Wrong needle size??

[connie149th]

Just yesterday I went to joanns to pick up some double-point knitting needles that a beanie pattern had asked for, it said to use US 6. After I purchased them, I noticed the size did say US 6 but it also said 4.25mm.  I thought that was kinda weird. Do you guys think it make much difference to use them on this pattern, or should I take them back?

[killerdaisy]

mm's are for the metric measurement system. US needle makers size them with extrordinarily arbitrary numbers.

a basic yahoo search turns up things like this: http://www.turn-of-the-century.com/knitsize.htm

which tells you the equivalent mm's for each US needle number. a 4.25 mm is a size six. use the needles.

[melidomi]

knit up a gauge swatch and check your gauge - if it's looking too small, go back and get the 4.25mm needles  (US6 is sometimes 4 and sometimes 4.25mm depending on the pattern,argh!)

[connie149th]

Thank you killerdaisy and melidomi for all of your help! im so happy i dont have to return them! whoo hoo! now on to the beanie!!

[mew]

Just out of curiosity, is metric really that foreign to Americans?

(By the way, there are only 3 countries that have not formally adopted the metric system and the US is one of them)

[madamedefarge]

Just out of curiosity, is metric really that foreign to Americans?

YES!  And it's shameful, I know .

[connie149th]

Mew - the metric system is not foreign to me, i know that the knitting needles show the U.S. size and the metric size, the thing i DIDN'T know was that US 6 needles can mean 4mm AND 4.25mm. I thought that only 4mm can be US 6. So when I bought these needles it said 4.25mm. That's what confused me. All i wanted was for someone to clarify that for me, and some people did. Thanks.