Apr
okay so tulip etimo hooks
I picked up my first set of these in spring 2022 when I was working through like three blanket projects at once because apparently I hate myself. Had been using those cheap aluminum hooks from the craft store and my hand was literally cramping after twenty minutes. Someone on reddit mentioned the etimo handles and I was like fine whatever I’ll try them.
The grip is this cushioned rubber situation that actually makes a difference. I know everyone says that about ergonomic hooks but these specifically have this oval shape that sits in your palm differently than the round handles. When you’re doing repetitive stitches for hours the difference between round and oval is actually huge for your thumb joint.
I used them for this massive granny square blanket in Red Heart Super Saver—yeah I know people have opinions about that yarn but it was for my couch and I needed like fifteen skeins so sorry not sorry. The color was I think Soft Navy or maybe Country Blue? One of those blues. The hook I used was the 5.0mm which they call a size H and honestly that’s the one I reach for most.
what actually makes them different
The hook part itself is really smooth. Like you know how some hooks have that little catch or rough spot where the metal meets the handle? These don’t have that. The yarn just slides off clean every single time. I was working with Lion Brand Wool-Ease for a sweater project—actually that was summer 2024 when my cat kept sitting on the project and I had to keep redoing rows—and even the wool blend didn’t catch or split.
The throat of the hook is pretty deep compared to like Boye or Susan Bates hooks. That’s the curved part that catches your yarn. Deeper throat means it holds the yarn better when you’re pulling through but some people don’t like that because it changes how tight your stitches come out. I had to go up half a hook size on some patterns because my gauge was tighter with the etimo than with my old hooks.
They come in this case that’s honestly whatever. It’s a vinyl zip thing with slots for each hook. Mine ripped after like six months but I just keep them in a pencil case now so doesn’t really matter.
the sizes and what I actually use
The set I got had 2.0mm through 6.0mm which covers most stuff. The really small ones—2.0mm and 2.5mm—I basically never touch because I don’t make amigurumi or thread crochet. Those tiny hooks still have the cushion grip though which seems like it would be useful if you’re into that.
My most-used are the 4.0mm, 5.0mm, and 5.5mm. That covers worsted weight and aran weight yarn which is what I use probably 80% of the time. The 3.5mm gets action when I’m doing wearables that need tighter fabric.
One thing that annoyed me is they don’t make super large sizes in the etimo line. If you need a 10mm or 12mm for bulky yarn you gotta get their other hooks or a different brand entirely. I have this chunky blanket pattern I wanted to make with Bernat Blanket yarn and had to use a completely different hook for it which defeats the purpose of having everything match.
how they actually feel to use
The weight is heavier than aluminum hooks but lighter than wooden ones. It’s metal inside the rubber coating so there’s some heft to it. That took maybe a day to get used to? After that it felt normal.
The grip doesn’t get slippery when your hands sweat which is good because mine definitely do during long crochet sessions. Some of those gel grip hooks get gross and sticky—these stay pretty neutral feeling.
I will say the rubber does wear down over time. After two years of regular use the grip on my 5.0mm has some shiny spots where my fingers sit. It’s not peeling or anything just compressed looking. Still works fine though.
specific projects where they worked great
That navy blanket I mentioned—probably put in 40 hours on that thing. No hand pain which was the whole point. Used the 5.0mm hook the entire time.
Made a cardigan in Caron Simply Soft in like Bone or Cream or something beige. Used the 4.5mm for that. The smoothness of the hook with that slippery acrylic yarn was actually perfect because the yarn didn’t stick at all.
Temperature blanket from 2023—okay I didn’t finish it because tracking daily temperatures is apparently not something I can commit to but I got through like four months. Used multiple colors of Paintbox Yarns Simply DK and switched between the 3.5mm and 4.0mm depending on how the gauge was looking that day or… actually I don’t remember why I switched, maybe I just lost one of the hooks for a bit.
where they’re annoying
The price is higher than basic hooks obviously. I think the set was like forty-something dollars? Maybe fifty? When you can get aluminum hooks for literally two dollars each that’s a real investment for something that does the same basic job.
Can’t find them at regular craft stores usually. Had to order mine online. Joann’s doesn’t carry them and Michaels only sometimes has like one or two individual hooks mixed in with other stuff.
The rubber grip makes them thicker overall so they don’t fit in some hook organizers or cases designed for regular hooks. Not a huge deal but mildly irritating.
