Very basic knitting question

Snoozle

I am new to knitting, but have acquired my MILs collection of knitting needles and am going to have a go.

When I last did any knitting (at primary school!!) I remember needles were in sizes but now they seem to be in mm.....The needles that I have acquired are in all sorts of sizes, some old, some new, so my question is, what is a 3mm knitting needle in 'old money'?

Thanks

tomkins

its a size 11

mioliere

Snoozle - good luck with the knitting! Here's a useful chart giving old and new sizes http://www.fibergypsy.com/common/needles.shtml

valk_scot

And for future reference...conversion chart.

If you are looking at patterns online, btw, there are a lot of American patterns on the web so it pays to be aware that US needle sizes are different again to the metric and old UK Imperial sizing. For example an old UK No8 is 4.00mm, but it's a No6 US.

You can also buy a small plastic or metal needle gauge in any knitting shop for a couple of pounds which has a series of holes to measure your needles in, with the UK, metric and US sizes printed alongside.

Snoozle

Thanks so much for all your replies.......I've started my wee project and have got my first two bits done (I'm knitting a wee bear). Moving on to the third section of the pattern, it refers to 'knit into the front and the back of the stitch'. Now, all those years back at school, this was how I was taught to increase by one stitch, but this pattern refers to 'increase' in other places, so is knitting into the front and back different from increasing? Have I been increasing wrong? Its a Debbie Bliss pattern, if that helps clarify. Maybe Ms Bliss is having a laugh trying to confuse novices like me !!:D

charlysez

not easy to explain in text, but i think you will find taken literally this will give you a sort of a twist. there are video clips on youtube showing various stitches for crochet and knitting, could be worth a google of the exact phrase you just used.