Knitting Machine For Beginners (Your One-Stop Guide) - Sintelli

Looking into buying your knitting machine this but clueless on what to buy, how to use it and how to optimize your knitting resources? This guide is going to present different knitting machine choices and at the same time, equip you with the basics on knitting machines.

With competitive price and timely delivery, texcraf sincerely hope to be your supplier and partner.

Hand knitting vs. Machine Knitting: What hand knitters ought to know before buying a knitting machine

Talk about speed knitting and surely, knitting in machine would come to mind. If you are a hand knitter wanting to make more knitted creations in a matter of less time, I’m sure you thought of buying a knitting machine.

This is also the case with hand knitters wanting to take their knitting hobby into the next level by knitting for charities. Or perhaps it’s because you’ve developed a buying market for your hand knits and wanted to knit for profit.

Any knitter can do best with a knitting machine IF they have thoroughly looked into every aspect of it because for sure, even if you have lots of years of experience with hand knitting, you wouldn’t be an instant expert in producing knits in a knitting machine.

But with a little know-how on some frequently used domestic knitting machines and the manner they function, coupled with your creativity to tweak some of your knitting designs, you can definitely bring out the best in knitting machines in creating your chosen knitting projects.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Hand Knitting and Machine Knitting (Weighing pros and cons between knitting by hand and by machine)

1. As mentioned earlier, speed and efficiency is the number one advantage of knitting machines over hand knitting. Knitting machines have automatic features that can create your patterns in minutes while maintaining consistency of the design.
2. Flexibility in changing design patterns in the middle of a knitting session can be easily done with hand knitting than in machines.
3. Intricate designs can be done both on a knitting machine and with hand knitting. However, if you are not actually good in hand knitting, you can still knit colorful garments with intricate pattern with machine knitting.
4. For large projects, knitting in machines is a wonderful way to finish it in a much quicker time.
5. You can be more creative with hand knitting. Hand knitting is also a calming way to release stress and tension in your mind. Depending on the machine used, some knitting machine produces loud noises while stitching.

Different Yarns for Different Knitting Machines

In hand knitting, the size of the knitting needle or the hook size for crocheting varies for different yarn sizes. For knitting in machines, 4 gauges are basically used. This covers lace weight to bulky weight yarns. There are different types of knitting machines according to its gauges.

• Lace weight yarn: This is the lightest weight yarn that can be used for lightweight items such as thin garments, doilies, and shawls. This is not recommended for beginner knitters.
• Super fine, fine, light yarn: This yarn is a fingering weight or sport weight yarn for knitting smaller items, such as baby hats, socks, mittens, and smaller garments.
• Medium yarn: also called the worsted weight yarn or “aran weight.
• Bulky and super bulky: Thicker needles are used to knit this yarn. It is suitable for knitting bulky blankets, comforters, curtains and sweaters.

If you know these yarn sizes by heart, you can easily input this knowledge in choosing the right yarn for your knitting machine.

Sport, fingering, bulky and worsted weight yarns can be used in knitting machines depending on which type of knitted material you would want to produce. Never use a large yarn on a fine gauge knitting machine as it can definitely be wasted when your knitting carriage jams the yarn.

So, be wary to know which range of yarns you can use in your knitting machine to avoid damaging it.

Selection of Suitable Knitting Machine Gauge

Gauge is used both in hand knitting and machine knitting to indicate fineness size. It can be measured in two ways. In hand knitting, the gauge is measured by counting the stitches. In knitting machines, it’s by counting the number of needles over several inches then dividing by the number of inches in the width of the sample.

Fine Gauge Machines

• Produce an extremely fine yarn and lightweight knitted texture.
• Needles are set at 3.6 mm distance on the knitting bed.
• Suitable for sport-weight knitted garments.
• Knits the thinnest yarns that a person uses in knitting lace weight to fingering weight items.
• In a cylinder knitting machine, it holds 200 very thin knitting needles (1/50th of an inch thick).
• Ideal for business wear, casual wear and for everyday use.

Standard gauge machines

• The needles are set 4.5mm apart.
• It’s a standard gauge machine that knits commercial-grade fibers.
• Knitters use a coned yarn in this type of machine to knit socks, gloves, baby weight yarns.

Mid-gauge machines

• Its needles are 6.5mm apart from each other.
• One of the most recommended knitting machines for hand knitters.
• A knitting machine built for flexibly knitting all types of yarns – from sport weight to a light worsted yarn.

