Knooking hooks for knit stitches with a crochet hook

Knooking hooks combine crochet and knitting

A knooking hook is a crochet hook with an eye at the end, through which you thread a cord. The stitches rest on this cord as they would on a knitting needle, and the result looks knitted, with knit and purl stitches, ribbing or cable patterns. Because the stitches can't slip off a needle, the technique is considered beginner-friendly, especially if you can already crochet.

What to look for in a knooking hook

Choose the hook size to suit your yarn, and use the information on the ball band as a first guide. Depending on the model, knooking hooks are made of wood, plastic or metal. Wood slows slippery yarns slightly, while metal glides especially easily. The cord should be smooth and a little longer than the width of your work so the stitches sit loosely. To get started, a smooth, light-colored yarn in a medium weight works well because you can see the stitches clearly.

• Scarves and cowls as first projects
• Hats and small knitted pieces
• Ribbing and cable patterns with a knitted look
• Hooks in different sizes for different yarns

Tip: Draw the loop over the whole shaft of the hook, not just over the tip, so the stitches slide easily onto the cord. If your fabric is still too tight, go up to the next hook size.