The Sewing Place

Circular Needle Supplier Help needed

b15erk

Circular Needle Supplier Help needed
« on: September 27, 2017, 13:07:13 PM »
I feel as if I'm going slightly mad over a hat....  :S

I tried to change the pattern to 2 needles but wasted the evening trying.  No worries, I'll pop in to town to get the correct needles, not fond of circular knitting, but needs must.

Tried the Range, none at all, and the only other knitting supplies place on the market only had 100 cms long ones.

The sizes I need are 4.00 and 4.50, 30 cms long.  I have looked and I have looked, and the only availability I can find is either the US, China, or pay silly price and postage from the UK.

Does anyone know of a reliable supplier, preferably UK, with reasonably priced, and prompt delivery? 

Jessie (who needs to make a little hat for Theo)


Jessie, who is very happy to be here!!  :),  but who has far too many sewing machines to be healthy, and a fabric stash which is becoming embarrassing.

StitchinTime

Re: Circular Needle Supplier Help needed
« Reply #1 on: September 27, 2017, 13:36:55 PM »
Blacksheep Wools have 40cm needles in the sizes you require listed on their website at £2.20 each, but postage is £2.95.
http://www.blacksheepwools.com/accessories.html?cat=2910

Are they close enough to you for a trip down the East Lancs to Culcheth?

Snowgoose

Re: Circular Needle Supplier Help needed
« Reply #2 on: September 27, 2017, 13:46:58 PM »
Purplelinda has them but again, postage is £2.65. http://www.purplelindacrafts.co.uk/pony-circular-knitting-pins-40cm-needles-1038-c.asp

Could you cut down a 100cm length by undoing the pins, if they are the ones which have plastic tubing holding the 'wire' to the pins?

b15erk

Re: Circular Needle Supplier Help needed
« Reply #3 on: September 27, 2017, 14:16:22 PM »
Thank you both!  I would have been happy to go to Black Sheep Wools SiT, but 40cm is just too long.  I'm only knitting 60 stitches, and tried the other night with a longer circular, but it was stretching the stiches, and I just can't master the 'magic loop?'

I did find some at the Wool Stack, (it seems only the Addi brand do 30cm), and if you register with them, you get a 5% discount.  It was almost £12 for something which I will only probably use for this hat, but it is such a sweet hat!  ;)

SGoose, not thought of trying to cut the tubing, but I did fleetingly think of buying the cords with interchangeable tips - briefly that is, until I saw the price!

I'm not a great knitter, so I do tens to be a cheapskate :)

Jessie
Jessie, who is very happy to be here!!  :),  but who has far too many sewing machines to be healthy, and a fabric stash which is becoming embarrassing.

maliw

Re: Circular Needle Supplier Help needed
« Reply #4 on: September 27, 2017, 14:24:12 PM »
I bought some bamboo ones from here
http://stores.ebay.co.uk/pickandknit/
but 40cms may be the shortest they have. I bought some others from Abakhan but I don't know what length they werein fact thinking about it, I don't know where they are, oops.
At leisure on the leisure penninsula

b15erk

Re: Circular Needle Supplier Help needed
« Reply #5 on: September 27, 2017, 14:38:29 PM »
I will need 40cm ones for the larger sizes, but I intend to complete this smaller one first before I commit to making any more. 

It seems quite a complicated pattern, although it looks deceptively simple.  Full of 'short rows', and markers.

https://www.purlsoho.com/create/2014/01/23/lauras-loop-garter-ear-flap-hat/

I think it may test me!

Jessie

Jessie, who is very happy to be here!!  :),  but who has far too many sewing machines to be healthy, and a fabric stash which is becoming embarrassing.

BrendaP

Re: Circular Needle Supplier Help needed
« Reply #6 on: September 27, 2017, 14:48:51 PM »
If you can't get 30cm in the sizes you want get two circular needles of any length in each size and have (about) half the stitches on each.  Or use a set of double pointed needles.