Bulky or chunky machines

• Used for knitting the thickest and heaviest yarns.
• Needles are 9mm apart from each other.

Express Machines

• Highly recommended for beginners.
• It is smaller than the ones being used in fabricating a large volume of knitted garments, making it a portable type of machine.

Flat Bed Knitting Machines vs. Circular Knitting Machines

Domestic knitting machines that any beginner can learn easily are Flat Bed Knitting machines and Circular Knitting machines.

The difference between flat knitting and circular knitting is that in flat knitting, the stitch is always knitted from the same side. This can somehow complicate things with using a Flat Bed as compared with a Circular knitting machine since the same stitch (as seen from the right side) is produced by two different movements when knitted from the right and wrong sides.

Thus, a knit stitch (as seen from the right side) may be produced by a knit stitch on the right side, or by a purl stitch on the wrong side. For this reason, the gauge of the machine needs to vary in alternating rows of stockinette fabrics. You can use needles with different sizes to correct this.

Circular knit fabric has a gauge of 12 to 22. The higher the gauge is, the thinner the fabric. On the other hand, flat knit is made with a machine that knits the fabric in sheets (or flat) and the gauge is 2 to 10.

What is a Flat Bed Knitting Machine?

Flat Bed Knitting Machine makes flat pieces. It is one of the most common knitting machines for boutique producers and hobbyists. hobbyists and boutique producers. Items produced with the Flat Bed knitting machine have side seams.

One thing about flat bed is it cannot possibly knit a round item like the circular knitting machine does. Also, you cannot be able to work purl stitches or garter stitch automatically.

Flat Bed Knitting Machines Recommended for Beginners

Silver Reed LK-100/LK150

This plastic bed machine is usually cheaper as compared to metal bed varieties or bulky machines. It also helps that there are not many adjustments you need to do before using this. The plastic build does make it feel less intimidating for beginners, as compared to metal beds.

The Silver Reed Knitting Machine is manufactured from Japan and have been branded under Studio, Empisal, Singer, and KnitMaster.

Newer versions of the Silver Reed Knitting Machines can be easily used even with difficult yarns. If wires may be used in your work, the Silver Reed Knitting Machines can also be able to work with it. The patterns for this machine can be easily found.

Since they are not as adjustable as other machines, they are not manipulated easily as compared to other knitting machines. With this, having custom work and placing different and custom patterns is workable, but it needs a bit of practice.

SK 280 Automatic Punchcard Knitting Machine

This SK280 is a reliable knitting machine that will help you create beautiful stitch pattern for your garments. With a 24-stitch punch card pattern center, you can knit various stitch patterns such as weaving, tuck, fair and slip, to name a few.

Recommended for sport weight yarns, the Standard Gauge Punch card machine features a 200 Needle, 4.5mm Needle Gauge. This single bed knitting machine has a metal bed made from stainless steel, and has a 24-stitch repeating pattern area.

Brother KX350

Another highly recommended flat bed knitting machine for beginners is Brother KX350. It has a slightly smaller stitch width than LK-100, but much more versatile, according to its users. It provides a smooth operation and gives beginner the ease to use. Brother KX350 features a cast- on comb, and has a wider gauge, as compared to the standard. This makes this knitting machine a choice for easy knitting. Even with these different features, the knitting quality is recommendable as it creates tight stitches.

What’s a Circular Knitting Machine?

In circular knitting, the machine knits the garment in a tubular way. The weight is usually light and the fabric is thin. Circular knit is made with a machine that knits the fabric in a continuous circle (tube); the weight is “light.” The fabric is thin. There are many things you can knit with a circular knitting machine as a beginner.

Circular Knitting Machines Recommended for Beginners

#1 Addi Express

Addi Express is one of the most popular domestic circular knitting machines ever invented. It makes cylindrical garments such as socks, gloves, mittens and many more. It is so easy to use that any beginner, with practice, can learn to knit with it. When you do, you can knit wonderful creations in a matter of minutes up to a few hours.

There are two types of Addi Express: Addi Express Professional and Addi Express King.

Addi Express Professional

Addi express professional is a smaller circular knitting Addi Express that contains 22 needles for knitting circular knitted products.You can be able to knit small diameter pieces in minutes. You can also make wider items when you stitch patterns together. All Addi knitting needles are manufactured to exact metric sizes.

