Understanding knitting needle sizes is essential for every avid crafter. You'll find needles and hooks referred to in different ways - in mm in the UK and Europe, and by numbers in the USA. In the United Kingdom, knitting needle sizes are traditionally measured using the metric system. The sizes are indicated in millimeters (mm), providing a precise measurement for the diameter of the needles.
We've included a table at the end showing both UK and USA needle/hook sizes. But let's look now at what needles suit you...
Material - plastic, acrylic, carbon fibre, metal or wood
It's up to you which you use, and if you are new to knitting you might want to try different types of needles, but wooden needles are generally more popular these days becuase:
1. They are great for beginners and anyone suffering pains, like arthritis, in their hands
2. The stitches don't slide off so easily
3. You can knit silently (anyone remember their father saying the sound of knitting drove them crazy?!)
Style - single pointed needles, double pointed needles, and circular needles
Single Pointed Needles (SPNs)
These are the commonest form of needle. You knit one row, turn the work, and then knit another row. You will either be working on the right or the wrong side of the work. Commonly, we call this knitting as a 'flat panel'.
Circular - You might want to knit something without seams (like a hat, or a sweater). When you are knitting in the round, the 'rows' are called 'rounds', and you will always be working on the right side of the work (as opposed to the wrong side!)
You might also have a very wide flat panel, and then it's also easier to use circular knitting needles because the stitches can be easily held on the long loop that holds them together. the actual fixed part of the needle is also much shorter thn a single pointed needle, so they are easier to store when you are travelling.
Finally, circular needles are popular because they put less pressure on the hands and wrists. The weight of the yarn falls onto the loop and rests in.
Make sure you choose the right length of circular needle for your project. Circular needles that are 100cm+ are much too long for a small project like a hat or socks, for which you might choose 40cm long circular needles. If you try to use the longer ones on a small project, the knitting will be too stretched and you will constantly be creating secondary loops at different points in the round (just take it from us, you want to avoid that if you can).
You'll also need some stitch markers (so you know where you are in a round), but we include one automatically with all our circular knitting orders. You can buy extra here.
Double pointed needles (DPNs)
They perform a similar task to circular needles if you are knitting in the round. They are really useful for small work, like baby bootees, or baby hats, but many people also love to use them for knitting socks. They come in a pack of four, or usually five needles together. You can get a wide range of lengths, but try to choose the ones that are right for your work. For instance, if you only need to put about 15 stitches on each needle, go for DPNs about 15cm long.
Cable needles
You can use a DPN (because that is what a cable needle is) but they tend to be very short to allow easy movement in your hands from the front of the work to the back of the work. These are only need to be a few centimtres long as they only hold a few stitches for a short time. Don't worry too much about the width of these because you will only be holding a very few stitches at a time before going back to the main work.
We include a cable needle if you order a knitting kit with needles that uses cables. Our most popular cable knitting kits are this cable hat and this cushion kit which uses bobbles and cables.
Knitting needle and crochet hook size chart
|
Knitting Needles |
Crochet Hooks |
||
|
UK/Europe |
USA |
UK/Europe |
USA |
|
1.50 mm |
000 |
2.25 mm |
B-1 |
|
1.75 mm |
00 |
2.50 mm |
|
|
2 mm |
0 |
2.75 mm |
C-2 |
|
2.25 mm |
1 |
3.125 mm |
D |
|
2.75 mm |
2 |
3.25 mm |
D-3 |
|
3 mm |
3.50 mm |
E-4 |
|
|
3.125 mm |
3 |
3.75 mm |
F-5 |
|
3.25 mm |
3 |
4 mm |
G-6 |
|
3.50 mm |
4 |
4.25 mm |
G |
|
3.75 mm |
5 |
4.50 mm |
7 |
|
4 mm |
6 |
5 mm |
H-8 |
|
4.25 mm |
6 |
5.25 mm |
I |
|
4.50 mm |
7 |
5.50 mm |
I-9 |
|
5 mm |
8 |
5.75 mm |
J |
|
5.25 mm |
9 |
6 mm |
J-10 |
|
5.50 mm |
9 |
6.50 mm |
K-10 ½ |
|
5.75 mm |
10 |
7 mm |
|
|
6 mm |
10 |
8 mm |
L-11 |
|
6.50 mm |
10 ½ |
9 mm |
M/N-13 |
|
7 mm |
10 mm |
N/P-15 |
|
|
8 mm |
11 |
11.50 mm |
P-16 |
|
9 mm |
13 |
12 mm |
|
|
10 mm |
15 |
15 mm |
P/Q |
|
12.50 mm |
17 |
15.75 mm |
Q |
|
12.75 mm |
17 |
16 mm |
Q |
|
15 mm |
19 |
19 mm |
S |
|
19 mm |
35 |
25 mm |
T/U/X |
|
25 mm |
50 |
30 mm |
T/X |
|
35 mm |
70 |
|
|
Whether you're a UK-based crafter using millimeter measurements or a US enthusiast relying on numerical sizes, understanding the differences in knitting needle sizing is essential for a successful project. By mastering the art of matching needles to yarn, you'll unlock a world of creative possibilities and bring your knitting visions to life. Happy knitting and crocheting!