The picks
Best Steel Crochet Hooks
Numbered backwards, sized under 2mm, and for thread rather than yarn. Three of those facts trip people up.
By Sawyer V. · Published September 4, 2026
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The short answer
For a first steel set, buy the Susan Bates Steelite: six nickel-plated hooks from 1.15mm to 2.55mm, which covers the sizes published doily and edging patterns specify. If you already know you like thread crochet, the Clover Amour steel set puts a proper cushioned grip on the same tiny shafts, and your fingers will notice.
| # | Product | Best for | Head | Sizes | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | No photoClover Amour Steel Crochet Hook SetThe Amour grip fitted to steel thread hooks, which is rare at this size. | Thread work you intend to do a lot of | Steel, cushioned handle | Sub-2mm thread sizes | Check price on Amazon#ad disclosure |
| 2 | No photoSusan Bates Steelite Steel Crochet Hook SetSix nickel-plated steel hooks covering the common doily sizes, and nothing else. | Finding out whether you like thread crochet | In-line steel | 1.15-2.55mm | Check price on Amazon#ad disclosure |
| 3 | No photoClover Amour Crochet Hook SetThe best all-round hook set here, and it stops exactly where thread work starts. | Yarn, which is what it is for | Rounded, mid-profile | 2.25-6.0mm | Check price on Amazon#ad disclosure |
Clover Amour Steel Crochet Hook Set
Clover · Best for thread work you intend to do a lot of
The same elastomer handle fitted to steel thread hooks, sized for crochet cotton rather than yarn.
- Sizes
- Steel hooks, sub-2mm range (No. 10 is 0.75mm)
- Grip
- Elastomer rubber, latex free
- Shaft
- Steel
- Intended yarn
- Crochet thread, not worsted or DK yarn
Who it suits
Anyone crocheting doilies, edgings or thread lace for more than an occasional evening.
Why it is here
The same molded elastomer, latex-free handle as the Amour yarn set, on steel shafts in the sub-2mm range - No. 10 is 0.75mm. Thread hooks are tiny, and a bare steel thread hook is a wire between your fingers.
What you give up
It costs several times what a bare steel set does. If you are trying thread crochet once, that is a lot to spend on finding out.
Specifications from Clover USA product page. We have not handled this item - see how we pick.
Susan Bates Steelite Steel Crochet Hook Set
Susan Bates · Best for finding out whether you like thread crochet
Six nickel-plated steel thread hooks in the sub-2.6mm sizes that yarn hook sets never reach.
- Material
- Nickel-plated steel
- Sizes
- 6 hooks: 0 (2.55mm), 1 (2.35mm), 7 (1.5mm), 8 (1.4mm), 9 (1.25mm), 10 (1.15mm)
- Intended use
- Crochet lace, doilies, tablecloths and edgings
- Head
- In-line, in the Susan Bates house geometry
Who it suits
Anyone starting thread crochet, or anyone who needs one specific fine size for an edging.
Why it is here
Six nickel-plated steel hooks: 0 (2.55mm), 1 (2.35mm), 7 (1.5mm), 8 (1.4mm), 9 (1.25mm) and 10 (1.15mm). That spread covers the sizes published doily, tablecloth and edging patterns actually specify, without paying for sizes you will never use.
What you give up
Bare steel with a flattened thumb rest. It is a wire, and after an hour your fingers will tell you so.
Specifications from WEBS - Susan Bates Steelite crochet hook set. We have not handled this item - see how we pick.
Clover Amour Crochet Hook Set
Clover · Best for yarn, which is what it is for
Ten aluminum hooks with a molded elastomer grip, covering 2.25mm to 6.0mm - the whole span most patterns for worsted and DK yarn ever ask for.
- Sizes
- 10 hooks: B/2.25mm to J/6.0mm
- Grip
- Elastomer rubber, latex free
- Shaft
- Aluminum
- Head
- Rounded, between inline and tapered
- Color coding
- Handle color differs per size
Who it suits
Not thread crocheters. It is our top pick for yarn and a non-starter for size 10 cotton.
Why it is here
Ten aluminum hooks from B/2.25mm to J/6.0mm. The smallest is 2.25mm, and crochet thread wants 1.5mm and below.
What you give up
Using a 2.25mm hook on size 10 thread produces a loose, floppy fabric with no crispness. This is a size problem, not a quality problem - buy a steel set alongside it, not instead of it.
