[Ina]

... knitting needles? I'm having a problem... Which is, of course, caused by the fact that I am a bl**dy foreigner and started out knitting in Germany, where sizes are different! I know I can get all the needles in all the sizes in Shetland (Lerwick is knitter's paradise!), but at the moment I can't even find a mailorder place to get needles from, and I don't happen to have the small change necessary to pop up north for a day. John Lewis in Aberdeen used to be good at these odd sizes, but now they don't even sell anything smaller than 2.75mm - and I rarely use anything larger than 2.5mm... And I have already tried all the craft shops in the area.

Anyway - I need circular needles, 2.5mm and 3.5mm, 100cm long at least. That's for the top-down jumpers; they get quite big across the chest. I have several in both thicknesses in 80cm (thank you, Lidl - plus some from way back which I've "imported"), and I have already started in that size, so don't want to undo what I have already and start again!

If I can't get them locally (i.e. in UK), I'll order them from Germany. But I thought I'd try here first...

[SallyintNorth]

There's a set of 3mm 120cm on Ravelry ]here

[Bionic]

Ina,
there are a huge amount of websites that sell knitting needles although I can't vouch for the sizes they sell.
Try purplelindacrafts.co.uk or stashfineyarns.com for starters
Sally

[Hermit]

I use Purple Linda crafts for crochet stuff. As said try the internet. I am sure if you contact the wools shops in Lerwick they will send you some. Funny though I cant get what I want up here.

[Dans]

I've ordered needles from all over the place (tend to shop for cheapest price) including amazon and ebay.

I've had some from these guys before and they have a wide range of circulars inc. 2.5mm 100cm.

http://www.mcadirect.com/shop/knitting-needles-circular-needles-c-24_58_96.html?osCsid=j0af2davpbriq7i8p49ijk0ts2

I'd also suggest one of these

http://www.mcadirect.com/shop/prym-knitting-pin-gauge-611740-p-1999.html?osCsid=j0af2davpbriq7i8p49ijk0ts2

I inherited a lot of knitting needles from people when I started knitting, but many had no size labelled or were marked in old UK system, so this has proved very useful for working out what size things are!

Dans

[Fleecewife]

The British Addi website (addineedles) has all sizes I think, apart from 3.5mm, and the needles are lovely to knit with - the circular ones don't have a mind of their own so you can use them straight out of the packet.  A bit over £5 each plus 60 or 90 p P&P  Sorry I don't have the exact url

[Lesley Silvester]

It's always worth looking in charity shops as well.  I've often seen needles in our local ones.

[Dans]

Always ask if you do. Some charity shops keep them behind the counter.

Dans

[Ina]

Thanks for all your replies. I'll try the websites you mentioned - the ones I'd found so far had only British sizes, and none of them longer than 80cm.  Charity shops are unlikely to have "continental" sizes, either.

Update:

mcadirect and addineedles have the right sizes (the others don't), and addineedles have even extra long ones, up to 150cm - hooray! Sometimes it's strange which websites come up when you google for something, and which ones seem to be ignored...

Get the creditcard out, I'm ordering... 


Thanks for your help!

[Birdie Wife]

Glad you found what you were looking for I just wanted to add that knitting jumpers on 2.5/3.5mm needles is definitely a work of love and devotion and I'm in awe!! You deserve a  !
 
How many stitches do you have on a row?

[Ina]

3.5mm is definitely an exception - I got a joblot of oiled Aran cheap, and that's lovely wool but far thicker than anything I usually use! The 2.5mm I use for some Shetland wool (Jamieson's), but my absolute favourite is proper Guernsey yarn - 5-ply - which I knit with 2mm needles. I think for that one I had 372 stitches (in the round). The knitting doesn't take that long; I think professional knitters used to (or maybe still do?) finish one per week. My problem with "normal" jumpers is that it takes me a month or two to knit the thing, and then a year or two to sew the bits together! So anything that doesn't involve sewing up/finishing off, like Guernseys or the raglan I'm doing at the moment is so much better...

[Fleecewife]

I just love knitting in the round - learning how to do that transformed knitting from a chore to a hobby for me     Now once I get to the top all I have to do is graft under the arms and sew in the tails.  The only picking up is a few stitches on either side of the neck at the front - (I hate picking up stitches - one side works fine but the other side never looks right).
 
For the first time in ages I'm knitting a jumper as flat pieces - the realisation that when I get to the top I still have two front pieces and two sleeves to do is totally daunting. And if I ever get to that point then I'll still have to sew it up      I hope it's worth it 
 
I'm glad you found the needles you want. Happy 

[Dans]

Glad you found what you were after Ina!

oooo I hadn't thought about knitting jumpers in the round. I love knitting hats in the round, and have started knitting flat things on circulars. Shall have to investigate jumpers in the round.

Dans

[Ina]

Dans, look at the thread on knitting jumpers from the top - that's one way to do it. And two books I found very useful are:

"Knitting Ganseys", by Beth Brown-Reinsel; not strictly traditional Ganseys (or Guernseys), but that style, and includes cardies.

And "Cornish Guernseys & Knit-frocks" - gives you a lot of history as well, and the traditional patterns. I knitted a copy of one from that book which is over 100 years old...

[Bionic]

Ina,
I have never tried knitting in the round before, other than a pair of socks, so I am interested in the books you have mentioned too.
If you could have only one of those books which would it be?
thanks
Sally