on the hook because it will become the top two loops of the new stitch. My goal is to avoid forming stitches on the tapered part (“throat”) of the crochet hook.
Some hooks have such a long throat that I can’t avoid making my stitches there. This is a big deal with some stitches. The taper will give my tall stitches loose top loops.
Pictured at right is my first crochet hook (green) and one of my current favorites (gold). My green crochet hook made my stitches look more stringy and uneven than they had to, even for a newer crocheter.
A big revelation for me (thank you Nancy Nehring) was that the crochet hook’s true size is where my stitches are made on it. So the other reason I watch where I make stitches on the hook is to know where to measure the hook size.
2. I treasure my slide gauge tool.
Needle gauges, the kind with holes, are everywhere. They’re even given out for free at yarn shops and conferences. I tossed them all out and only use a slide gauge. If I could find a reliable source for my favorite slide gauge I’d have it in my shop already. Lacis has had this one for a long time. It’s now also at JoAnn Fabrics, Amazon, Walmart, etc. Here’s another one. You can also search for millimeter calipers.
Once I know where on the hook I make my stitches (see #1 above), I measure that with a slide gauge or caliper. I get my true size of each hook in a jiffy. No forcing a hook in or out of the holes of a needle sizer with the risk of scratching the hook in the process!
When I did this with all of my crochet hooks, I found out that about a third of them were not the sizes I thought they were (based on how I use them).
At some point in my crochet life I realized why we have so many crochet hook sizes. When the stitch gauge is based on the hook size and not on the yarn thickness, or personal habit, some amazing crochet fabrics are possible! Starwirbel, Weightless, stretchy slip stitches, and many more.
There are two more reasons: it’s the way to get the most polished stitching gauge for each project. It also standardizes our results as an international crochet community.
Before this realization I thought the different hook sizes were there to make crocheting with different yarns more pleasant. “I think this yarn is too thick for this hook. Must mean I need a bigger hook size”. That’s a fine reason, but if it were the real reason for the sizes, we’d only need about eight sizes—one per yarn thickness category. See the How Many Crochet Hooks? section of my other crochet hook post.
4. I think in millimeter (mm) sizes.
Instead of the “H hook” of my childhood I now think “5 mm hook”. It has improved every day of my crocheting life. I no longer have to deal with traditional hook size systems that are riddled with overlaps and exceptions.
Not only that, the mm sizing makes it plain where there are gaps in the standard hook sizes, and how large each gap is. This in turn opened up to me a wonderland of in-between or nonstandard crochet hook sizes. Hello handmade crochet hooks, imported hooks, and other collectibles, including odd manufacturing runs of established brands.
5. The actual number of crochet hook sizes? Infinite.
The American Craft Yarn Council (CYC) maintains a chart of 29 steel and 28 non-steel crochet hook sizes according to American and British standards. It’s a good start and includes equivalent mm sizes. I build on it in my crochet hook sizing charts by adding Japanese hook sizes and placeholders for missing sizes.
The millimeter measure accounts for all possible hook sizes, including the sizing standards of other countries. I love seeing how US, UK, and Japanese hook sizes all fit together.
Does an infinite number of crochet hook sizes seem overwhelming? Every crocheter needs a different number of sizes. Check for yourself with my list of five factors.
How Did We Get Here?
I think of the non-metric crochet hook sizing systems as being two great crochet traditions (cotton/silk threads vs. wool yarns) that got mushed together, then sprinkled with sizing standards of different countries. It’s quite the heady brew.
Steel crochet hooks were designed for lace crochet with thread. Steel is very strong for even the finest hook sizes. They’re numbered from 00 to 14 (sometimes 16). The larger the number, the smaller the hook.
Non-steel crochet hooks, whether made of aluminum, wood, bamboo, plastic, or glass, get numbered and lettered sizes (from B to U so far) according to an American system. Sizing systems in other countries use different numbering systems. Unlike the steel sizes, the large the number, the larger the hook.
Let’s talk about the size “G” hook. The CYC lists three non-steel G hooks: 4.0 mm, 4.25 mm, and 4.5 mm. Each one is a useful size. Labeling all of them size “G” is unnecessarily confusing.
The Way of Peace
Just focus on the millimeter size. A crochet hook that measures 4.0 mm (on the part of the hook where you make the stitches) will always be that size for you. It won’t matter what it’s made of, where you live, or which country manufactured the hook. Feels peaceful, doesn’t it?
