If you are a beginning crocheter you might be confused as to why there are so many different types of crochet hooks. In your local or online yarn store you can find crochet hooks that range in size from nearly microscopic to broomstick handle size. You can also find hooks in different materials, lengths and hook shapes. It may seem as though they all perform the same task so why all the varied shapes and sizes?
To some extent, it"s a matter of preference. Some people prefer to crochet with metal hooks while others prefer acrylic or bamboo. Steel and aluminum hooks are slick and smooth allowing the yarn to glide across them as you work. Acrylic and other plastic hooks are smooth, warm and slightly flexible. Bamboo and other woods are less slick but warm, firm and can be hand carved. Some hooks combine materials and might have an aluminum head with a wood or plastic handle for comfort.
Then there is the matter of hook shape. Some crocheters prefer what is called an in-line style hook (or "Susan Bates" style) which looks as if a simple cylinder was carved into the shape of a hook. The other popular shape, commonly referred to as "Boye" style, has a more bulbous head that looks as if it were molded rather than carved. There are several other hook head shapes, some pointier or rounder, but most fall into one of these two categories. Which one is right for you is completely a personal preference so you should try out one of each to find out which is the most comfortable to you.
There are also specialty crochet hooks that you might come across. Those tiny steel hooks you might find are used for thread crochet, a technique traditionally used for making doilies and other small lacy objects. Really long hooks with a stopper on one end are used for Tunisian crochet. Sometimes you"ll find Tunisian crochet hooks with a plastic cable attached to the end for working large projects like afghans. Double ended hooks can be used for Tunisian crochet but are made for a similar technique called "Crochet on the Double" or sometimes Cro-Hook. You might also see circular crochet hooks which are basically two crochet hooks attached to each other by a plastic cable. These can also be used for Tunisian crochet or Cro-Hook or even some types of knitting.
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