Features

• Needle diameter is 10-15cm (4”-6”). Knitted items can be around 15 to 20 cm (6″ to 8″) wide.
• Recommended yarn thickness is between 3.5 – 8 mm.

What’s in the box

Inside the package, you will find the express knitting machine, stoppers and a pattern book.

What can you make with an Addi Express Pro?

Examples of what you can make with the Addi express pro are:

• Socks
• preemie hats
• narrow scarves
• Mitts
• fingerless gloves
• Cozies
• pieced together afghans
• piece together baby sweater.

Addi Express King

Addi Express King is larger than the Addi Pro having 46 needles. It can obviously knit larger items. The addi-Express “Kingsize” model is mounted onto the table and remains securely in position. Yarns used can be 3-8 cm.

Features

• Circular knitting-35 centimeters.
• Flat Knitting-45 centimeters.

What’s in the Box?

Addi not only offers the Express machine in original and King-size, but also available are the stoppers and pattern books. Includes: 46 needles, needle holder, decrease needle, 5 replacement needles, 4 base feet, 2 screw hooks for stable table mounting, digital row counter with memory function.

How Addi Express Machine Works

How it works is very simple. Just crank the handle attached to the circular knitting machine and you’d be able to knit stitches with it. Of course to be able to handle it with ease, you need to learn more on how to use it. There are tons of information on the internet on how to use an Addi Express and many tutorials on making socks, scarves, hats, mitts with an Addi.

Where Can You Buy an Addi Express Machine?

You can buy Addi Express machines ANYWHERE. Here is just a little bit of suggestions of places that I know have a good reputation and great service.

Mary Maxim

Paradis Fibers

Woolery

Amazon

#2 The Prym Knitting Machine

The Prym Knitting Machine is a semi-automatic knitting mill excellent for creating knitted tubes with a stitch count of 44 stitches for circular knitting. Even stitches are produced when precise thread guidance and tensioning device are secured for ideal wool thread tension.

This Prym Knitting Machine can use a variety of hand knitting yarns. It is also very easy to change colors as you knit. By just adjusting the thread tension you can easily vary the thickness of the wool.

Be wary not to use a very thin yarn except when using the Mini version, as the knitting may look like it has a lot of dents.

Also, start slowly with a long piece of yarn to pull on as explained below, otherwise the machine drops stitches. If you are a beginner, you may think the machine is faulty and want to throw it away. Be patient, work slowly at the beginning and pull down on the wool until you are able to add weight to your work.

Different types of Prym Knitting Mill are the Prym Knitting Maxi, Prym Knitting MIDI and Prym Knitting Mini.

Prym Knitting Mill Maxi

By its name, Maxi is the largest knitting mill in the prym line. You can knit scarves, pillowcases and caps with ease. This knitting machine includes the Knitting mill, crank, mode switch, yarn guide, tension piece, handle, plastic needle, legs & instructions. It works well with most yarns and is also capable for hand knitting.

• Foam-backed nylon covering allows easy pinning and marking.
• Can also do the purl stitch.
• Replacement needles are also available in its package.

Features of the Prym Knitting Machine

• Dimensions: 16 x 8 x 6 cm.
• Similar to a knitting dolly but includes a handle so you can make tubes in no time.

Prym Knitting Mill MIDI

• The number of stitches: 20 when knitting in a round, 16 when flat.
• 0,22 lb of wool with a run length of 459 yards are knitted in as little as 15 minutes.

• Knits panel with a width of 4,7″, knits tubes with a dia. 2,35″. Dimension: H8,3″ x W8,3″ x D10,2″

When you start knitting on your Prym Knitting Mill (Any) drop a long string of yarn down the middle of the mill as you start so you can grab it from the bottom and place tension on it as it moves through the mill.

This knitting mill works well with all yarns suitable for hand knitting except very fine yarns,(pin sizes 2-6). Please note that the different types of yarn may need different tension, feed thin yarns through all the slots of the tension piece to produce a loose knit. Chunky and irregular yarns work well if fed through only some of the slots of the tension piece for a tight knit.

Prym Knitting Mill MINI

This Prym Knitting Machine is a really small version of the above and can only do 4 stitches at a time. It is perfect for making cords for decorative purposes or even to make into a circular mat.

It is a lot quicker than doing the job manually and you can quickly whip up cords for whatever project you desire.