I’ve greatly expanded this page since first posting it in 2015, when it was a follow up to newsletter issue 71, “Beyond Crochet Hook Debates”. It’s also now part of an ongoing Crochet Basics series.
At first glance the crochet hook is a very simple tool, so why are there so many different kinds? What makes crocheters fiercely devoted to some and not others? You could make your own crochet hook by carving a notch into the end of a stick or dowel and sanding it smooth. I realized how carefully designed hooks really are when I reshaped a store-bought one.
Creating a crochet hook diagram also helped me tease out the finer elements that make all the difference between one hook and another. My first sketch grew into a comprehensive map! It brings together terms from several different sources.
How Many Crochet Hooks?
How many crochet hook sizes should there be? How many crochet hooks does a crocheter need? It turns out the answer is different for every crocheter because it depends on about five factors, below.
Consider the yarn you like to crochet with.
Some crocheters are very partial to one or two yarn thicknesses, called weights. Medium or worsted weight is a crowd-pleaser, for example. If you like to crochet with yarn of any weight, from cobweb to roving, you need a few different hook sizes for each of the eight yarn weight categories (#0 Lace to #7 Jumbo)!
How about fiber types?
I’m still surprised sometimes when a crochet hook gets along much better with one yarn than another. If you like to experience the full menu of fibers and fiber blends, from the fuzziest to the slipperiest all spun in different ways, you’re going to need hooks with different head shapes and surface finishes.
I really notice this when I crochet with a non-yarn like wire, jewelry cords, and fabric strips.
I can pick up a lot of speed with a hook that has a glossy aluminum finish except with very glossy silk yarn. That’s when a brushed matte finish is better.
When a fluffy microfiber (synthetic) yarn drags on a giant plastic hook because of static electricity, I switch to a wood hook.
When a yarn is dense and round like spaghetti (Jelly Yarn, rayon-wrap cordé, wire, tubing, leather lacing, etc.), a crochet hook with a roomy “bowl”[see diagram] is much better than one with a slit-style bowl.
What kinds of things?
Want to try every possible kind of project, from beaded jewelry to exploded lace to sturdy totes to thick blankets to…so many more kinds of things!? Projects can require very particular crochet hook sizes, styles, and finishes.
Situations, events, and physical conditions.
I have favorite hooks for marathon crocheting (when I have a big crochet deadline to meet). You might like to have a hook set just for traveling like I do; for plane flights I try to avoid metal hooks. Plastic and wood hooks are lighter in my bag, and less quick to slide down between seats to be lost forever.
For those crocheters with hands that are particularly small or large, sensitive to cold, tire easily, are arthritic or in recovery from surgery, and so on, there are crochet hooks specially designed for you. Look for hooks in ergonomic shapes. You can also add your own ergonomic handle with clay, pencil grippers, wrapped fabric, and other materials.
What if you need to crochet in a low- or no-light situation? Light-up hooks, and those that don’t match the color of your yarn are best.
Any special techniques or stitches?
Like to try dramatically different stitches like bullions, split clusters, and picking out that bump loop of single crochets? Tunisian and double-ended crochet? Crochet along the edge of fabric? Cro-tatting? The right crochet hook for the job sure makes a big difference with these.
“Loop Picking”: Hooks with a pointier head are very helpful when trying to pick specific loops to crochet into. Camel crochet is a classic case. I usually reach for one when I do Tunisian or slip stitch crochet. Some brands are naturally pointier. I like how easy it is to file the heads of my inexpensive bamboo hooks in different shapes to learn what works best for me.
Beading: I need to have steel crochet hooks of several sizes on hand. You’ll need some with hook heads that are small and streamlined enough to pull a loop of thread or yarn through bead holes. Tulip has done this with their bead crochet hooks.
Tunisian: (Projects can really vary, so I’m going to do a separate post on Tunisian hooks.) Generally I need the length of the hook head to be as short as possible [see diagram], and I need the surface to be frictionless with the particular yarn.
“Hard Crochet”: The 1970’s crocheter Mark Dittrick emphasized the difference a large steel hook (size 0 or 1: 2.35–3.25 mm) makes for his ultra tight and stiff sculptural crocheting.
Crochet Hooks as Treasure
Did a family member teach you how to crochet? My mother taught me. I treasure her crochet hooks and the brown moiré jewelry wrap that she used as a hook case.
