Harmony Options Interchangeable Needles

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Permalink Reply by Knit Picks Admin on September 5, 2008 at 9:42am

No, there isn't going to be a 16" needle for the set. In the set, the tips are all 4.5". This means, that the cord for a 16" needle would only be 7". When we made prototypes of a cord this short, it put too much stress on the join as you knit and tended to unscrew or break. The reason that we have 16" fixed circular needles is that the needle tips are shorter and they cannot unscrew.

However, if you have an interchangeable set, you can still knit small circumferences. You can knit with 2 circular needles at a time, or you can use the magic loop technique. We have tutorials for these techniques here: http://community.knitpicks.com/notes/Knitting_in_the_Round

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Permalink Reply by Smurf on September 9, 2008 at 6:00pm

I have both the Harmony and Nickel plated interchangeable tips, and love them both. Are there any plans to add 7.0mm and 7.5mm tips to the range? I grew up with metric needle sizes, and it seems strange the US system has such a big gap between US10.5 (6.5mm) and US11 (8mm).

(I'm planning to make the Robin Hood Jacket by Zoe Mellor, and of course my tension means I need a 7.00mm and 7.5mm to get gauge!).

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Permalink Reply by Smurf on October 1, 2008 at 4:50pm

So I've discovered on Ravelry that both KP Harmony and Nickle-plated tips are available in the UK in the 7.0mm size, but are not available in the US from Knit Picks themselves. Why on earth not?! I can't believe I'm the only one in the US who is interested in obtaining additional tips in the 7.0mm and 7.5mm sizes.

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Permalink Reply by mynxr on September 13, 2008 at 4:29pm

Is there anyway to connect the cables to make one longer than 60"? I need a cable that's approximately 75" long for a 70" wide double lapghan that I'm making. I specifially bought the knit picks to make it easier to knit because the Denise plastic needles are driving me crazy!

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Permalink Reply by Knit Picks Admin on September 17, 2008 at 7:56am

No, our needles do not connect like the Denise needles do. Since you are making something huge, you could try using multiple circular needles instead of one enormous one.

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Permalink Reply by Susan the Blue Lake Knitter on September 29, 2008 at 3:48pm

I've also found that even though an item is larger than the cable length + needle lengths, that it can still be knit successfully. You just have to make sure that you put a guard on the needle tips when you lay the project down, or stitches can fall off.

I like using a cable a bit larger than my project... it puts less strain on the joints and you don't have to tighten them as often. Using a modified Magic Loop methos works best.

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Permalink Reply by momsknittin on October 30, 2008 at 7:06am

Hi! I am planning on asking for a set of Harmony Needles for Christmas and have a question. I can't decide between the interchangeable needles or the straight set. I know that you can use the interchangeable ones with the end cap on and use them like straight needles. Has anyone had any luck doing this?

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Permalink Reply by rlaba51 on October 30, 2008 at 8:58am

Yes! I got my set of interchangeable Harmony needles for Christmas last year and I can't live without them now! I have put an end cap on the cable and I have also done straight knitting on the circular cable with 2 needles. I have found the latter a more comfortable arrangement than having the two cables just dangling. And I also find I have better control of the fabric with the circular arrangement. But there is nothing wrong with using the end cap.

The advantage of the interchangeable set over the straight needles is that you are able to use the same set for nearly every type of knitting no matter it be straight or knitting in the round. You can even make socks on the circular needles!

All of that being said, there's something about the tradition of knitting with straight needles and sometimes I go to them just for the fun of it. And one of these days I'm going to splurge and buy some Harmony straights.

Whatever you choose, I am sure you won't be sorry. These needles are the best of the best!!

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Permalink Reply by momsknittin on October 30, 2008 at 11:30am

Thank you for the info! It's got me thinking now because I hadn't given much thought regarding the length of the cables dangling around. Maybe I'll start with the straight set and then when my birthday rolls around I'll ask for the interchangeable set....hmmmm decisions, decisions

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Permalink Reply by Amy knits on December 4, 2008 at 6:11pm

Go for the circs! I now knit almost everything on them. Don't bother using the end cap, you just knit a row using only one cable with 2 tips, then turn your work and use the opposite needle. It's great for airplanes and close quarters - no awkward needles poking out and it folds nicely into a ziplock bag.

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Permalink Reply by Quiltnut on November 5, 2008 at 7:48pm

I have the Harmony interchangeable needles and love them. I have been doing a lot of different projects and it is nice to have needles for any thing I want to do. Had a problem with one bad cable but it was replaced right away. I recommended them to several people who have bought them too.

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Permalink Reply by bi-crafty on November 14, 2008 at 2:45pm

Never thought I could fall in love with knitting needles until I met my dpn's, cable needles, and circs in harmony wood. What a treat for the hands as well as the eyes. I have the options set - soooo worth the price (not that they're off the charts, but what a great investment!), and the cables are the most flexible I've ever used. I have one suggestion, however: engrave or stamp the needle size into the metal connector end. Makes it easy to check what size is in use on different projects, rather than having to pull out the sizer (which is always in the other project bag), or using ID tags.

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