Circular Knitting Needles?

Question

I just got a pair of circular needles and the pattern I have called for size 8, 16". I got the circular needles that said size 8, 16" but they look really small! Does 16" mean from the top of the left needle to the top of the right needle, including the cable, or do I have the wrong pair of needles? Here's a link to the pattern: http://www.adorabubbleknits.com/pages/sunhat.php Thanks so much!

Answer 1

That is an adorable hat ... I would suggest making this with 2 circular needles in the round with a length of 24" each.  BTW, the 16" is the length of the needle from tip to tip.

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AlexSandy Thompson, Fiber Artist

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Answer 2

16" from tip to tip.  And shorter is better than longer when it comes to circulars.  It shouldn't matter much if the needle is shorter than what's called for (unless you are making something very wide).