Why I Reach for My Clover Hooks and Skip the Starter Kit Ones

I think anyone who has crocheted for many years or has any sort of specific craft, for that matter, has their favorite tools that they need and their least favorite tools that they don't usually reach for. I have a bunch of hooks from all sorts of different brands, different styles, different shapes, and types.

Some of them have cushioned handles; some of them do not; some of them are metal; some of them are plastic. I think when you first start out in a craft, you start with economical and affordable options. And then as you get to using things, you figure out things that you do or do not prefer.

Why Clover's Rounded Tips and Cushioned Handles Win Me Over

Hands down, my favorite hooks are from the brand Clover. They are metal hooks that have a really nice cushioned handle. I particularly like their hooks because they don't have a pointed end that sometimes metal hooks have.

They're smoother and more rounded, so they flow over the yarn really easily.

Also, because I've mentioned before that sometimes I sit down and do this for long periods of time, having the cushioned handle is a little bit easier for my fingers to hold on to. You don't have to hold on to it as tightly, and they just feel really good in your hand.

The sizes of my hooks vary depending on the project I'm working on. For example, right now I'm making a hat that's calling for a 5.5-sized hook. I would say on average, though, the hook I use the most would either be 3.5 or 4.

That usually gives me the right type of tension to make the stuffed animals I like to make or the throw blankets that I frequently get to working on.

Plain Aluminum Hooks Snag My Yarn and Feel Clunky

Unfortunately, I have become quite particular about my hooks. I do not like plain aluminum hooks. They work great if you are just picking up a project for a little bit.

But as I mentioned earlier, sometimes they have really sharp edges around the hook itself that get snagged on my yarn if I'm going too fast.

Sometimes they just feel too big and clunky in my hand. I really prefer an ergonomic hook with the hook itself being really rounded and smooth, and the handle being quite large for me to hold.

The Starter Kit Hooks Now Living in My Book

As pictured earlier, I have lots and lots of hooks. When I first started crocheting and I kind of started to get the bug that I wanted to do this more and more, I went out and bought a kit that came with probably five to eight hooks in all different sizes that I thought would be great and give me all the hooks I'd ever need. Unfortunately, as I got further and further into this, I realized I do not like these metal hooks at all when they do not have a handle.

They are really thin in my fingers.

I don't like the shape of the hook itself. They slide around on my fingers; they sometimes snag my yarn. I keep them in my book just in case I need a certain size that I don't have elsewhere for something really quick.

But otherwise, I typically do not pick up these hooks.

Splurge on the 3.5 and 4 Hooks You Grab Most

I think when it comes time to splurge on maybe a nicer hook or a more expensive hook, I would pick a size that I use frequently. As I mentioned earlier, mine would be 3.5 or 4. And I do have nicer hooks in those sizes because I use them all the time.

Hooks can be really cheap, but they can also be very, very expensive as well. So I wouldn't splurge on sizes that you don't use that often.

If you are looking to splurge and treat yourself to a really nice hook, I would just make note, as you were crafting over the next couple of weeks, of what sizes you grab more often or what gets used the most for the things that you enjoy making all the time.

Compression Gloves and a Thick Padded Handle for Sore Wrists

All right, if you have been crocheting and your hands and your wrists are screaming and you're ready to spend a little bit more money, here's what I would suggest. I would suggest buying compression gloves for your hands that can really, really help your wrists and your fingers as you're sitting down to crochet for hours and hours. The other thing, as I've mentioned earlier, is I would get a hook with a really thick handle.

The Clover ones work great; they're really easy to find, but you can get really, really nice, expensive hooks that have bigger, thicker handles if you have arthritis, or different shapes if that just feels better to your fingers.

You can get hooks that are wooden or plastic. Some people really love to use those as well because they just like the feel of it in their hands. What I would suggest to you: choose a hook with a really good padded handle to start with and see if that helps.

And size up from there if you're not noticing any relief.