I went out and bought myself some circular needles to transfer my project to. I love these needles. I dont ever want to use straights again.:roflhard: Amazing how cool they are.
Well, I just want to know if they ever straighten up a bit. and if they do, how do you store them so that they dont curl up on you again? Is this even possible?
I want an entire set of Circulars. Any suggestions?
To āstraightenā them out try running very hot water over the cables. Not the needles or the join. Then hold then tight until they cool. In my experience they never straighten out just become less curly.
Some people hang the needles between uses using various frames and devices. However you store them make sure that the cable is very loosely coiled if it has to be coiled.
I prefer the the interchangeable needles. Check the shop here for some examples.
Knit Picks has interchangeable needles in both wood and medal. You can buy the entire set of by the needles and cables individually as you need them. The set may be cheaper but buying the pieces spreads the money out over time.
I like the Boyle Needlemasters because they have a size 2, but I hate the cables. So I replaced the cables with some vinyl tubing I had and they seem to work well. Of course mileage will vary.
I love my circulars too. I asked for a Boye interchangeable set a few years ago and havenāt look back at my straight since. The Boye needles can be a little stiff, but overall for what they cost with a coupon or on e-bay they are a great starting point.
I definitely want the knit picks options nickle plated set for Christmas. Arenāt circulars awesome? IMHO theyāre the best thing ever invented for knitting. :mrgreen:
Iāve been looking at a set of these and asked for them for Christmas. I even gave my DW the 40% off coupon the store gave me when I bought my last yarn selection.
Iāve seen a post or two that mentions the cable may pull loose, was that with an old style connector? The ones I looked at had threaded connectors.
Get interchangables if you can afford it. You will save money in the long run. I am making a scarf- casted on one size larger-8, switched to 7 for the first three rows and then changed to 9 for the main part of the scarf, back to a 7 for the last three rows. All I change is the needle tips. Itās great!! I have Denise and love them.
Iāve had problems with the needles and connectors unscrewing. They come with a āpinā that fits in a hole in the cable and a rubber non-skid pad that is used to hold the needle. If I snug the connections with these Iāve never had a problem with the connection coming loose.
I have Denise Interchangeables, but havenāt used them even once since I got my Options! (I personally do not like Boye at all, but thatās just me)
As for the cable pulling loose - I have it happen just once in all the time Iāve had them. DH glued it back in with super glue and itās been fine ever since. I did have a few cables/needles that wouldnāt screw in properly, but KP replace them immediately. Great customer service.
Oh and I use a rubbery thing to grip the needle when tightening and Iāve never had a needle come unscrewed.
I agree with everyone who said Knit Picks. Needles with a really good flexible cable will spoil you for others! You donāt have to do anything to straighten them. They just donāt have memory.
I like the nickle plated, but I know people who prefer the wood. Itās really personal choice. I suggest just ordering one set of needles and a cable of each to see which one you prefer. I ordered size 7 and 8 needles and 24 in cables to see if I liked them. After that I bought the whole set. And since then Iāve added to them. :teehee:
OPTIONS! Either nickle or wood - whichever. Theyāre both wonderful and makes knitting even more enjoyable, fun and easy than ever! PLUS they save you SO MUCH money!
I have the wood interchangeables, and the nickel plated non-interchangeable sock sized circs. I LOVE the wood needles, but I find it hard to see tiny sock stitches on multi-colored needles, so the nickel plates work better for socks, IMO.
I have learned not to fight the natural curve! I wind them into a circle, tuck in the points and hang them from a straight needle in my needle vase arrangement.
I have the Boye interchangeables and LOVE them. I adore metal needles, you couldnāt pay me to use wood or resin, and like a previous poster said, with the non-skid pad and the pin you can make sure that the whole thing doesnāt come apart.
I love my KP Options and the little storage notebook for them too. I did have trouble with the first set coming apart ā not the screw part after I learned to really tighten it well ā but with the plastic cable detaching from the metal tip ā it happened on 2 sets. I just called and KP sent me a replacement ASAP and I havenāt had problems with the new set. Maybe they had defective glue or something for a ābatchā. The customer service was really nice and when I complained I wasnāt going to be happy with the set if it continued she indicated they would take back the set no problem due to itās defectiveness. Very nice.
A tip for straightening out curling circs is to heat them by runing them over the top of a lamp. Donāt touch the cord to the bulb, just near enough they get warm, and hold them straight.
Adrianne, Iāve heard that that is typically how Knitpicks handles complaints. Their customer service is apparently really really good. When something about your Options set is not satisfactory they send you replacements without any kind of hassle.
Iād really like a set as well, but Boye was within my budget and Options (for now at least) is not.