Circular needle cords

We've all done it. Bought a circular needle cord online, only to find it's much shorter than we expected. It's frustrating.

It seems that a few online stores still don't list this small but crucial fact, so if you're shopping for a new cord for your toolkit, here's how it works.

The cord length on the packet actually includes the needle tips.

Even though the cord doesn't come with tips, it's telling you what the length will be once you've attached them. But here's the other kicker because not all needle tips are equal and they're referring to the shorter tips.

Essentially, you want to take about 19 cm / 7.5" off the length (the combined length of two short needle tips) stated on the cord packaging to find the true measurement.

But why does it even matter? Well, 19 cm less on a long cord probably isn't a big deal, but losing half your length on a 40 cm cord might be. Some people find that short cords leave them fighting with the cord in order to flex the needles into place and they'd rather use the magic loop method or double pointed needles than deal with the frustration. 

Whether or not it bothers you, it's still good to understand how the system works. Knitting patterns worked in the round will often recommend a specific cord length and it's good to know what that measurement means. Not that you have to obey it, of course. It's your project after all and you get to knit it your way.

 

 

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