Crochet guide
What to use when you have no crochet hook
With no hook to hand, your fingers can take its place. Finger crochet works the same stitches and suits thick yarn. For thinner yarn, a hook can be whittled from a wooden chopstick. Whatever you use needs a notch that catches the yarn and a smooth, even shaft.
On this page 6 parts
Your fingers
Finger crochet is ordinary crochet with a finger in place of the hook. The stitches are the same ones, made in the same order.
- It suits thick yarn. Any weight of yarn can be used, but the heavy ones, bulky and thicker, are easier. Fine yarn suits it less. Yarn weights explains the names.
- It suits long, plain pieces. Scarves, cowls and blankets are the usual things made this way.
- A chain needs no hook at all. A slip knot and a chain can both be made with the fingers alone.
The makers who teach finger crochet say it is simpler than it sounds. If you know the stitch with a hook, you already know the order of the moves.
A hook made from something else
For yarn that is too thin for fingers, a hook can be made. The how-tos start from a wooden chopstick, whittled at one end into a point and a notch and then sanded. A length of wooden dowel works the same way.
It has to be sanded well. Any bump that is left catches the yarn. Making your own crochet hook describes the steps.
A chopstick only goes so far. The hook cannot be thicker than the stick, so it will not stand in for the larger sizes.
What makes a stand-in work
A crochet hook does its job with three parts. A stand-in needs all three.
| Part | What it does | Without it |
|---|---|---|
| A notch behind the tip | Catches the yarn and pulls a loop back through | The yarn slides off, and no loop comes through |
| A rounded point | Goes into the stitch | The tip will not enter a stitch cleanly |
| A smooth shaft of one width | Carries the loops and sets their size | Stitches come out uneven, or the yarn snags |
The width matters as much as the shape. The size of a hook is the width of its shaft, and that width decides the size of your stitches. A stand-in of a different width gives a piece of a different size. Crochet gauge and how to measure it shows how to check.
When it is better to wait for a hook
- Fine yarn or thread. Fingers do not suit it. The thinnest hooks are made of steel because a thin hook has to be strong, and a wooden stick carved that thin is easy to break.
- A piece you have already started. The stitches follow the hook. A homemade hook will rarely match a bought one exactly, so the rest of the piece would not match the first part.
- Anything that has to fit. For the same reason, a pattern with a gauge needs a hook of a known size.
To avoid the problem next time, keep the hook with its project, and pack a spare when you travel.
Questions people ask
Can I crochet with just my hands? Yes. That is finger crochet. It is easier with thick yarn.
Can I use a chopstick as it is? No. A plain stick has no notch, so it cannot pull a loop through. It has to be carved into a hook first.
Will a homemade hook give the same result as my real one? Not exactly. Its width is unlikely to match, so check your gauge before you rely on it.
Where to go next
- Making your own crochet hook has the carving and sanding, step by step.
- Crochet hooks names the parts of a hook and compares the kinds you can buy.
- What you need to start crocheting is the short list of tools.