4 mm knitting needle
4 mm
US 6 · UK 8 · DK
What this size is for
The most-used needle size in British knitting, because DK is the most-used yarn. If a pattern says nothing, this is the assumption.
In each scale
| Diameter | 4 mm |
| US size | 6 |
| UK / Canadian size | 8 |
| Yarn weight | DK |
A US 6 and a UK 6 are not the same needle. This one is 4 mm; the British 6 is 5 mm. Buy by millimetre wherever the pattern allows it.
Nearby sizes
| mm | US | UK | Yarn |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 2/3 | 11 | Fingering |
| 3.25 | 3 | 10 | Fingering to sport |
| 3.5 | 4 | — | Sport |
| 3.75 | 5 | 9 | Sport to DK |
| 4 | 6 | 8 | DK |
| 4.5 | 7 | 7 | DK to worsted |
| 5 | 8 | 6 | Worsted, aran |
Frequently asked questions
What is a 4 mm knitting needle in US and UK sizes?
US 6 and UK 8. The millimetre figure is the actual diameter and the only one that means the same thing everywhere.
Is a US 6 the same as a UK 6?
No. A US 6 is 4 mm; a UK 6 is 5 mm. The scales run in opposite directions — American numbers grow with the needle and British ones shrink — so the same number is two different needles.
What yarn suits a 4 mm needle?
DK. The most-used needle size in British knitting, because DK is the most-used yarn. If a pattern says nothing, this is the assumption.
Why do the two scales run in opposite directions?
The British scale counts down from the thickest wire in a gauge, in the same way a wire gauge does — more drawing operations, higher number, thinner. The American scale simply counts up from the finest needle. Neither is wrong; they were never designed to be compared, and the only size where the numbers coincide is 4.5 mm, which is size 7 in both.