:wall: I have a new pair of metal circular needles that I was going to use to knit a baby hat on. But the stupid plastic cord that goes between the 2 needles is so looped that it keeps getting in my way and is interfering with my knitting. Is there any technique or method to get the plastic part to straighten out? Very annoying.
Thank you!
T.
I have some .99 circs that twist up horribly…since you’re already knitting on the circs, when you get to the end, carefully untwist the cable. HTH.
When you can, I recommend getting higher quality circs, ie: Knit Picks (I got Options and I love them) no twisting with them…
I believe I have heard it is useful to run the cord under some hot water, that should help loosen them up a bit…
Like Crycket said steam or hot water will do it then lay over your sofa arm 
Mine did that too now they are great!
Doing as suggested will help, but they still won’t be as pliable as you’d like. I finally just bought the Knitpicks Options and love them!
Hi! :waving:
Curling cables nearly annoyed me to death!!! What a nerve-wracking way to try to knit!
Later, when I got my Knit Pick Options, that problem went away. But in the meantime, there I was trying to knit socks with this horribly looping cable. And to finish my project I had to use what I had on hand. So… I read about the value of boiling water!
I put a small pot of water on the stove and when it came up to the boil I plunked my cable down in the bubbling water and swished it around. Don’t put the part that connects to the needles into the water, just most of the cable.
I kept taking them out and re-plunging them in until I could feel a difference in the coil of the cable. It wasn’t a perfect (or a permanent) solution but it got me through the project. When the coil started to tighten again after a couple hours knitting I just cranked up the water pot and put the cable back in its “hot tub”!
Hope this helps!
Ruthie 
The hot water bath works - leave the cords only in for a couple minutes, then take them out and let them cool while holding them out straight. You can do this another time or two if you want, but let them cool between baths.
I had only temporary success with the hot water method…
Whatever I was knitting on the .99 circs, I knitted onto the corresponding sized Options needle/cable…pretend like you’re knitting on straights (I had a brainfart and thought I had to do something “special” to switch from one circ to the other…durr me so smart college student.) lol
It gets everyone the first time they have to /want to switch needles.
I hold my cords in front of a boiling kettle. Works wonders.
With some of my older, less expensive circulars, I preheated the oven to about 175.
Pulled out a large cookie sheet and placed the needles on the sheet.
Once preheated I turned the oven off and put the tray on a rack in the center of the oven.
I watched the cable and when they started to sag a little I pulled the tray out of the oven. Picking up the needles by the center of the cable, I ran the cables through my hands to smooth out the cables. Do Not pull on the cable needle join. Once all the cables had been smoothed I hung then needles in circular needle hanger.
At 175 the oven is about the temperature of many hot water heaters. In the oven the entire cable is heated at the same time, rather than small section under running water.
So far no problems with the join.
MMV
I use boiling water and hold all the cord in it a minute or two. That’s hotter than hot tap water or the oven, but I may give the oven a try on a couple of acrylics that are all one piece and have serious kinks in them that nothing has straightened out.