If the hat decreases down to just a few stitches at the crown you will need one of those options to finish it anyway.
Brenda.  My machines are: Corona, a 1953 Singer 201K-3, Caroline, a 1940 Singer 201K-3, Thirza, 1949 Singer 221K, Azilia, 1957 Singer 201K-MK2 and Vera, a Husqvarna 350 SewEasy about 20 years old. Also Bernina 1150 overlocker and Elna 444 Coverstitcher.
http://paternoster.orpheusweb.co.

Ploshkin

Re: Circular Needle Supplier Help needed
« Reply #7 on: September 27, 2017, 17:14:21 PM »
Jessie, don't give up on magic loop.  I could never get it watching all those videos but when I sat down with a written/picture tutorial I got it straight away.  It's just so easy and obvious once you've got it.   (I posted the tutorial on here a while back.) I'm now on my 2nd magic loop garment and wouldn't do it any other way - old dogs (me) can learn new tricks.  It means you can knit anything on a long cable.
Life's too short for ironing.

Ellabella

Re: Circular Needle Supplier Help needed
« Reply #8 on: September 27, 2017, 17:19:24 PM »
Jessie I think I have a 30cm cable and I have those needles, PM me your address and I'll pop in the post tomorrow.

Just send them back when you have finished I won't need them for ages.

Francesca

Re: Circular Needle Supplier Help needed
« Reply #9 on: September 28, 2017, 16:05:52 PM »
Have you checked John Lewis? They have a few decent brands in there and a full range of lengths.

However, this is exactly what magic loop is for. If I can learn magic loop after only 6 months of knitting, you can learn it for sure  0_0 Magic loop is the solution.

b15erk

Re: Circular Needle Supplier Help needed
« Reply #10 on: September 28, 2017, 16:31:43 PM »
I have tried Fran, really, I just can't master it.  There are just some techniques which are beyond me, and this was one.

I have the correct needles on their way to me, so I'll be able to crack on over the weekend.

Jessie
Jessie, who is very happy to be here!!  :),  but who has far too many sewing machines to be healthy, and a fabric stash which is becoming embarrassing.

LeilaMay

Re: Circular Needle Supplier Help needed
« Reply #11 on: September 29, 2017, 08:31:53 AM »
I can't do magic loop either. Apparently it's good for socks, but I stick with sets of DPNs  :)  I just can't 'get' the logic of it, can't see in my head how it 3-dimensionally works. So it's not just you Jessie

Francesca

Re: Circular Needle Supplier Help needed
« Reply #12 on: September 29, 2017, 10:07:33 AM »
If you took a sock that was on, say, 3 dpns and shuffled it so that it was on two 2dpns instead, how would that look?

Here are what would be my written instructions on how to magic loop, as simple as possible:

1. Cast onto DPNs if that helps you.
2. Arrange so you only have two DPNs instead of 3 or 4
3. Swap those two DPNs for one circular needle (pointy ends at the end with your working yarn)
4. Now pull the right hand needle out and start knitting...

I always think techniques in knitting need to be done rather than thought about. When you just do what it says explicitly, rather than thinking too much about it, it clicks in place really quickly. First time I ever did a cable my Mum told me how to do it over the phone  0_0

Ploshkin

Re: Circular Needle Supplier Help needed
« Reply #13 on: September 29, 2017, 10:40:38 AM »
That's a really good description Fran.
Life's too short for ironing.

b15erk

Re: Circular Needle Supplier Help needed
« Reply #14 on: October 02, 2017, 09:14:06 AM »
I'm sure I am overthinking the Magic loop thing, but I tried again over the weekend (using your tutorial Plosh), and I can't do it.

I cobbled together an approximation of ML to finish Theo's hat, but it isn't a pretty sight!

I'll try again today, as I'm on number 2 hat, and I would like the top to be finished nicely.

Jessie
Jessie, who is very happy to be here!!  :),  but who has far too many sewing machines to be healthy, and a fabric stash which is becoming embarrassing.