Specifications from Clover USA product page. We have not handled this item - see how we pick.
Steel hooks are a different tool, not a small one
A steel crochet hook is designed for crochet thread - mercerized cotton in sizes 3, 10, 20 and finer - rather than for yarn. Thread is thin, hard-twisted and inelastic, and it makes a crisp fabric that holds a shape.
That is why doilies, tablecloths, edgings, filet crochet and Irish crochet all use steel hooks, and why an aluminum yarn hook cannot substitute. The smallest aluminum hook in a normal set is 2.25mm; the working range for thread starts around 1.5mm and goes below 1mm.
The numbering runs backwards
This catches almost everyone once. On the yarn side, a letter or a millimeter figure gets bigger as the hook gets bigger. On the steel side the numbers count down in size as they count up.
| Steel size | Millimeters | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 2.55mm | Size 3 thread, heavy edgings, thread amigurumi |
| 1 | 2.35mm | Size 3 thread, chunkier lace |
| 7 | 1.5mm | Size 10 thread, the standard doily size |
| 8 | 1.4mm | Size 10 thread at a tighter gauge |
| 9 | 1.25mm | Size 20 thread, fine edgings |
| 10 | 1.15mm | Size 20 and finer, very fine lace |
There is a further trap: steel hook numbering is not perfectly consistent between manufacturers, so the millimeter figure is the number to trust. Our hook size chart carries the conversions.
Thread sizes, briefly
Crochet thread numbering is also inverted - size 3 is thick, size 10 is standard, size 20 and 30 are fine. Size 10 mercerized cotton is what most published doily patterns assume, and it pairs with a 1.5mm (No. 7) hook.
If a pattern gives you a thread size and no hook size, 1.5mm for size 10 is the safe starting point, then swatch. Thread crochet has no elasticity to absorb a gauge error, so swatching matters more here than in yarn work, not less.
What steel hooks are like to use
Three things surprise people the first time.
- No give at all. Thread does not stretch, so a stitch that is too tight cannot be persuaded. You work at the gauge your hook gives you.
- The hook is genuinely small. A 1.15mm shaft is about the thickness of a paperclip wire. Grip is not a comfort upgrade at that size, it is what makes the hook holdable.
- You will see every inconsistency. Thread crochet has no fuzz to hide behind. This is also why finished thread work looks so precise.
Steel is the only sensible material at these sizes. Aluminum would flex and bamboo would snap - the same argument the double pointed needle page makes about 2mm knitting needles.
Finishing thread work
Thread pieces are almost always blocked, and blocking is what turns a curled disc into a flat doily. Pin the wet piece to shape and let it dry - our blocking mats page covers the surface, and a gridded mat is genuinely useful for getting a round piece round.
Ends get woven with a fine tapestry needle rather than the DK-weight one in most kits. Thread will not fit through a jumbo eye's companion sizes comfortably.
What we would buy
- Starting thread crochet: the Susan Bates Steelite set. Six sizes, the ones patterns use.
- Committed to thread work: the Clover Amour steel set for the grip, which is the difference between an hour and an evening.
- Yarn as well as thread: the Clover Amour yarn set alongside, not instead. Different tool, different job.
- For finishing: blocking mats with a printed grid, which is how a doily ends up circular.
Questions people actually ask
What are steel crochet hooks used for?
Crochet thread rather than yarn - doilies, tablecloths, edgings, filet crochet and fine lace. Thread work needs hooks below 2mm, and standard aluminum sets stop at 2.25mm.
Why are steel crochet hooks numbered backwards?
The steel scale counts up as the hook gets finer, so a No. 10 is 1.15mm and a No. 0 is 2.55mm. Numbering is also not perfectly consistent between brands, so the millimeter figure is the one to trust.
What size steel hook do I need for size 10 thread?
1.5mm, which is a No. 7 on the Susan Bates scale. That is the standard pairing in published doily patterns, though you should still swatch because thread has no stretch to absorb a gauge error.
Can I use a regular crochet hook for thread?
Only at the coarse end. Size 3 thread works on a 2.25mm or 2.55mm hook. Size 10 and finer on a 2.25mm hook gives a loose, floppy fabric with none of the crispness thread work is for.
Do steel crochet hooks come in ergonomic versions?
Yes, though far fewer than in yarn sizes. Clover's Amour steel set puts the same molded elastomer handle on steel shafts, which matters because a bare 1.15mm hook is effectively a wire.