How it works

Even absolute beginners can knit with the Prym circular knitting machine. You just need to follow the instruction manual on how to put it together. Basically, you will need to put the handle on and begin casting.

Watch as your creation come out of the base of the mill. The Prym knitting machine works in the air and the knitting comes out the bottom. It does not need to be fastened to a flat surface like some of the other machines of this nature.

Where Can You Buy an Prym Knitting Mill?

You can buy Prym at the Amazon Arts, crafts and sewing store. It is also available at ebay, empress mill, and hague direct.

#3 The Singer Knitting Machine

The Singer Knitting Machine is the most suitable machine for absolute beginners such as kids doing crafts. This circular knitting machine comes in a wide range of sizes, shapes and varieties. It is designed for almost any type or weight knitting yarn.

The Singer is not as popular and in-demand as the other circular machines such as the Addi, but it does have certain features that make it extremely valuable for serious knitters.

Singer Knitting Machines and attachments are readily available for nearly any yarn weight and style so even working with those difficult yarns like the ribbon yarns, the lace yarns and even the chunky yarns that sometimes create problems on knitting machines can be easily worked with. With this machine, you can knit scarves hats shoulder bags socks forearm warmers and more.

Features

• Machine measures 8-inch by 10-inch by 4-inch
• Create a flat or round stitch in seconds.

How it Works

This machine creates a flat or round stitch in seconds with a simple turn of the handle.

What’s in the box?

The package includes the knitting machine, 2 skeins of Fun Fur yarn-purple and pink yarn needle and Do-It-Yourself Project Booklet.

How Much Time Will You Put into Knitting?

People are just so busy right now that most of the hobbies we do are done during very little spare time. If you do knitting just once a week or very infrequent, I recommend starting with the affordable knitting models like the Singer. Once you develop a deeper sense of attachment and passion to knitting that you decide to knit further, you might want to invest into top-of-the-line knitting machines. Most knitters collect these knitting machines and try them out each.

What Creations are you planning to make?

If your quest is to donate to charity or make knitting as a profitable hobby, I’d recommend the Addi Express. It’s a lot more expensive but has a strong reputation among avid knitters. Flatbeds suggested above can also be used. If you want, you can also look into metal knitting machines.

How Much Money Do You Want to Invest?

By now you know how knitting can be a very expensive investment or an affordable pastime. Flat Beds are much more expensive than Circular knitting machines but some knitters prefer them depending on the type of garments they want to produce. On the part of circular machines, Addi is the most expensive, but is the most sought after because of quality and durability. If you want an affordable alternative you can try out the Prym or Singer model.

Wrapping Up

When you are sourcing for the best knitting machine out there, it really boils down to what you want to achieve and how much your budget is. A lot of knitters prefer trying out different domestic knitting machines and writing their reviews on each. Plastic hobby knitting machines have grown famous for beginners as it’s very easy to use.

If you are looking for your first machine to try, the flat bed and circular knitting machines I’ve suggested above are great to choose from as they are specifically top recommendation for beginners.

The company is the world’s best silver plated yarns supplier. We are your one-stop shop for all needs. Our staff are highly-specialized and will help you find the product you need.

However, if you’re looking for something like the industrial metal knitting machines, you can always find used knitting machines in eBay. If you want to buy new ones at a cheap price, Sintelli offers circular knitting machines.

Keep in mind that these machines are for making huge amounts of garments in a day and are used for bulk garment orders. They are very heavy and takes a lot of space. But it’s a great investment if you want to make your own textile industry.

Two years ago I started my search for the best crochet hook for me.  Up until that point I had been using cheap aluminium hooks and I felt that my crochet had progressed sufficiently for me to invest in better hooks.  However, there were so many crochet hooks to choose from, and I baulked at the thought of paying for a set of hooks without knowing first-hand what they were like to work with.  A fairy-godmother (who has since become a very dear friend) sent me a few hooks to ‘test’.  I would like to share my findings with you so that I can help you choose the best crochet hook for you!

We will start by looking at the anatomy of a crochet hook, followed by some of the hooks I tried and what I thought about them.  This is quite a long post, so I have created an index that will allow you to jump to whichever part you are most interested in.

Before We Start…

Before we start I would like to point out a few things.  The 5 brands I focus on below are all tapered.  I don’t use inline hooks.  Even though inline hooks make for more uniform stitches, I find that my gauge is much too relaxed when I use them (I would love to hear your opinion on this).  If you want to find out more about inline hooks, have a look at THIS POST by Planet June.

