8 mm knitting needle
8 mm
US 11 · UK 0 · Chunky to bulky
What this size is for
Bulky yarn, quick scarves and blankets. At this size gauge swatches genuinely matter, because a stitch is nearly a centimetre.
In each scale
| Diameter | 8 mm |
| US size | 11 |
| UK / Canadian size | 0 |
| Yarn weight | Chunky to bulky |
A US 11 and a UK 11 are not the same needle. This one is 8 mm; the British 11 is 3 mm. Buy by millimetre wherever the pattern allows it.
Nearby sizes
| mm | US | UK | Yarn |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 10 | 4 | Aran to chunky |
| 6.5 | 10.5 | 3 | Chunky |
| 7 | — | 2 | Chunky |
| 8 | 11 | 0 | Chunky to bulky |
| 9 | 13 | 00 | Bulky |
| 10 | 15 | 000 | Super bulky |
Frequently asked questions
What is a 8 mm knitting needle in US and UK sizes?
US 11 and UK 0. The millimetre figure is the actual diameter and the only one that means the same thing everywhere.
Is a US 11 the same as a UK 11?
No. A US 11 is 8 mm; a UK 11 is 3 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 8 mm needle?
Chunky to bulky. Bulky yarn, quick scarves and blankets. At this size gauge swatches genuinely matter, because a stitch is nearly a centimetre.
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.