US Size 11 Knitting Needles (8 mm): Yarn Weight, Gauge and Conversions

A US size 11 needle is 8 mm in diameter, about 0.31 inch. The old UK and Canadian size is 0. US numbers were never fully standardized, so trust the millimeter size printed on the needle or check it in a needle gauge. The neighboring sizes are 7 mm and US 13 (9 mm).

CYC places 8 mm inside the recommended needle range for bulky (chunky) and super bulky yarn. Super bulky is the usual match: its range is 8 to 12.75 mm (US 11 to 17), knitting at 7 to 11 stitches per 4 inches. Because 8 mm sits where two categories meet, it makes the lighter yarn slightly loose and the heavier yarn slightly firm. Your pattern gauge matters more than the category name.

At about 11 stitches per 4 inches, our estimate for super bulky yarn on 8 mm needles, a 20 inch hat needs about 56 stitches, rounded to a multiple of 4 for ribbing. For a snug fit many patterns size the hat 1 to 2 inches smaller than the head, which is about 48 stitches at 18 inches. The estimate places the needle within the CYC gauge range, so knit a swatch and recount before you cast on.

Cast on about 22 stitches for an 8 inch wide scarf at 11 stitches per 4 inches. A 6 inch scarf needs about 17 and a 10 inch scarf about 28. Stitch pattern changes both width and yarn: garter stitch used about 46 percent more yarn than stockinette in one test. A quick 4 inch swatch in the stitch you plan to use gives a better count than the label gauge.

The L-11 crochet hook is also 8 mm, so the two share a diameter. They are not interchangeable for the same yarn, though. CYC pairs super bulky yarn with 8 to 12.75 mm (US 11 to 17) needles but 9 to 15 mm (M-13 to Q) hooks, because crochet fabric is denser. A 8 mm hook usually suits a lighter yarn than a 8 mm needle does.

They can be, for quick projects. At 8 mm a throw can be as few as 138 stitches across, so finished pieces appear fast and stitches are easy to see. The trade-offs are heavy yarn, large loops that loosen easily and less forgiving tension, so start with a cowl or scarf before a blanket.

More stitches per 4 inches than the pattern asks for means you are knitting tight, so move up a needle size; fewer means you are knitting loose, so move down. Across the CYC range for super bulky yarn, half a millimeter of needle diameter is worth about 0.4 stitches per 4 inches, so stepping up to US 13 (9 mm) should move gauge by roughly 0.8 stitches. If only the row gauge is off, keep the needle that matches the stitch count and work to a measured length instead of counting rows. Put your own swatch numbers into the knitting gauge calculator to get a cast-on count for any width.