Is it necessary to follow the recommended knitting needle size on yarn?
I brought some knitting yarn and it suggests that I use a size 13 (9mm) knitting needles. I am knitting a hat. Do I have to follow this recommendation? If I used a size 7 would this not work? Why? Thanks so much, I am just trying to avoid buying a new needle size whenever I start a new project! Best answer: Answer by thejanith Buying a new set of needles whenever you buy different yarn won’t last long. You’ll soon acquire the sizes you’ll most commonly use. A way to avoid this, however, is to only choose patterns that call for the needles you already have. The needle size is determined more by the yarn than anything else. If you have yarn that is bulky enough to call for 9mm needles, using 4mm or so (I think that’s a size 7 US) won’t be good for that yarn. The pattern would also come out the wrong size. If you wanted to use a 7mm needle instead of a 9mm, I’d still say you needed to adjust the pattern. It might work, however. The difference you have is too great to really do well, unfor
