I spend a lot of time holding onto my crochet hook. However, I never usually think about the anatomy of the crochet hook, let alone what it had to do with anything. It’s not the first thing people learn when they learn to crochet. That being said, it is good knowledge to have. Different parts of the crochet hook affect the size of your projects, and the ease with which you make them. Plus, you can’t forget about the adorable handles on some handmade crochet hooks. Check some of them out below!
Head
Parts of the Head
Point – The point is the very tip of the crochet hook, which is why it’s sometimes also referred to as the tip rather than the point. This is the very first part of the hook that pushes through your stitches.
Lip – The lip is the actual hook part of your crochet hook.
Pointed vs Rounded
Heads of crochet hooks can be pointed or rounded. They can be very sharp (pointed) or very dull (rounded.) The sharper hooks are best for pushing through other types of fabrics, such as when you’re adding a crochet border. Pointed hooks can be easier to get through stitches than rounded hooks. However, the sharper the point, the more likely to split yarn.
My preference is to have something in between too pointed and too round. Just give me the perfect medium hook and I’m all set. Easy enough, right?
Throat
Groove
The groove of a crochet hook is the part that catches and your yarn. Basically, it’s the actual hook part. Grooves can be either round or pointy as well. The shape of the groove also determines the shape of the lip. A more rounded groove will have a more rounded lip, and a more pointed groove will have a more pointed lip.
Tapered vs Inline Throat
Take a look at the two hooks in the photos below. You should be able to see that on one hook, the throat tapers down from the shaft to the head. The throat of these hooks is more narrow than the shaft.
On the other hook, the shaft and the head seem to be in line, hence the name: inline. With an inline crochet hook, the throat and shaft will be the same width and the head and shaft will be the same size.
It’s a slight difference, but a difference nonetheless. Just another part of the anatomy of a crochet hook.
Shaft
The shaft is the part of her hook between the throat and the grip. This can also be known as the shank.
The shaft/shank determines the size of the hook and, ultimately, the size of your project. A crochet hook that is labeled 4.0 mm means that the shaft of the hook is 4.0 mm.
Long vs Short Shaft
Hooks can have short or long shafts. Longer shafts are best for larger and longer stitches, such as treble crochets and bobble stitches. The length of the shaft is different with different crochet hook brands.
Grip/Thumb Rest
Not all crochet hooks have this part, but most do and they’re all very different depending on the brand and type of hook you purchase. Most aluminum hooks have a flat spot after the shank and before the handle where you rest your thumb. Plastic and wooden hooks may go straight from the shank to the handle with no grip.
The grip/thumb rest on ergonomic crochet hooks forms right into the handle itself. My favorite hooks are my ergonomic hooks that have a rubber thumb grip and handle.
Handle
At the very opposite end of the crochet hook from the head is the handle. This is the part you hold. The handle will either rest on your palm or against your index finger depending your typical hold. With a knife hold, the hook rests in your palm. With a pencil hold, the hook is held in your index finger.
Because the handle part of a crochet hook is what you hold onto, this determines if the hook is ergonomic. This is also the part where hook designers get creative with their handle designs. Check out some of the creative works below from Arrowood Hooks and Happy Hooker Shop!
Since I’ve linked their Instagram accounts above, here are their Etsy shop links:
Photo by: Arrowood Hooks
Photo by: Arrowood Hooks
Knowing the anatomy of a crochet hook can be very beneficial, and I’m glad that I could be the one to provide it to you! Go out and share your new knowledge with everyone else. Thank you for reading, and be sure to come hang out with us in The Crafty Cabin on Facebook. We love to talk all things crafting and share our projects!
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