Japanese Needle Size Chart

Note that Japanese needles have a different metric size than US and UK needles.

Metric (mm)	JPN Size
2.1 mm	0
2.4 mm	1
2.7 mm	2
3.0 mm	3
3.3 mm	4
3.6 mm	5
3.9 mm	6
4.2 mm	7
4.5 mm	8
4.8 mm	9
5.1 mm	10
5.4 mm	11
5.7 mm	12
6 mm	13
6.3 mm	14
6.6 mm	15

While the US and the UK use the same metric sizes, their numbering systems run in opposite directions.

In the US, needle sizes start at 0 and increase to 50. However, in the UK, sizes start at 14 and go up to 000.

In Japan, knitting needles use different standard metric sizes, starting at 2.1 mm and going up to 25 mm.

Knitting Needle Size Conversion Chart

Based On Standards From The US Craft Council.

Metric (mm)	UK	US	Japan
1.25	16	000	—
1.5	15	00	—
1.75	—	—	—
2	14	0	0
2.25	13	1	—
2.5	1.5
2.75	2
3	—	—	1
3.25	12	3	2
3.5	11	4	3
3.75	10	5	4
4	—	6	5
4.25	9	—	5
4.5	8	7	6
4.75	—	—	7
5	7	8	8
5.25	—	—	9
5.5	6	9	10
5.75	5	—	11
6	—	10	12
6.25	4	—	13
6.5	—	10 1/2	14
6.75	3	—	15
7	2	7	7
7.5	1	—	—
8	0	11	8
9	00	13	9
10	000	15	10
12	—	17	—
16	—	19	—
19	—	35	—
25	—	50	—

FAQS About Knitting Needle Sizes

What Is 3mm Knitting Needles In US Size?

A 3mm knitting needle doesn’t directly convert to US needle size, but the closest are 15 or 14.

What Is The Biggest Knitting Needle Size?

What Size Is 9mm?

9mm knitting needles are 13 In US Size, 00 in UK size, and 9mm also in Japan.

What Size Are 12mm?

12mm knitting needles are 17 in US needle size and have no direct equivalent in the UK or Japan size.

What Size Is Us 10.5 In UK?

US 10.5 in UK needle size is 3.

What Size Is A 3.75 Knitting Needle?

A 3.75mm knitting needle is 10 in the UK, 3 in US needle size, and 4 in Japan.

Conclusion

Keep this post bookmarked whenever you need a handy reference, or feel free to download the image to keep whenever you need it, even when you’re offline.

I hope this is helpful for you, and feel free to share this with friends who may benefit from this resource.

About The Author

Author: Jodie Morgan is a passionate knitter and blogger with 40+ years of experience currently living in regional Australia. Taught by her mother and wonderful grandmother “Mama”, she fell in love with crafting from a young age. When she’s not knitting, you’ll find her enjoying a cup of coffee with cream, or sharing helpful resources and tips with the online knitting community. Get to know Jodie and the team on our meet the team page.

Jean Mortimer

Very helpful but can’t find what UK size needle has 3/4 inch diameter. Can you help please, thanks. Reply

Jodie Morgan

Hi Jean. From my understanding a 3/4 inch diameter is 19mm and in my research I was unable to find a corresponding UK size for a 19mm knitting needle. If I do find out that there is a UK size I will be sure to let you know. Cheers Jodie Reply

Author: Jodie Morgan. Say hello, or see what she's making on Ravelry.

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Knitting Needle Sizes FAQ

Here are answers to couple of common questions I frequently keep asked about.

What size knitting needles for beginners?

Medium-sized needles US 6 to 8 (4 to 5 mm) are usually best for beginners. Small needles require too much precision whereas the really big needles can be awkward to handle. Medium-sized needles, in turn, are easier for beginners to work with as they allow you to see your stitches more clearly and work more quickly.

What size are 4mm knitting needles?

Knitting needles in size 4mm equal to US 6 and UK 8 sizes. In the Japanese system, the closest equivalent is 3.9mm, which converts to 6.

What size knitting needle do I need?

Can I use 5mm needles instead of 4mm?

Yes, it is generally acceptable to use 5mm needles instead of 4mm needles, but using larger needles may result in slightly larger stitches and a looser fabric. Make a gauge swatch to ensure your new needle size aligns with the pattern. If you’re a tight knitter you just might get away with it, after all, the needle size on the pattern is only a suggestion of what you’ll need to get the correct gauge.

What size knitting needles for regular yarn?

Worsted weight yarn is often considered ordinary or regular knitting yarn. Depending on the desired stitch gauge and your personal tension, you would use US size 7 to 9 (4.5 to 5.5 mm) needles for knitting.