When you teach a family member, you create a future where your favorite crochet hooks will be cherished!
If you know someone who would like this detailed crochet hook diagram, please be kind and send them to this blog post so that they can download their own copy directly. Right-click this direct link to copy it: https://www.designingvashti.com/crochet-hook-diagram-free-download. Thanks!
The next post in this series is on the surprisingly rich topic of crochet hook sizing.
Crocheting and wearing Aero is an elegant experience of Tunisian crochet lace. With fine silk yarn and the add-as-you-go beading option, the beauty of the lacy stitches hanging from your hook will inspire “just one more row!”
I developed this point-to-point stitch pattern and love it because I can build up more stitching speed than usual with Tunisian crochet. I also found its filet logic easy to memorize.
Tall stitches and open spaces create a Tunisian version of traditional filet crochet. Writing my newsletter on lacy nets inspired it. And, the stitch pattern looks nice enough on both sides to call it reversible.
Crocheting a triangular wrap from point to point makes it easy to use any amount of light weight yarn you have on hand. If you use a smaller amount of yarn than I did, the wide, shallow triangular shape will come out scarf-sized. (The pattern is created the same no matter how much yarn you use.)
Skill Level
Advanced Intermediate. Aero combines Tunisian stitches that may be familiar to those who have already ventured beyond the Tunisian Simple Stitch: the Tunisian Yarn Over (Tyo), Tunisian Double Treble {UK: Tunisian Triple Treble} (Tdtr), and twisted stitches. To see if you’re ready for an Intermediate-level Tunisian pattern, review this quick checklist.
It’s best if you have crocheted at least one Beginner or Easy level Tunisian crochet pattern first. Warm Aeroette started out as a practice swatch for students in my Aero classes! Other good stepping stones to Aero would be Ennis Revelation and Aery Faery. I’ve kept pattern abbreviations to a minimum and include International English equivalents for American terms.
?After using this pattern you will know (if you didn’t already):
How to create dramatic new filet lace with Tunisian crochet stitches
How to crochet a triangular scarf or wrap from point to point and the delightful convenience of crocheting the edging as you go
How to add beads to the as-you-go edging without pre-stringing them
The power of simple blocking to transform Tunisian crochet lace
Finished Dimensions
The pictured green wrap is 21″ at deepest center point and 61″ wide from point to point {53 X 155 cm}. Crocheting a shawl or scarf from point to point makes it easy to use any amount of yarn you have on hand, and to make it the size you wish.
Materials
Crochet Hook: Size F/US5/3.75 mm Tunisian hook, at least 13″/33 cm long. You can use a shorter Tunisian hook for the shortest beginning rows, and then switch to a longer hook as it becomes necessary for comfortably holding all loops on the hook. If you are going to add beads, you’ll need a steel crochet hook that is small enough to fit through the bead holes and pull through a loop of your yarn. (I used a .75mm Tulip hook labeled #10. Other brands may label the same mm size with a different number.)
Yarn used for pictured scarf: Handmaiden Sea Silk (70% Silk, 30% Seacell® 437 yds/400 m per 3.5 oz/100 g ball), 1 full skein.
Yarn substituting advice: This pattern will work with any amount and weight of yarn. To match the effect of the pictured wrap, look for a yarn weight of #1 Super Fine (“Fingering”) {UK & AUS 3 Ply}; or one recommending a needle or hook size range of B/US1/2.25 mm – D/US3/3.25 mm on its label. If this is your first time crocheting into the loops of Tunisian Yarn Over stitches, try to find a yarn that has subtle color changes like the tonal hand-dyed one shown. It was a bit challenging at first to make tall stitches with slippery yarn, but I quickly grew used to it.
Small scale for weighing yarn: recommended if you’re using an odd number of skeins of yarn, or partial skeins.
Beads (optional): At least 50 size 6/0 (“E Bead”) beads and a steel crochet hook small enough to fit through the bead hole and pull a loop of yarn through it. Triple your quantity of beads if you’ll be adding 3 beads to a stitch at a time (see photo in pattern). For the green Aero I used 1 bead per 2-row repeat for a total of 44 beads; I had to discard a few that had small holes. The number of beads you need will vary because the usable holes of your beads are likely to vary, and because you may get fewer, or more, row repeats from your yarn.
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I especially watch the starting loop on the hook because it will become the top two loops of the new stitch. My goal is to avoid forming stitches on the tapered part (“throat”) of the crochet hook.
