What is the smallest cirular needle size?
Smallest Circular Needle Size?
Needle size or cable size?
Addi has 16" and 12" listed as the smallest I just measured my 16" and they are exactly 16" tip to tip. Needles are 3.5" to where they join the cable and the widest circumference part is 1.75" long. Hope this helps
I was thinking about making my own small circs for socks out of heavy gauge sewing needles and heavy stranded thread for the cable.
Wonder if that would work?
There’s some site where it tells you how to do it yourself. I forget what they suggest for the cables, but it’s supposed to work really well. Oh, and I also forget what the site is. Big help, aren’t I.
But if you search around, I’m sure you’ll find it. But I like your idea of using sewing needles, Mason.
Other than that, knitabikini, if it’s the cables that you meant, then yes, 12" by Addi is what’s currently the shortest available that I’ve ever found. Boye used to make 8" but seems to have discontinued them. But if you meant the needles themselves, Hiya Hiya makes some less than 1mm, so something like in sizes 0, 00 and 000.
I have a couple of nickel plated 12 inch circulars, meaning 12 inches including the needles but I don’t remember what make they are.
I have also made a 12 inch circular in another size. I bought bamboo needles from China off ebay, double pointed and circulars, 36 sets of circular and a pretty complete set of double pointed for $30 total including shipping. 6 of the circulars were unusable because of bad joins, mostly in sizes 1 and 2. They used something like surgical tubing glued onto the bamboo, so I just cut up one of the bad ones and cut a double pointed into two ends the right size and sanded the ends to the right shape to accept the tubing and glued it on with epoxy and they work fine.
I have a set of 11" circulars by Balene (size 7, but I originally saw some in my LYS that were size 3). They are supposed to be for sleeves, etc., but I’m using them for my favorite baby hat pattern. I used to do this pattern with metal DP’s but that’s a nightmare on something as soft as Caron SS, which is what I’m using. These small circulars are just right for the job.
Ok, you peaked my curiousity and I had to go Googling. I found this site. I’m not sure if it’s the one you were talking about, but it seems like pretty good info…
KP makes a size 9" circ and I LOVE LOVE them for socks!!! Patternworks has them on their website,or www.shopinthemaking carries them!!! For those of you that strongly dislike casting on and knitting ribbing on DP then these are for you. You do have to switch to dp for the heel but I love them!! They come in a size 0 to a size 6.
Ugh! i hate small little bits to hold and knit with…
i make my socks on 29inch (not 24inch) circ’s (2 on 2 method) because i like the longer tips of the longer circs.
i haven’t seen anyone who carries 00 circs (in any lenght) though i know they are made.
my smalles is my 0’s (all 4 (2 sock sets) 29 inches long!
i have some short (14 inch long) circ’s… i plan to trade them away, since i know i will never use them!
Yes…about that. I mean 12" total length including the needles. The hat I am kniting is stretching too much with the ribbing and so I must knit it smaller than on a 16" circ. But they’re not a dime a dozen! I’ve found 11" and 12" online, not in the stores around here. I need #3’s…anybody have this size want to swap, or sell this needle to me?
What size hat are you making? If it is stretching too much on the 16s, I suggest doing it on DPNsn since you will end up needing them at the top anyway and they are much easier to find.
Addis 12" #3 does exist (I actually just bought some for sleeves). Do you live near a knitting store (not a craft store)?
candice
The hat is for a 22" head and believe it or not I am knitting it as if for a 13" head becuase the ribbing on this Cashmere/Merino Wool/Silk hat is stretching a lot. I’ve frogged it twice because it was just stretching too much. I have it on DPNs now, but geesh it’s a pain. On circs I can just pick it up and knit and not worry, I’m busy trying to keep the stitches on and what am I on, k or p? Oh ya know…
Thanks for the input Candice, and all the other posts. I know I haven’t responded in a while, but I am reading and it does help!
Thanks!
Hmmm yes, there is a knitting store within reach that I should check out…
You could use 2 circulars. Think of them as dpns with a cord to keep the sts from slipping off.
Are you using a pattern? Maybe there is an error in the pattern?
candice
The knitting board on Craftster (www.craftster.org) has some pretty detailed instructions on making your own circular needles, if you’re ambitious enough to do that. I’m not!
ETA: here’s the link directly to the instructions:
http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=25372.0
Just my opinion and my experience: I recently bought Addi size 8, 12" circs and I find these too hard to work with. The cable is so short that I have to knit at the very tip of the needle with the cable stretched, and purl is even harder to do. If feels like the needle is too long for a cable that short, and there isn’t much flexibility.
I’m not a fan of dpn’s, but I’d rather use dpn’s than the 12" circ. I don’t have any problem at all with 16" circs but the 12" is too short and hard to work with - IMO.
Suzeeq- is I use two circulars wouldn’t that be like knitting it straight, and I’d have to seam it up when I’m done? I want it to be seamless and knit around.
Candice- I’m lightly basing the hat off of a pattern. But pretty much just measured my reicever’s head and calculated sts/inch.
No you use 2 circulars in place of 4 dpns. Knit across half the stitches with the 2nd circular, then pick up the tail of the circ on the left with it until your done. Repeat. Take a look at the video under Advanced Techniques - Small diameter knitting on two circulars.
I use two circular needles for socks or other small circular things. When I’ve had hats that didn’t fit around a 16 in I’ve done with either two circs or DPNs. Do check Amy’s video and here’s another link if you need it.
http://www.az.com/~andrade/knit/twocirculars.html
The needles on 12 in would be so short it might drive you nuts!