5 Best Crochet Hooks Every Beginner Needs!

Congratulations on starting a new hobby! I love crocheting! Crocheting often helps relax at the end of the day. The peace and quiet I experience while focusing on my craft is a great way for me to destress after the hustle and bustle that comes with raising my four children all day.

But the funny thing is, many people don’t even start crocheting due to being overwhelmed with the vast number of hook options, yarn options, and pattern/project options. I am sure you have walked into your local JoAnn, Hobby Lobby, or other big box craft store and just stared at all the yarn and hooks on multiple aisles without any clue of where to start.

If this sounds like you, I can help. I have been there and done that. I have helped many others get through these initial hurdles and on their way to a fulfilling new hobby!

What size crochet hooks do I need to start crocheting?

This is a very good question that everyone asks when they start crocheting. To start, you don’t need to buy a large set of crochet hooks containing many different sizes of hooks. From my experience, you really only need 5 crochet hook sizes to get started.

Why can no one seem to answer this question when I am in the store?

Well, unless you have a specialty yarn and knitting/crochet store in your area, you will probably have to go to the local big box craft store where the associates can mostly just show you where the crochet hooks are located, but it is very unlikely they will have any specific knowledge of crocheting. A few might, but the majority will not have any useful knowledge. It is not their fault. They are responsible for a whole area of the store and can’t possibly know every detail about everything in their section of the store.

5 Crochet Hooks Every Beginner Needs!

A quick note before the list. Crochet hooks come in many different materials which also tends to be overwhelming. I prefer and recommend that beginners use metal hooks with comfortable grip handles. They are inexpensive, durable, lightweight, and easy to find in all different sizes. They are also smooth for the yarn to easily slide over which is beneficial for beginners. My 2nd suggestion would be plastic hooks, but they are not as durable.

And now for the list…

#1: 4mm Size Hook

The first hook size I recommend is 4mm. Most beginners go to the local big box store to buy their yarn for their first crochet projects. The majority of this yarn is acrylic and the yarn label recommends a 4mm hook. I have tried teaching beginners using a 5mm hook, but I found they struggled because the 5mm is much larger and more difficult to handle. When I gave them a 4mm hook to use instead, they found it much easier to use and easier to see their stitches.

#2: 4.5mm Size Hook

The second hook size I recommend is 4.5mm. Like the 4mm size hook, a lot of the standard acrylic yarn found in the big box stores also recommend using 4.5mm size hooks. Again, for beginners, this would be a handy hook size to have.

#3, #4, and #5: 3mm, 3.5mm, and 5mm Size Hooks

I grouped these because, in my opinion, you don’t need these until you get some experience crocheting with the 4mm and 4.5mm size hooks. The 3mm, 3.5mm, and 5mm size hooks are also used quite often so would be good additions to round out your beginner hook set. The 5mm hook works well with the slightly thicker yarns and the 3mm and 3.5mm work well with the slightly thinner yarn found at your local big box store.

Congratulations! You now know the 5 crochet hook sizes that every beginner needs! But before you go to the store, please be aware that crochet hooks are like shoes…there are US sizes, Metric sizes, old UK sizes, etc. To alleviate this added confusion, scroll down to the Bonus section for an equivalency chart.

Bonus

The following chart compares the three most common crochet hook sizes. If there is an empty box, use the next closest size hook on the chart.

For example, there is no equivalent US-size hook for the 3 mm Metric Size. Therefore, us the next closest size hook which is the US Size D / 3 which is equivalent to the 3.25 mm Metric Size hook.

Conclusion

The 5 crochet hooks every beginner needs are 3 mm, 3.5 mm, 4 mm, 4.5 mm, and 5 mm. As a beginner, most of your projects can be completed with these 5 hook sizes. These are the sizes that I have used most regularly since I began crocheting a long, long time ago. In addition, these are the most common sizes of hooks recommended on the labels of all the yarn sold in the big box craft stores.

Did you find this information helpful? If yes, please read my other posts for crochet beginners.

Ready to start, but don’t want to go to the store? Check out this crochet hook set! It has all the hooks sizes that I recommended (plus a few extra), metal construction, ergonomic handles, and even comes in a handy rolling felt bag. Good and simple set for beginners!