Conversion Guidelines for Crochet Hooks

If you are a crochet enthusiast, then you have undoubtedly discovered how many crochet hooks are available for you to use. Whether you are creating large airy shawls and prefer a nice sized hook that allows for open work, or if you are creating a close-stitched garment and would prefer that there were no spaces between rows, you will need to choose your crochet hooks carefully and wisely.

It may seem simple at first, simply purchase a pattern, and choose the crochet hook and yarn recommended by the publisher. Well, this will satisfy your beginning endeavors, but once you see that perfect shawl that was crocheted in the late 1800's or wish to convert a pattern from knit to crochet, you will need a little more than a recommendation to ensure that your pattern produces the desired results.

Also, crochet hooks vary by manufacturer, material used in the construction of the hooks, as well as by the country where the hook was designed. Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States have varying measurements for each crochet hook, and bamboo or wood hooks are different from steel or aluminum.

If you have found a pattern and would like to convert the crochet hook size from meters to standard US, UK, or Canadian sizes the following chart will serve as a guide. This chart is used for converting Aluminum Crochet Hooks.

Metric
(mm) US UK/Canada

2.0 - 14

2.25 B/1 13

2.5 - 12

2.75 C/2 -

3.0 - 11

3.25 D/3 10

3.5 E/4 9

3.75 F/5 -

4.0 G/6 8

4.5 - 7

5.0 H/8 6

5.5 I/9 5

6.0 J/10 4

6.5 K/10.5 3

7.0 - 2

8.0 L/11 0

9.0 M/13 00

10.0 N/15 000

16.0 P/16 -

16.0 Q -

19 S -

Here is a chart for converting Steel Crochet Hooks

Metric (mm) US UK/Canada

0.75 14

0.85 13 7

1 12 6 1/2

1.1 11 6

1.3 10 5 1/2

1.4 9 5

1.5 8 4 1/2

1.65 7 4

1.8 6 3 1/2

1.9 5 3

2 4 2 1/2

2.1 3 2

2.25 2 1 1/2

2.75 1 1

3.25 0 0

3.5 00

By using these charts, you can easily determine which crochet hook you should use for your next pattern. When choosing crochet hooks for projects, it is also important to realize that the type of yarn you are using will determine what hook will best create the stitch that you are planning to make. If you are using a heavy or thick yarn, then you will need a larger crochet hook. Smaller crochet hooks are necessary when using thin or very lightweight yarn. However, it is very important that you check your gauge before deciding on a crochet hook. The amount of tension that you use to crochet with is the ultimate determining factor for choosing the correct crochet hook size. A pattern may call for a G hook but if your gauge states that you should use an F hook, then you should use the hook that best matches your gauge.