#crochetadvice — Public Fediverse posts

Which Hooks Are Actually Worth Your Money?

Every crocheter starts with the same innocent thought:

“A crochet hook is a crochet hook.”

Three months later you’re researching ergonomic handles at 2 a.m., reading 47-page forum debates, and wondering if a Japanese hook will somehow improve your life.

The answer is…sometimes.

Today we’re diving into the most popular crochet hooks on the market, who they’re best for, and whether they’re worth adding to your collection.

Best Hook for Complete Beginners

Boye Aluminum Hooks

Why beginners like them:

• Cheap
• Available almost everywhere
• Durable
• Great for learning basic stitches

The downside:

The tapered head can split yarn for some crocheters, especially when working with softer acrylics.

Crocheter Rating: ★★★☆☆

Wallet Rating: ★★★★★

Likelihood You’ll Still Be Using It In Five Years: 40%

The Hook Everyone Eventually Tries

Clover Amour

If crochet hooks had a popularity contest, Clover Amour would probably win.

Why people love them:

• Comfortable ergonomic handle
• Smooth glide
• Distinct colors by size
• Excellent for long crochet sessions

Many crocheters describe their first Clover Amour purchase as a “gateway hook.”

One turns into three.

Three turns into the whole set.

Crocheter Rating: ★★★★★

Likelihood You’ll Accidentally Start a Collection: 98%

Best for Arthritic Hands

Furls Odyssey

These are the luxury sports cars of crochet hooks.

Pros:

• Extremely comfortable grip
• Beautiful designs
• Reduces hand strain for many crocheters

Cons:

• Expensive
• Losing one feels like losing jewelry

Crocheter Rating: ★★★★☆

Panic Level When Dropped on a Hard Floor: ★★★★★

Best for Speed Crocheters

Tulip Etimo

These hooks have developed a near-cult following.

Many experienced crocheters claim they can crochet faster with Tulips than with any other hook.

Why:

• Very smooth finish
• Excellent hook shape
• Consistent tension

If Clover Amour and Furls had a very efficient Japanese cousin, it would be Tulip Etimo.

Crocheter Rating: ★★★★★

Likelihood of Becoming Your Favorite Hook: High

Best Budget Ergonomic Hook

Susan Bates Soft Ergonomic

Many crocheters overlook these because they’re less flashy than some of the premium brands.

Pros:

• Affordable
• Comfortable
• Inline hook design

Perfect for:

Anyone who wants ergonomic comfort without spending premium-hook money.

Most Divisive Hook

Inline vs. Tapered Hooks

This debate has been going on since approximately the invention of yarn.

Inline Hooks

(Susan Bates style)

• More defined throat
• Better stitch consistency for some crocheters
• Popular with amigurumi makers

Tapered Hooks

(Boye style)

• Smoother stitch flow
• Easier for beginners
• Often preferred for garments and blankets

Ask ten crocheters which is better and you’ll get twelve opinions.

Hooks That Look Amazing But Aren’t For Everyone

Resin Hooks

Wooden Hooks

Handmade Turned Hooks

They’re gorgeous.

They’re photogenic.

They’re Instagram famous.

But depending on the finish, they may not glide as smoothly as metal hooks.

Sometimes pretty and practical aren’t the same thing.

The Hook Hall of Fame

If I were building a crochet starter collection today:

🥇 Best Beginner Hook: Boye

🥈 Best Overall Hook: Clover Amour

🥉 Best Premium Hook: Tulip Etimo

🏆 Best Luxury Hook: Furls Odyssey

💰 Best Budget Ergonomic Hook: Susan Bates Soft Ergonomic

Let’s settle this once and for all:

What’s the best crochet hook you’ve ever used—and which one do you absolutely refuse to buy again?

The Weirdest Crochet Hacks People Actually Swear By

Washing Acrylic Yarn in Hair Conditioner

The Hack:
Soak scratchy acrylic yarn in hair conditioner to make it softer.

Why People Swear By It:
It genuinely can make some acrylics feel softer. Entire tutorials exist for it.

The Potential Disaster:
Nobody seems entirely sure how much conditioner is too much.

Use too much and you can leave residue behind.

Now your afghan smells like it just got back from a spa weekend.

Freezing Yarn to Kill Odors

This one pops up occasionally in stash groups.

The theory is that putting yarn in the freezer will remove musty smells from thrifted yarn.

The problem?

Freezers don’t magically remove odors.

They just create cold yarn.

Now you have cold, musty yarn.

Putting Acrylic Projects in the Dryer Until They “Bloom”

The internet occasionally refers to this as “killing” acrylic.

Some crocheters deliberately heat acrylic to soften it and improve drape.

Sometimes it works.

Sometimes your project goes from “beautiful drape” to “gravity’s strongest supporter.”

