This week I continued to learn about how different yarn weights and hook sizes influence the size of the final product.
I started on a new project which required a crocheted basket. I have this jute twine that I thought would look great. Well it did look great. But not only is it thicker it is also stiff, so my basket was way too big. My big frog could fit in this basket LOL. I used the hook recommended in the pattern which is a 5mm hook.
I decided to use medium weight yarn, also referred to as worsted, with the same sized hook. Well, the basket was smaller, but still not as small as I wanted it. My next step was to use the medium weight yarn with a smaller hook (3mm). I ended up with a smaller basket that is a much more appropriate size.
So that brings me to the topic of hook sizes. There is metric, USA and English hook sizes. I wanted to check if the Dollarama hooks were correctly labelled (shown below) as well as find a solid conversion chart that I could rely on moving forward. Here I have inserted 3 sources for hook sizes and conversions. A hook sizes chart from Dabblesandbabbles, the Craft Yarn Council (CYC), and my hook package from Dollarama.
Hooks from Dollarama
I noticed that the 5 mm hook was called an 8 on the Dollarama package and the CYC, while it is a 6 on the Dabble and Babble chart. Some conversions kind of matched but not really, I’m guessing the standards aren’t regulated. I’ve settled on the realization that I will just continue to learn by trial and error. I’ve added a video below that demonstrates how changing the yarn weight or the hook size influences the size of the project.