These are not CREWEL needles! Nor does John James company say they are!!! John James established in 1804 does not miss-label their products!!! Crewel needles are used with wool. To be exact 1-2 ply wool not thread. The holes should be many numeric sizes larger with not so sharp a point to be considered a crewel needle due to the details of what crewel is and the wool one uses to do it. Embroidery thread is not crewel wool ply.