There is a very fine line between:

“Look how soft this is!”

and

“What happened to my cardigan?”

Spraying Projects with Fabric Softener

The logic seems reasonable.

If fabric softener softens clothes, surely it softens crochet.

The downside?

Residue.

Lots of residue.

Some crocheters report projects feeling coated rather than softened.

Your blanket should not feel like it has been marinated.

Vinegar Fixes Everything

There are people who recommend vinegar for:

• softening yarn
• setting colors
• removing odors
• blocking
• laundry

At this point vinegar is basically the essential oil of crochet.

Sometimes it helps.

Sometimes your craft room smells like a fish-and-chip shop.

Store Hooks Inside the Yarn Ball

This one sounds clever.

Until six months later.

A crocheter on Reddit reported finding multiple hooks hidden in yarn skeins after using this method.

Future You becomes an archaeologist.

“Ah yes, a 5mm hook from the Late Granny Square Period.”

Use Bobby Pins, Paper Clips, Safety Pins, Hair Clips, Barrettes, and Literally Anything as Stitch Markers

Crocheters are inventive.

The issue is that every substitute marker eventually finds the one strand of yarn it can snag.

It’s almost a law of nature.

“Just Crochet Tighter”

This advice gets handed out constantly.

Gaping stitches?

Crochet tighter.

Amigurumi holes?

Crochet tighter.

World hunger?

Probably crochet tighter.

The result is often hand cramps, wrist pain, and a hook that barely fits into the stitches.

Ignore Dye Lots

This isn’t really a hack.

It’s more of a gamble.

Every crocheter eventually learns that “close enough” can become:

“Why is half my blanket a completely different shade of blue?”

Glue It

Every so often somebody suggests using fabric glue instead of weaving in ends.

I need everyone to sit down.

Because that little blob of glue is now the hardest part of your project.

Forever.

You have essentially installed a tiny rock into your blanket.

Crocheters are some of the most creative problem-solvers on Earth.

Which is wonderful.

It’s also how we ended up soaking yarn in conditioner, freezing skeins, baking acrylic in dryers, and storing hooks inside yarn balls.

Sometimes innovation changes the craft.

Sometimes it creates a very soft blanket that smells vaguely like Pantene.

What’s the weirdest crochet hack you’ve ever tried—and did it actually work?

7 Things I Wish I Knew When I Started Crocheting

1. Your First Projects Will Become Your Most Valuable Projects

Not because they’re beautiful—but because they’re proof of how far you’ve come.

Most crocheters hide their first scarf, wonky granny square, or lopsided hat. Years later, they wish they’d kept it. Looking back at those early mistakes is one of the best reminders that skill comes from practice, not talent.

2. The Yarn You Hate Might Not Actually Be Bad

Nobody talks about this.

Sometimes the problem isn’t the yarn—it’s the project.

I’ve had yarn sit in my stash for years because I hated working with it. Then one day I used it for a completely different project and suddenly loved it.

Before you donate a yarn you dislike, try imagining it in a different pattern.

3. Nobody Can See Most of Your Mistakes

This is probably the biggest secret in crochet.

That skipped stitch?
That uneven tension?
That slightly crooked row?

You see it because you’ve stared at the project for ten hours.

Everyone else sees a handmade item and thinks it’s amazing.

4. You Don’t Need a Huge Yarn Stash

Social media can make it seem like every crocheter owns a room full of yarn.

The truth?

Many experienced crocheters work from surprisingly small, carefully chosen stashes.

Buying yarn and crocheting are two separate hobbies.

It took me years to learn that one.

5. Frogging Isn’t Failure

When you’re new, ripping out rows feels terrible.

Experienced crocheters know better.

Sometimes the fastest way forward is backward.

Every project you’ve ever admired has probably been frogged multiple times before it was finished.

6. The Most Useful Skill Isn’t Any Stitch—It’s Learning to Read Your Crochet

This is something beginners almost never hear.

At some point, patterns become less important than understanding what your stitches are doing.

You start recognizing:

• where stitches were missed
• where increases happened
• where decreases happened
• why a piece is curling
• why a project is leaning

Once you can “read” your crochet, fixing mistakes becomes much easier.

7. Your Crochet Style Will Change More Than You Think

Most crocheters assume they’ll always make the same types of projects.

Then something funny happens.

The blanket maker becomes an amigurumi enthusiast.
The garment maker starts designing appliqués.
The hat maker falls in love with lace.

The projects that excite you today may be completely different from the ones you’ll love five years from now.

That’s part of the fun.

Final Thoughts

When I first learned to crochet, I thought success meant making perfect stitches.

Years later, I’ve realized crochet is much more about patience, experimentation, and enjoying the process.

The mistakes, the frogging, the abandoned projects, and the oddball yarn purchases are all part of the journey.

And honestly? Those are often the things that teach us the most.