Revisiting Hiya Hiya sock circular needles

Back in 2010 I brought a couple of different sized Hiya Hiya needles.These needles are well made and I thought I would trial the use of the 9 inch sock circulars to see if the travelling sock knitting was made any easier.

I cast on and it was over six months later in May 2011 before I finished the second sock.  I ended up struggling again to complete the toe of the second sock.

For some strange reason I cast on another pair of socks using the circular needle again just to make sure that it wasn't for me sometime in late November 2011.  I really wasn't for me.  I have rheumatic problems and during the colder months I found that I was dropping more stitches than I was knitting.  I ended up with a project bag with one sock finished in a pair and the other sock just barely cast on the needles.  One sock hiatus had struck as the project had developed second sock syndrome.  It was a top down sock and the ribbing had been completed moving into the pattern on the second sock before the motivation to continue walked off the shop floor.

Come 2013 after my great hiatus in knitting I was sorting round the various project bags that I had in my lounge room work basket only to find the one sock hiatus project bag.  I was rooting round for something that I could just knit while on the go.  I needed a project for Yarndale in Skipton the outing was my belated birthday present from the family.  It would be the first time I have been out of the house in nine months for a non medical trip and I was going to be in the car for more than thirty minutes so something for the drive there and back was most certainly needed to help distract self from back pain.

Knowing me and long drives I need something to keep the hands occupied but simple enough to enable me to gawk out the window at the countryside.  It was a lovely dry crisp Autumnal day.  Everyone seemed to be out and about especially the Vespa club who seemed to have a run to Skipton on as well.  I saw lots of lovely bikes and even a couple of side cars attached to Vespas. There were some lovely paint jobs on some of the vintage models.

With a little jiggery pokery I managed to deconstruct the pattern instructions from the completed sock as the original pattern had been long lost thanks to either the dog or the cat.  I did a lot of knitting and then some tinkling on the second sock.  Given how much worse my rheumatic issues have become over the last couple of years I would love another one or two inches on the cable.  It is just that little bit two short for my required knitting action.  The tight action makes it painful to knit and I can see why I didn't finish this sock that quickly.  

If you don't have fat fingers and can cope with a tight knitting action I think the needles are well made.  There is no catching on the needle to cable join area.  They seemed to wear well with no sign of any metal degradation after almost two years rolled up in a project.  I just could do with an inch if not two to have enough give for my preferred knitting action.  As an idea I think a short pair of sock circular needles are still a very good idea for the commuting sock knitter.  But for me I need about 11 inches so I don't drop stitches and to relieve the tension in my hands.

Testing the Hiya Hiya sock circular needles

Last year in October I picked up some Hiya Hiya 9" circular sock needles from Brownberry yarns stall at Fibre Flurry in Birmingham. I will be going back this year come October as it was well good!!!! (local vernacular a grand day out). I brought two different sizes in the 9" circular sock needles as I wanted to give them a decent go - the 2mm and 2.25mm. I can see how these short circular needles for some knitters would make a brilliant tool but for me I find them a hindrance due to my weird knitting style.

I had read reviews about these needles and though what a great idea. While enhancing my fibre stash with the Krafty Koala aka Gemma I saw her working super fast on a sock with these needles. I want was the plea and she pointed me in the direction of the Brownberry gals what an enabler... Yes she is bad for my bank balance. 

But Gemma's knitting action is considerably different to mine as she is what I call an English Flicker.  I have some issues with arthritis and I am sort of a wonky gimpy cottage style knitter. Best description of my weird style. Dependant on pain and joint stiffness I adapt my style to suit my circumstances. I also can knit continental and portuguese/greek so I can combo and cross like crazy including backwards for short rows. I have had the pleasure at a John Lewis Rowan class in about 2003 of managing to stop it with everyone distracted by my weird purling technique. What do you mean I dont knit properly?  I dont think there is a special style there are lots of different knitting styles. Can you please stop looking at me it works ok? 

Back to the needles I think that I would probably like a slightly longer needle tips to the circulars and thus would have the leverage I think I am missing and why I have been so slow on the sock I started with them. I have been looking at longer lengths such as the 11" but the tips appear to be the same length as that on the 9" needles, damn. I really like how the project is easy picked up and put down.  Storage of the sock in the handbag was enhanced with the circulars.

Sock being supported by bobbin

Other than my tip issue the needles are well made and the clear plastic cable does not have a join joint which would be likely to catch. I like the weight of the needles as they are very light but they are also a metal needle made out of stainless steel. The finish on the needles are a high shine but they still have some grab for the yarn which helps when using a standard sock yarn like Regina.

The needles also have the size and length marked on the plastic cable which make them easy to sort especially if you are like me you can never find those damn needle gauges that you must have at least 20 of in this house alone. To read the size on the smaller of the needle sizes I had to use the water glass magnifying trick so you could still have some difficult working out what the size of your needles.

Now how am I going to do that toe???

To put them to the test I thought I would do my standard basic sock pattern in the obligatory Regina 4 ply. Well I have really really struggled with these socks. I am still at one sock down and a long way to go to finish the second sock.  This is some 5 months later. Normally I can knock out on a pair of the basic pattern of socks on the double pointed needles in a couple of days. I have really struggled with doing the cast off and ended up using two of my dpns to do the kitchener stitch.