Knitting Needle Sizes
This chart lists the most common metric equivalents for US, "Old US" and "Old UK" needle sizes. Different needle manufacturers may vary from the exact sizes shown; however, ranges of contemporary US needles are generally as shown in the "Contemporary UK/US Metric Range" column.
"Old US" sizes are frequently seen in old yarn company leaflets; since the sizes run opposite of contemporary sizing (under the "Old US" system, the finest needles have the highest size numbers) the giveaway is a sock pattern (or other pattern using fingering-weight yarn) that calls for size 13 needles! Note that the metric measurements of UK sizes differ, so it may be important to know the source of your pattern.
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Contemporary
US | Contemporary
UK / US Metric |
European
Metric |
"Old" US |
UK |
| 0000-0000 | .5 mm | .5 mm | - | 24 |
| 000-000 | 0.75 mm | 0.75 mm | - | 22 |
| - | - | 0.875 mm (?) | - | 20 |
| 000-00 | 1 mm | 1 mm | 18 (steel dpn) | 19 |
| - | 1.125 mm | 1.125 mm | 17 (steel dpn) | - |
| 00-00 | 1.25 mm | 1.25 mm | 16 (steel dpn) | 18 |
| 000 | 1.5 mm | 1.5 mm | 15 (steel dpn) | 17 |
| - | 1.625 mm (?) | - | - | 16 |
| 00 | 1.75 mm | 1.75 mm | 14 (steel dpn) | 15 |
| 0 | 2 mm | 2 mm | 0 (standard needles)
13 (steel dpn) | 14 |
| 1 | 2.25 mm | 2.25 mm | 12 (steel dpn) | 13 |
| 1.5 | 2.5 mm | 2.5 mm | 1 (standard needles) | - |
| 2 | 2.75 mm | 2.75 mm | 2 (standard needles)
11 (steel dpn) | 12 |
| 2.5 | 3 mm | 3 mm | 3 (standard needles)
10 (steel dpn) | 11 |
| 3 | 3.25 mm | 3.5 mm | - | 10 |
| 4 | 3.5 mm | 3.5 mm | 4 (standard needles)
9 (steel dpn) | - |
| 5 | 3.75 mm | 3.75 mm | 5 (standard needles)
8 (steel dpn) | 9 |
| 6 | 4 mm | 4 mm | - | 8 |
| - | 4.25 mm | 4.25 mm | 6 (standard needles) | - |
| 7 | 4.5 mm | 4.5 mm | - | 7 |
| - | 4.75 mm | 4.75 mm | 7 (standard needles) | - |
| 8 | 5 mm | 5 mm | 8 (standard needles) | 6 |
| - | 5.25 mm | 5.25 mm | 9 (standard needles) | - |
| 9 | 5.5 mm | 5.5 mm | - | 5 |
| - | 5.75 mm | 5.75 mm | 10 (standard needles) | - |
| 10 | 6 mm | 6 mm | - | 4 |
| 10½ | 6.5 mm | 6.5 mm | 10½ (standard needles) | 3 |
| - | 7 mm | 7 mm | - | 2 |
| - | 7.5 mm | 7.5 mm | - | 1 |
| 11 | 8 mm | 8 mm | - | 0 |
| 13 | 9 mm | 9 mm | - | 00 |
| 15 | 10 mm | 10 mm | - | 000 |
| 17 | - | 12.75 mm | - | - |
| 18 | - | 14 mm | - | - |
| 19 | - | 15.5 mm | - | - |
| 35 | - | 19 mm | - | - |
| 50 | - | 25 mm | - | - |
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