Conversion Guide

Metric (mm) to UK Knitting Needle Size Conversion

Find the UK needle size for any millimeter measurement. Essential for working from European patterns with British-standard needles, or understanding UK patterns when you only have mm needles.

Most common conversions

4.0 mm = UK 8  ·  4.5 mm = UK 7  ·  5.0 mm = UK 6  ·  5.5 mm = UK 5  ·  6.0 mm = UK 4

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Metric (mm) to UK Conversion Chart

Every standard metric needle size with its UK equivalent. Sizes without a UK equivalent (above 10mm or at non-standard increments) are shown with the nearest UK size.

Metric (mm) UK Size US Size Yarn Weight
1.5 mm — (use mm) US 000000 Lace / Cobweb
1.75 mm — (use mm) US 00000 Lace / Cobweb
2 mm UK 14 US 0 Fingering / Sock
2.1 mm — (use mm) Fingering / Sock
2.25 mm UK 13 US 1 Fingering / Sock
2.4 mm — (use mm) Fingering / Sock
2.5 mm — (use mm) US 1.5 Fingering / Sock
2.7 mm — (use mm) Fingering / Sock
2.75 mm UK 12 US 2 Sport / DK
3 mm UK 11 US 2.5 Sport / DK
3.25 mm UK 10 US 3 Sport / DK
3.3 mm — (use mm) Sport / DK
3.5 mm — (use mm) US 4 DK / Worsted
3.6 mm — (use mm) DK / Worsted
3.75 mm UK 9 US 5 DK / Worsted
3.9 mm — (use mm) DK / Worsted
4 mm UK 8 US 6 DK / Worsted
4.2 mm — (use mm) DK / Worsted
4.5 mm UK 7 US 7 Worsted / Aran
4.5 mm — (use mm) Worsted / Aran
5 mm UK 6 US 8 Worsted / Aran
5.1 mm — (use mm) Worsted / Aran
5.4 mm — (use mm) Worsted / Aran
5.5 mm UK 5 US 9 Bulky / Chunky
5.7 mm — (use mm) Bulky / Chunky
6 mm UK 4 US 10 Bulky / Chunky
6 mm — (use mm) Bulky / Chunky
6.3 mm — (use mm) Bulky / Chunky
6.5 mm UK 3 US 10.5 Bulky / Chunky
6.6 mm — (use mm) Bulky / Chunky
7 mm UK 2 Bulky / Chunky
7.5 mm UK 1 Bulky / Chunky
8 mm UK 0 US 11 Super Bulky / Jumbo
9 mm UK 00 US 13 Super Bulky / Jumbo
10 mm UK 000 US 15 Super Bulky / Jumbo
12 mm — (use mm) US 17 Super Bulky / Jumbo
15 mm — (use mm) US 19 Super Bulky / Jumbo
19 mm — (use mm) US 35 Super Bulky / Jumbo
20 mm — (use mm) US 36 Super Bulky / Jumbo
25 mm — (use mm) US 50 Super Bulky / Jumbo

When Metric Sizes Have No UK Equivalent

Some metric sizes don't have a UK equivalent because the UK scale doesn't cover every 0.25mm increment. For needles above 10mm, the UK scale stops entirely — modern British patterns use metric sizing for those sizes. If your needle is labeled in a mm size that doesn't appear in the UK column, use the nearest UK size that produces the correct gauge for your project.

Frequently Asked Questions

What UK size is a 4mm needle? +
4.0 mm is UK size 8 (also US size 6).
What UK size is a 5mm needle? +
5.0 mm is UK size 6 (also US size 8).
Does 3.5mm have a UK equivalent? +
3.5mm (US size 4) does not have a standard UK equivalent — the UK scale jumps from UK 10 (3.25 mm) to UK 9 (3.75 mm), skipping 3.5mm. Use the nearest size and swatch to check gauge.