I steered clear of crochet hooks with wooden or plastic shafts and heads, purely because I find aluminium hooks to work best across a variety of different yarns.  Wooden or plastic hooks do, however, work better for some specific yarn types (you can read more about that HERE).  If you want to find out about Boye hooks and Susan Bates hooks, you might enjoy THIS POST by Nerdigurumi.

I crochet using the knife grip, so my crochet hook is nestled in my palm.  My main concern, when deciding which hooks to get, was that I have very long hands.  I didn’t want to end up with a hook that kept poking my palm as I worked!

Index

• Anatomy of a Crochet Hook
  1. Handle
  2. Thumb Rest
  3. Shaft
  4. Throat
  5. Head
• Comparing the Different Hooks
• Looking at Each Hook Individually
  1. Etimo
  2. Clover
  3. Addi
  4. Prym
  5. Corner Stone Crochet Lite
• More Crochet Hooks
  1. Knit Pro Symfonie
  2. Hamanaka Raku Raku
  3. Furls Candy Shop
  4. Ilona Heritage Hook

Anatomy of a Crochet Hook

Before we look at the different crochet hooks, I want to talk about the anatomy of a crochet hook.  Each hook consists of a body and a head.  The body is divided into a handle, thumb rest (optional), shaft, and throat.  The head has a point (sometimes called a tip), a groove, and a lip.

1. Handle

The handle of a crochet hook is the bit that will rest in your palm if you have a knife-grip, or against your index finger if you have a pencil-grip.  The handle can be a continuation of the shaft, or it can be made from a completely different material.  It might or might not include a thumb rest, and it can either be the same size as the shaft (see the aluminium hook above and the Addi Premium hook below), or it can be ergonomically shaped (like the Furls below).

The problem with an ergonomically shaped handle is that it might not suit every grip or hand.  If you are thinking of buying an ergonomic hook, I suggest that you try before you buy.  You can read more about ergonomic crochet hooks HERE.

2. Thumb Rest

The thumb rest is the part of the hook where you will rest your thumb while crocheting.  If you have a hook with an ergonomic handle, the thumb rest will form part of the handle (if there IS a thumb rest).  Not all crochet hooks have a thumb rest.  I prefer hooks that DO have a thumb rest, like Clover and Tulip Etimo.

3. Shaft

The shaft is the part of the hook between the head and the handle/grip.  Some hooks have a generous shaft, making it easy to create stitches that require a lot of ‘loading’ like Bobbles, Clusters, or the Bullion Stitch.  Other hooks (like the Addi Swing) have a very short shaft, making longer stitches (like a triple treble) or cluster stitches more uncomfortable.

If you are choosing a hook with an ergonomic handle, it is also worth considering whether the shaft continues all the way to the end of the handle/grip, or whether it is only ‘stuck’ into the top of the handle.  Addi Swing and Addi Comfort Grip hooks are an example of shafts being ‘stuck’ into the handle.  It is worth noting that things can go awry with both methods.  Your shaft can either detach from your hook, or it can poke through the handle (if you have a silicone handle).  Neither of these are common occurrences, though.

4. Throat

There are two types of hooks:  Inline and Tapered.  With Inline hooks, the head is the same size as the shaft.  It almost looks like someone has made a chip or cut where the throat/groove should be, without touching the rest of the hook.  The throat on these hooks will be the same width as the shaft (when you are looking at the hook from the front) and it will narrow significantly from front to back (when you are hooking at the hook from the side).

With tapered hooks, the head protrudes slightly beyond the shaft, and the throat is more tapered.  The throat will therefore be thinner than the shaft both from the front and from the side.  As I have already mentioned, I prefer tapered hooks, but there are many people who ONLY use inline hooks.

5. Head

When you are looking at the head, there are 3 things to consider:  Point, Groove, and Lip.

The point is the very tip of the hook.  It can range from very rounded (blunt) to very sharp (pointy).  The easiest hook to work with is one that is semi-blunt.  If your point is too blunt, it makes it hard to get into your stitches.  If it is too sharp, it will have a tendency to split your yarn when you insert your hook.  Sharp points are, however, perfect for things like working through fleece to add a border.

The groove will be either straight or rounded.  I prefer rounded, because I think it ‘holds’ the yarn better.  Hooks with rounded grooves also tend to have less ‘pointy’ lips, which helps to minimise splitting.

