My SIL gave me a bag full of knitting needles that were previously her mothers. Some straight some circular. Question is I can’t find the size on some of the circulars. Also there are some that have only needle at one end and connecting cable has “Boye and a number. Haven’t gone thru entire bag. I am assuming there are random needles but don’t see how they would connect. Obviously a number of years old. Maybe some usable but others may not be. Does anyone know what I’m talking about?
Knitting needles
Boye is a make of needles so you can look up boye knitting needles and see if you can spot any 5hing similar to what you have been given.
If there are circulars with only one needle attached they could be interchangeable circulars where the size of needle can be changed and keep the cable. There may be a locking key in the collection or possibly missing. Maybe watch a video on how to change the needle and you might realise you have all the parts, or that some parts can be replaced if missing.
The numbers maybe be mm or English size or US size, places have different sizings.
If you are not sure you van buy a needle gauge cheaply, it’s just a plastic thing with holes in, you put your needle jn to see what size it is. Mine was free with a set of low cost bamboo needles, there are not an expensive accessory but handy as some numbers can rub off the needles over time, also you don’t want to confuse English size with mm as your pattern would come out the wrong side.
Sounds exciting.
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Well I asked my SIL. When I explained my confusion she said that used to be that some of what she gave me, which I thought were circulars are used as flat, that there is a stopper at one end ( round cardboard like circle)I guess it was more flexible(cable) then straight needles. I guess I can see the concept. Is anyone familiar with that? When I asked my SIL why she never learned to knit from her mother, she said because she is left handed. (Surely left handed people can learn to knit) Guess I never gave it much thought.
As a left-handed person, I can tell you we certainly can learn to knit! A friend’s mom taught me and since she could only knit right-handed, I learned to knit right-handed. You use both hands when you knit anyway so it wasn’t a great leap. There are some lefties who truly knit left-handed but it requires a bit of fiddling to follow pattern shaping.
If you search Google for “vintage knitting kit 360 boye needle master” you’ll probably come up with an interchangeable set on Etsy. It may not be to the ones you have but they show the stoppers in the upper left with the locking key that Creations mentioned just above them.
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I have used circular needles for flat knitting when the pattern called for it, due to a large stitch count. The benefit of having flexible cable rather than straight needles is the heavy fabric can lay on your lap. A very long straight needle can hold a large number of stitches but the weight of the fabric is magnified by the angle of the needle and a knitters hands, arms and shoulders can suffer from holding the weight.
I don’t have interchangeable needles but I did use a stopper on the end of my needle.
It could be that the cables you have can hold a needle both ends as a circular but that you SIL’s mum preferred to knit flat and just stopped the end to do so.
I’ve heard of these, but not seen them. The person describing them said they were for knitting larger items flat, such as blankets, as your sister-in-law said.
I’ll take a picture so you can see. I don’t think I described it very well. It’s not a true circular needle but I think it’s supposed to function sort of like one to allow knitting larger items but it’s not meant to knit in the round, at least from what my SIL said. Don’t think they are interchangeable. I’ve not seen anything like it. I use circular needles a lot for flat knitting, I’ve yet to actually knit in the round. I’ll get there, just hasn’t happened yet. I think I’m a little intimidated
There are or were knitting needles with a permanently attached needle at one end, a cable and a stopper at the other end. They come in pairs and are meant to hold larger number of sts and not be as awkward to use as long straight needles. I think they’ve been superseded by interchangeables.
That is what I think I have. 
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Yes, those are a good replacement for those long straight needles that annoy your seatmates on long flights. Much easier to work with and keep in a project bag.