For the beginner amigurumi crocheters out there... do you struggle with choosing a hook size for your project?  What about with loose stitches, which leads to gaps in-between stitches with stuffing visible to the eye?  

Those are some pretty common problems for beginners, so I thought I'd share some tips and guidance for choosing the right hook size for your project.

Here are some general tips.  If you'd like to watch and listen to this content, feel free to check out my video!

If you look at the Swaddle Babies (free pattern) below, you'll notice that the stitches are tight together so that the stuffing doesn't show through.  For reference, I used medium weight yarn and a 2.75mm hook for this project.

 

The recommended hook size on yarn labels is generally for non-amigurumi crochet projects, like clothing, scarves, and blankets.  What's recommended will be MUCH larger than what you need to make stuffed toys with!

For instance, here's my Meadow Cardigan Dress (free pattern) made with a 4.5mm hook and light weight #3 yarn (Cotton Bamboo yarn).  It's quite hole-y!  You won't be able to use the same hook on this yarn for making amigurumi because you'll definitely have big gaps between your stitches.

The thicker your yarn, the larger the hook you will use.  This will create a larger amigurumi.  Conversely, the thinner your yarn, the smaller the hook you will use.  This will create a smaller amigurumi.  As an example, I tend to use a 2.25mm hook with a light weight (#3) yarn.  I tend to use a larger hook, such as 5mm or 6mm, with super bulky (#6) yarn.  

Keep in mind that yarn can vary within their own weight categories too.  For example, medium weight (#4) yarn is not created equal... some are on the thinner side (such as Caron Simply Soft yarn), and others are on the thicker side (such as Big Twist yarn).

Some people crochet quite tightly, and others crochet on the loose side.  For that reason, the idea that "one hook size fits all" does not work.  For instance, I crochet amigurumi with average tension and I use a 2.75mm hook with worsted weight yarn.  However, someone who crochets very tightly may need to use a larger hook size (such as 3.5mm hook) with worsted weight yarn.  Someone who crochets very loosely may need to use a smaller hook size (such as a 2.25mm hook) with worsted weight yarn.

Below is simply what I tend to use, as is meant to serve as a guideline.

As an example, you can see that my collection of little Octobuddies (free pattern) look very different in size based on the yarn weight and hook size used.  

Once again, using different yarn weights and hook sizes is a great trick for creating either a larger or smaller amigurumi using the same pattern.  You can easily miniaturize (or jumbo-size) what you'd like.

If you'd like to check out my video on the subject of hook sizes, you can see it below~