The lip is the actual ‘hook’ part of the crochet hook.  I find that a rounded lip is almost always better than a pointy lip, because a pointy lip has a tendency to snag on the stitches as you are pulling through.

If you have an inline hook, the head will be round (same size as the shaft) – see Symfonie above.  The lip will point straight down and the groove will be deep and steep.  With tapered hooks, the head will be oval, with the lip overhanging the shaft.  The groove on these hooks won’t be as deep as with inline hooks.

Comparing the Different Hooks

When I tested the following hooks, I used each hook with cotton, acrylic, and wool.  I also made a mix of simple stitches (specifically hdc’s, because they are most likely to have ‘splitting issues’) and stitches that required ‘loading’ (see Shaft above).  I actually used them to make parts of my prototype Sophie too, so they got a very good workout.

As I have already mentioned, the length of the hooks was a big concern for me.  In the end I settled on Clover Amour hooks.  Even though they were some of the shortest hooks, they were hands-down the most comfortable to use (at least for me and Jenny).

Brand/Make

Length

Handle Length Shaft and Head Length Total Length TULIP Etimo Rose 9.9 cm 4.1 cm 14 cm TULIP Etimo Gold 9.9 cm 4.1 cm 14 cm Clover Amour 10 cm 4 cm 14 cm Clover Soft Touch 9.5 cm 3.7 cm 13.2 cm Addi Swing 13.2 cm 2.8 cm 16.0 cm Addi Comfort Grip 11.7 cm 4.3 cm 16.0 cm Prym 9.5 cm 4.3 cm 13.8 cm Corner Stone Crochet Lite 11.6 cm 4.0 cm 15.6 cm

Although this is probably not a huge factor, the colour of the handles is also important to me.  Having now used the Clover Amour hooks for almost 2 years, I know by sight which hook is which size without having to even look at the numbering on the hook.  True that the pretty pinks of the Etimo Rose hooks are irresistible,  but one pink looks very much like the next, and when I am picturing my WIP’s in my mind-eye, I like the fact that I can ‘see’ which colour hook I used and know that purple is a 4 mm and green is a 5.5 mm (Clover Amour).

Some handles also feel and look less luxurious than others.  Of all the handles, the Addi handles are my least favourite because of their generic plastic look.  For me, crochet is not just about making a blanket or a stuffed toy!  It is about the feel of the yarn as it slips through your fingers.  It is about the colour and the texture and the ambient sounds as you work.  It is about pretty!!  So when I hold my crochet hook and look at it, it should make me happy, not make me cringe.

Brand/Make

Colour

Handles Shaft TULIP Etimo Rose Shades of Pink Silver TULIP Etimo Gold Grey Gold Clover Amour Multicoloured Matt Silver Clover Soft Touch Matt Gold Matt Gold Addi Swing Multicoloured Silver Addi Comfort Grip Multicoloured Silver Prym Black Silver Corner Stone Crochet Lite Multicoloured Transparent Plastic

Below you will find a ‘Miscellaneous’ table.  Most of these things are minor, but the numbers/markings are worth noting.

Brand/Make

Miscellaneous

Point Groove Thumb Rest Handle/Grip Numbers/Markings TULIP Etimo Rose Slightly Pointed Straight Yes Shaped Clear Sticker TULIP Etimo Gold Slightly Pointed Straight Yes Shaped Clear Sticker Clover Amour Slightly Pointed Rounded Yes Shaped Engraved Clover Soft Touch Slightly Pointed Straight Yes Flat Printed Addi Swing Standard Rounded Yes Curved (toothbrush) Coloured Inlay Addi Comfort Grip Standard Rounded No Cylindrical Textured Prym Blunt Rounded No Tapered Cylinder Printed in White Corner Stone Crochet Lite Standard Straight Yes Shaped Hard Plastic Printed

The Prym and Tulip hooks, for example, sport their numbers as either stick-on (Tulip) or printed (Prym).  Both of these can be worn away with time, leaving you to guess the size of the hook you are using.  Yes, I know that you can use a knitting gauge to check your hook size, but a knitting gauge is round, which is great if you are using an inline hook that has a round head, but useless if you are using a tapered hook with an oval head.  I don’t want to sound like a broken record, but you don’t have this problem with multi-coloured handles…

Looking at Each Hook Individually

1. Tulip Etimo

There are many things I love about Tulip hooks.  I love the way they look, I love their uniform colour, I love their cases…but I didn’t love hooking with them as much as I did with the Clover hooks.  Even so, I am such a sucker for pink and/or grey that I will be purchasing  a set in the near future.

