Crochet Hook Transalations
(nations separated by a common language)
If
you thought knitting needle conversions were tricky, then you have not
seen crochet hook conversions. Here they are, as best as I can equate
them.
The
American knitting needle sizing could arguably be said to be more logical
than the old UK sizes, in that the bigger the number the bigger the
needle. Not so with crochet hooks. To quote from the "Happy
Hooker", the US sizes are "a complicated numbering and
lettering scheme clearly thought up by a madman" and "randomly
beginning with the letter B".
The
UK sizing mostly follows knitting needle sizing. Except....
When you get up to UK size 12-14, (generally the smallest within
the "normal" size range), something strange happens to crochet
hooks and you start counting up from zero again. These tiny steel hooks
are generally used for lace making. I have a 6½ steel hook but
don't know what the true conversion sizes are. You can imagine. It's
small.
I have etched into my brain a memory (from 1976) of a conversation with
a shop assistant in John Lewis on this very subject. When I asked if
she had a "number 6" hook, she carefully explained that we
were metric now and I needed 5mm; so I explained that I wanted a really
tiny hook not 5mm; she said that if I wanted a metric 6mm that was really
big; so I explained that the really tiny hooks were numbered differently
(not at that time knowing why, nor knowing what the metric equivalent
was); so she said regrettably she could not help me as they did not
make any that small - at the same time making it plain that she was
not only saner than I but also more knowledgeable on the matter.
And that was that.
In
view of all this, and much as I spurn the metric system:
When
in doubt, look for the size in mm.
[Good Advice].