UK to US Knitting Needle Size Conversion
Working from a British, Australian, or vintage pattern? UK needle sizes run the opposite direction to US sizes. Here's the complete conversion chart.
UK 14 = US 0 · UK 8 = US 6 · UK 6 = US 8 · UK 4 = US 10 · UK 000 = US 15
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UK to US Conversion Chart
All UK needle sizes sorted from smallest to largest, with US equivalents and metric (mm) measurements. UK sizes run from 14 (finest) to 000 (largest).
| UK Size | US Size | Metric (mm) | Yarn Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK 14 | US 0 | 2 mm | Fingering / Sock |
| UK 13 | US 1 | 2.25 mm | Fingering / Sock |
| UK 12 | US 2 | 2.75 mm | Sport / DK |
| UK 11 | US 2.5 | 3 mm | Sport / DK |
| UK 10 | US 3 | 3.25 mm | Sport / DK |
| UK 9 | US 5 | 3.75 mm | DK / Worsted |
| UK 8 | US 6 | 4 mm | DK / Worsted |
| UK 7 | US 7 | 4.5 mm | Worsted / Aran |
| UK 6 | US 8 | 5 mm | Worsted / Aran |
| UK 5 | US 9 | 5.5 mm | Bulky / Chunky |
| UK 4 | US 10 | 6 mm | Bulky / Chunky |
| UK 3 | US 10.5 | 6.5 mm | Bulky / Chunky |
| UK 2 | — | 7 mm | Bulky / Chunky |
| UK 1 | — | 7.5 mm | Bulky / Chunky |
| UK 0 | US 11 | 8 mm | Super Bulky / Jumbo |
| UK 00 | US 13 | 9 mm | Super Bulky / Jumbo |
| UK 000 | US 15 | 10 mm | Super Bulky / Jumbo |
Understanding the UK Needle System
UK knitting needle sizes were based on the British Standard Wire Gauge — an industrial system for measuring wire thickness where higher gauge numbers indicate thinner wire. When knitting needles were standardized in Britain, they inherited this logic: higher UK numbers mean thinner needles.
The UK scale runs from size 14 (the thinnest standard needle at 2.0 mm) to size 000 (the thickest at 10.0 mm). For needles larger than 10 mm, there is no UK number — modern British and Australian patterns use metric (mm) sizing for bulky needles.
Working from vintage British patterns
Vintage British knitting patterns from the 1950s–1980s are widely shared on Ravelry and knitting communities. These patterns almost always list only the UK needle size with no mm equivalent. Use the chart above to find the correct needle, and always knit a gauge swatch — old patterns were written for specific yarn weights that may differ from modern equivalents.
Australian and Canadian sizing
Australian and Canadian patterns historically used the same system as UK sizing. A pattern from Australia calling for "No. 8 needles" means UK/Australian size 8, which is 4.0 mm (US 6). Modern Australian patterns use metric sizing.