The hooks for both the Etimo Gold and the Etimo Rose are the same (except for colour).  The hook is slightly pointed (like Clover Amour) and the groove is straight (like Clover Soft Touch).  The shafts are shiny, and cause a little bit of ‘squeak’.  The handles are comfortable in both knife grip and pencil grip, but not as comfortable as Clover Amour.

2. Clover

Clover hooks are my favourite!  Of the two, I prefer the Clover Amour hooks.

Clover Amour

These hooks are my favourite for so many reasons.  The handles are extremely comfortable, both in knife grip and pencil grip.  They do have a tendency to get grubby, but are easily cleaned with soap and water.  The thumb rest is the perfect size.  The head is slightly pointed (as with the Tulip and Clover Soft Touch hooks), so no splitting there.  The lip is slightly rounded, so no splitting as you pull through.  The groove is slightly rounded (see Head above), so my stitches don’t accidentally slip off my hook as they do when I am using the Clover Soft Touch hooks.

The shaft has a matte coating that I really like.  It makes for the perfect balance between ease-of-use and friction.  I like the fact that the numbers are engraved, so there is no danger of them ‘rubbing off’, and I LOVE the fact that each size has a different coloured handle.

One possible con is that the aluminium hook does not extend all the way to the base of the silicone handle, making the very end of the handle a bit flexible.  There is anecdotal evidence that this might cause the silicone to tear where the metal stops (especially if you put a lot of pressure on that bendy end), but after almost 2 years of vigorous use, my hooks are still pristine.

The large Clover Amour hooks have a hard plastic head and shaft, and neon silicone handles.  They have a straight groove, which is slightly deeper than that of the Clover Soft Touch hooks.  They do not squeak as you work and the plastic has just the right amount of glide vs. friction.  They are extremely comfortable to work with, keeping in mind that the projects you use them for will most likely require more elbow grease due to the thickness of the yarn.

Clover Soft Touch

Although I like working with the Clover Soft Touch hooks (and use them as my fall-back hooks), I do not like the colour at all!!  They are marginally shorter than the Amour hooks, but very comfortable when used with the knife grip (despite the ‘flatness’ of the handle).  I do, however, find them uncomfortable to use in pencil grip.

The numbers are printed on the hooks, which isn’t ideal when all the handles are the same colour.  The lip is more pointed than the Clover Amour hooks, causing me to split my yarn more easily.  The groove is also straight (see Head above), which means that I find myself accidentally removing my hook from the working loop.  I do, however, think that they glide better than the Clover Amour hooks (but this might just be in my head).

3. Addi

The heads of both the Addi Swing and the Addi Comfort Grip are the same.  They have a shiny finish, a rounded lip, and a rounded groove.  The points are a little bit more blunt than the Clover hooks.  The Addi hooks have a tendency to squeak a little bit when used with acrylic yarn, but they glide really well.

Addi Swing

Although the shape of the Addi Swing is quite flowing, I don’t like the generic plastic look of them.  The hooks are longer than the others, but they are not as comfortable as the Clover or Tulip hooks.  I especially found them uncomfortable in the pencil grip.  I like the fact that the handles are multi-coloured.

Although the hooks are longer than the other hooks I tested, the shaft is actually the shortest, making it uncomfortable to use for stitches that require ‘loading’ (see Shaft above).  The shaft is also stuck into the top of the plastic handle and I have managed to loosen the shaft on one of my Addi Swing hooks.

Many people find these hooks really comfortable though, so if you are unsure, I suggest buying one in your favourite size and giving it a go.  You just might LOVE it.

Addi Comfort Grip

I found the Addi Comfort Grip hooks to be the least appealing to look at.  Having said that, they were comfortable enough to work with and they also have multi-coloured handles.  They don’t have thumb rests, so I had to adjust my grip marginally to get the head pointing in the right direction.

The head is the same as for the Addi Swing, but the shaft is 1.5 cm longer, making it easier to crochet stitches that require loading (see Shaft above).

4. Prym

Prym hooks are very comfortable to work with, despite the fact that they do not have defined thumb rests.  They are slightly shorter than the Clover and Tulip hooks, and the handle is a tapered cylinder.  The point is blunt and wide, and the lip is blunt as well.  If you crochet tightly, you might have trouble getting your hook into your stitches.