Also—and this is gonna sound dumb—but they’re not cute? Like some people collect pretty hooks with decorative handles or wooden ones with nice grain patterns. These are just teal rubber cylinders. They’re tools not display pieces which is fine for me but if you care about that sort of thing then yeah.
comparing them to other brands real quick
Clover Amour hooks have a similar ergonomic grip concept but the shape is different. The amour ones are more bulbous? The etimo is slimmer and longer. I borrowed my friend’s amour hooks once and they felt too thick in my hand but she hates the etimo ones so clearly it’s personal preference.
Furls hooks are those resin swirl ones everyone posts pictures of. Never tried them because they’re expensive as hell and honestly seem like they’d be slippery. But people love them apparently.
Regular Susan Bates inline hooks—these are fine and cheap. The etimo hooks are also inline style which means the hook head is in line with the shaft unlike tapered hooks. If you learned on inline you’ll probably like etimo.
the actual hook shape matters more than I thought
I didn’t realize this until I started using the etimo hooks but the point of the hook itself is slightly more pointed than rounded compared to other brands. That makes it easier to get into tight stitches but also means you gotta be more careful not to split your yarn.
When I was making this virus shawl pattern—I think in Scheepjes Whirl which is that gradient fingering weight yarn—the pointed tip kept splitting the plies until I learned to angle it differently. With the rounder hooks I had before I could just kinda stab into the stitch but with these you gotta slide in more deliberately or whatever.
The throat depth thing I mentioned earlier actually changes your tension without you realizing it. First project I made after switching hooks came out way smaller than the pattern said because my stitches were tighter. Had to block it aggressively to get it to size.
care and maintenance I guess
You can wash the rubber part with soap and water if it gets linty or gross. I did that once after working with this really fuzzy mohair blend that left residue everywhere.
Don’t leave them in a hot car because apparently heat can damage the rubber coating. I didn’t do this but someone in a facebook group posted about their hooks getting warped so now I’m paranoid about it.
The metal part doesn’t rust or tarnish. I’ve had mine for over two years and they still look basically new except for the grip wear I mentioned.
who should actually buy these
If you crochet a lot—like multiple times a week for hours at a time—and you’re getting hand pain or fatigue then yeah probably worth it. The ergonomic thing isn’t marketing BS it actually helps.
If you only crochet occasionally or you’re just starting out then maybe just get one or two hooks in the sizes you use most instead of the whole set. See if you even like the feel before dropping money on the full range.
If you already have hand issues like arthritis or carpal tunnel these might help but also might not? I’m not a doctor obviously. Some people say they’re great for that and others say the weight makes it worse so.
People who do amigurumi seem to love them because the smooth hook doesn’t split yarn when you’re working in tight spirals. I made exactly one amigurumi thing—a lumpy whale that looked possessed—and the 2.5mm hook did work well for that I guess.
random tips from using them for two years
The size is marked on the handle but it wears off eventually. I marked mine with nail polish on the end cap so I can still tell them apart when the printing fades.
If you’re switching from tapered hooks to inline hooks your tension is gonna be different for a while. Just accept that your first project might be weird.
The case they come in has slots labeled by size but they’re not always accurate to US sizing versus metric so just ignore the labels and organize by actual measurement.
You can buy individual replacement hooks if you lose one instead of buying another whole set. They’re like eight or nine dollars each which is still annoying but better than fifty for the set again.
I was watching Schitt’s Creek while working on that cardigan project and now I can’t see the cardigan without thinking about that show which has nothing to do with hooks but there you go.
final thoughts except not really final
They’re good hooks. Not life-changing but legitimately better than cheap alternatives if you crochet enough to notice the difference. The ergonomic grip actually works and the smooth metal actually matters for yarn flow.
Would I buy them again? Yeah probably. Would I recommend them to someone asking? Depends on how much they crochet and whether they have hand issues.
The biggest selling point for me is that I can work longer without pain. Used to tap out after an hour or so with my old hooks. Now I can do three or four hour sessions without problems which means projects actually get finished instead of abandoned half-done in a closet.
They’re not perfect—limited size range, kinda expensive, not widely available in stores—but for everyday crocheting with standard yarn weights they’re solid. The 5.0mm hook has probably put in hundreds of hours at this point and still works like new.
If you see them on sale grab them because they rarely go on sale. I got lucky and found individual hooks at a yarn shop going out of business for like half price and picked up a few backup sizes.
That’s pretty much it. They’re good ergonomic hooks that cost more but work better for extended use. Not fancy not revolutionary just well-designed tools that do the job without destroying your hands.
