A common issue with new circular knitting needles is that when you take them out of the packaging, the cord can sometimes be very curly or kinked, just like in the photo above. In some cases, the curls aren’t too bad, and once you get stitches on the needle, the weight of the fabric helps relax the cord on its own.
Lately, though, I’ve been noticing this issue more often, with cords that are so tightly curled that they make knitting uncomfortable right from the start.
One of my favorite needle brands to work with is Gingers or Dreamz by KnitPro (formerly Knitter’s Pride). A year or two ago, they switched to eco-friendly, plastic-free packaging – which is wonderful and I’m SO happy they went in that direction. The only downside I’ve noticed is that the cords seem to be packaged more compactly, and as a result, the new cords tend to be curlier when first removed from the package.
The good news? There are several easy and quick ways to fix this.
My preferred fix
Want to see my go-to method? You can watch a quick demonstration by clicking here or by tapping the image below!
Are there other methods?
Like so many things in knitting, there are lots of different approaches you can try to achieve similar results. If my preferred method doesn’t work well for you – or if you’re just curious – here are a few other techniques I’ve tried or heard about:
- Holding the cord in the steam from a pot of boiling water or a tea kettle (I often do this for especially stubborn kinks).
- Using a hair dryer to gently warm the cord (I haven’t tried this one yet!).
- Hanging the needles around your neck and letting your body heat warm and relax the cord (a handy option if you’re traveling).
Other Tips
When not in use, I store my circular needles on a hanging organizer, shown below. This helps prevent the cords from staying tightly coiled and makes it much easier to find exactly what I’m looking for.
I hope you’ve found this info and demonstration helpful! Do you have any other methods you’ve tried that have worked well? I’d love to hear!