Prym hooks have a rounded groove and a matte finish, both of which I really like.  The numbers are printed, however, and have a bad habit of fading…

5. Corner Stone Crochet Lite

I was pleasantly surprised by my reaction to these hooks.  I hadn’t expected to like them (at all!!!), but they were very comfortable to work with, especially taking into account the fact that the heads and shafts are plastic and they have a shallow, straight groove.

The numbers are printed on the hook, but the hooks do also have multi-coloured handles.

They feel slightly cheap and the light is more of a gimmick than anything else, but I found myself oddly intrigued by how easy they were to use, and definitely want to buy some soon.

More Crochet Hooks

Note:  I will be adding more hooks to this section as I get the opportunity to use them.

1. Knit Pro Symfonie

I wasn’t going to include this hook initially.  It is an inline hook for one, and it is made from wood!  But I absolutely LOVED (!!!!) working with it and I will be buying myself a set of these for my birthday in June!

The head is rounded, the lip is pointy, and the groove is rounded and deep.  The hooks feels wonderful to hold, despite not having a handle, and is beautiful to look at.  It glides really well too.  The only issue I had was that my tension was miles off (due to the fact that it is inline and I couldn’t crochet as tightly as I like to).

2. Hamanaka Raku Raku

I have a set of these that live in my ‘work bag’.  They are my go-to emergency hooks (for when I haven’t packed the right size).  They live in a handy plastic box and take up very little space.  I thought that they would be super uncomfortable, but they are actually really comfortable (in knife grip AND pencil grip).  The heads and shafts are a shiny gold colour.  The point and lip are both slightly pointed, and the groove is shallow.  The handles are triangular and quite hard.

My only problem with these hooks…well…my only 2 problems:

a)  the hooks aren’t metric!  You can buy a sticker that tells you which number equals which metric size, but I keep forgetting to print it out.

b)  it is super easy to accidentally start hooking with the wrong end of the double-sided hook.  Whoops!

3. Furls Candy Shop

I have only bought one Furls Candy Shop hook.  It cost more than both my sets of Clover Amour hooks combined and I cannot say that I think it was worth that much money!  The hook, shaft, and head are made from Poly Resin in one continuous piece and painted with several layers of shiny yumminess.  The head is blunt, the lip is pointed, and the groove is straight.  It is an inline hook and my 4 mm hook works up to the same gauge as my 4.5 mm Clover Amour, making it impossible for me to use when gauge is important.

The hook has a tendency to squeak and the varnish has started coming off on the very edges where the throat meets the head.  Although the handle is extremely comfortable (both in knife grip and pencil grip), it does take some getting used to.  It is awfully pretty though!!!

Buy Furls Hooks: You can buy Furls hooks on Habbedash. In-depth Review: You can find a more in-depth review (as well as links to buying Furls hooks) HERE by Repeat Crafter Me.

4. Ilona Heritage Hook *Discontinued*

The Ilona Heritage Hook is a hand-crafted Rosewood hook from Yarn in a Barn.  It feels absolutely amazing to hold!  I often use mine as a stress-reliever, spinning the silky-smooth hook in my hand compulsively. The hook is roughly a centimetre longer than the Candy Shop hooks and I find it more comfortable to hold.  It is an inline hook with a rounded groove.  The point is very slightly rounded and the lip is wide and blunt.  I didn’t have any problems with my yarn splitting or squeaking.  As with the Candy Shop hook, my gauge was more relaxed, but only marginally.

I have a 5.5 mm Ilona and it is my favourite hook to use when I am crocheting to relax (as opposed to crocheting with furious purpose).

I hope you have found this post useful and that I was able to help you choose the best crochet hook for you.  I would love to hear what you think about these hooks and which hooks you prefer, so please leave a comment!

I have made a little list of some of my favourite crochet hook reviews, so if you haven’t found what you were looking for in this post, you might find it in one of these posts.

Are you interested in learning more about silver coated fabric? Contact us today to secure an expert consultation!

More Crochet Hook Reviews

• Clover Amour vs Soft Touch by Crafts from the Cwtch
• My Search for the Perfect Crochet Hook by Spincushions (with link to comprehensive comparison study)
• Ultimate Crochet Hook Review by Fresh Stitches
• Guide to Crochet Hooks by Nerdigurumi