There are many conversion tables out there. I have them all, but still they won’t help me. I have metric hooks, japanese hooks and US ones too. I read US patterns, European patterns and mainly I follow charts from japanese knitting and crochet books. What I really needed (and couldn’t find anywhere) was  a table to help me link projects with yarn weight and hook size in all languages and lingos. There wasn’t any, so I made one for myself. And I thought I’d share one with you. I’m not an experienced knitter/crocheter, so this does the job for me. If, unlike me, you are experienced, it might seem useless. But who knows… Here it is anyway.

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Example of use No1: I have a japanese pattern that calls for a 5/0 hook. I have a set of japanese crochet hooks and I don’t need to convert to metric. What I need is a link to the yarn I’m gonna need. I don’t read japanese symbols and I need help for that. Trial and error is too time-consuming for my limited amount of free time. So, before I made this table, I had to consult 2 different tables, first convert japanese hook to metric, then consult the yarn standards to see what yarn weight this hook typically calls for. Then I can go and order online or search through my stash for the yarn. The chart helps me solve the problem called “japanese hook to yarn weight” using only one piece of paper. Oh ok, I keep a pdf  at my computer desktop too.
Example of use No2: Then there is another very important use of my table. In my country people don’t call yarn by the yarn standards names. If you go to a LYS and ask for a worsted they will probably assume you entered the wrong kind of store. They just know the thin, the normal and the thick yarn. And the very thick one probably. Virtual sigh. So, all the information I get is the size of needles, suggested by the manufacturer, on the yarn label. Since I mostly crochet, this information is not very useful to me. But with the help of my chart I can convert the needle size to hook size and then to yarn weight and see if the particular yarn is suited for the japanese project I’m gonna crochet with a japanese hook. Too  confusing? Globalization, what can I say…
I’m sure there are more ways to use this conversion table. And I hope it helps you too.
I have printed it and I always take it with me when shopping for yarn, downtown Athens or online. I also keep it right next to me when I browse my japanese knitting books and I search for my next project. It helps me get an idea of what yarn I need and whether I have something in my stash or not. The chart doesn’t substitute a swatch of course, but it gives me something to start.

Here’s the all-in-one conversion table in pdf file.
Feel free to print it, share with friends and link to it. Just don’t make any profit out of it, as is.

(It’s the first time I’m making a pdf and uploading to the internet, so please  report any problems. Thanks.)