I’m knitting my first sweater and I’m having some serious trouble with the sleeves. The ribbed cuff is a sz 10 needle and the rest is 10.5. I’ve been trying to use the Magic loop method, but I don’t think that my cable needle is flexible enough. I can’t seem to find double pointed needles in 10 and 10.5. Any advice would be appreciated. When I knit with the magic loop I feel like I’m an trying to knit inside a box, confined and I keep losing track of my stitch. Do they make tiny short circular needles?
if you have extra sets of the circulars already, you might try 2 circs at a time, instead of magic loop. about half your stitches would go on one circ, and the other about half of the stitches go on the 2nd circ. i say about half because you can adjust, depending on pattern. there are videos on you tube about that method of knitting.
and yes there are shorter corded circular needles. i know clover has 9" sets in 9 sizes (http://www.clover-usa.com/p/takumi-bamboo-knitting-needles-circular-9-inch?pp=24) and many are available at big box retailers.
ETA. now that i look more closely, the clover ones only go up to size 8. maybe somebody else knows if another brand has smaller cord lengths in sizes starting at 9 and above.
What size double points do you have? If you have size 9 you might just do the cuffs with them, I generally go down two sizes for rib. X’s suggestion for using two circs is certainly a good option. If you happen to have interchangeable needles, the left needle can be smaller than the right so you don’t need two sets of tips in the same size. If you have a JoAnn or other craft type store that carries knitting supplies you might find the dpns in the size you need. I think I’d skip buying a circ small enough to knit a cuff, you might not ever use it again.
What brand of needles are you currently using?
If it’s keeping track of the beginning and end of round, a removable stitch marker of a loop of contrasting yarn may help you mark the first stitch. You might also consider buying a 10.5 with a longer cable, maybe a 42" long circular. The ribbing can be knit flat and seamed later with the rest of the sleeve magic looped.
The short circulars are fine for doing collars and neckbands but they are tedious to work with and put a strain on your hands if you have to use them for long periods of time.
If the pattern isn’t complicated, you could knit the sleeves flat with an extra selvedge stitch on each side and seam them later. That way it’s easy to knit both sleeves at the same time to make sure they’re exactly the same.
Sadly I’m using a Boye circular set. You know the one that comes with tips sz 2-15 and has several different cable lengths to screw together. I think part of the problem is that to get the proper length for magic loop I have to screw 2 cables together and overall the cables themselves are not that flexible, but add on the linking piece and it is even worse. Any suggestions on a good set of cable needles with interchangeable tips and several cable lengths? I tend to like metal needles, but I’m open to anything that makes this easier. I’m in love with this sweater and now I’m stuck on the tiniest part of it. 
Thanks in advance.
That is a problem. GG’s and X’s suggestions for using 2 circulars with the correct size tip on the righthand needle will work if you don’t mind using two circs.
There’s a discussion here that may help with suggestions for interchangeables.
http://www.knittinghelp.com/forum/showthread.php?p=1396236
i also just found this while tooling around… http://www.knittingparadise.com/t-235057-1.html … that the smaller chiaogoo cables will work with the needlemaster tips, if you use the chiaogoo 2-cord connectors. it seems they’re the same/similar (metric/US conversion) sizes. that may be cheaper/easer than getting all-new sets. because the needlemaster tips are the receptive end of the join, the chiaogoo cable connector screws in, and then you screw the chiaogoo cable onto that… but better descriptions with pictures are at that link above. hope that helps, X 
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Thanks for all the input. I just ordered some ChiaoGoo cables and links. So excited that I don’t have to order a whole new set! Too bad I have to wait until they get here to finish my sweater. I might just start on my little one’s Christmas stocking though. Yay!
I mostly use magic loop, but for very small things, like a small toy I would use DPN. Both are useful methods to know. 
Just an add on. I got a (very) inexpensive set of dpns through Amazon. It had sizes from 3 or 4 up through 13.
I figured that I haven’t used dpns much so far, but wanted to try a couple of small projects and didn’t want to lay out $8-$10 per set until I found out if I liked it enough to use them more frequently.
Mostly I use Clover Takumi, and have gotten to where I use circs for almost everything; but for boot cuffs and mittens, thought I’d stick with the dpns. We’ll see how it goes.:teehee:
Just recieved my cables. They fit perfectly with the Boyle set. Thank you so much. I knitted up the cuff of the sweater in no time flat. Thanks again.
i’m so glad! how funny, i was just taking a gander at this thread this morning, and wondered, ‘how’s she doing with that?’ so it’s good to hear everything went well.
I have to admit I was afraid of the magic loop ----- I don’t know why. It is quite simple! I have to hurry and finish a pair of socks I’m working on now so I can try them with my newly found skills!!