Correct size for circular needles???

[Nutmeg]

Please help - I need to make a hat for myself and quickly because I'm losing all my hair. I have the perfect yarn but the circular needles I DO have make a hat entirely too big - from needle tip to needle tip including the cable, they measure 30". I need to make the hat fit my 22" skull, and I don't know how to do this on my current circulars. What kind of smaller circulars should I look for? Thank you in advance for any advice & help you can offer!!

[msmelody]

I do not know much about needle size, but I think you can do Magic Loop with that size.

[suzeeq]

Yes, look up how to do Magic Loop. I've made hats with 24 and 29 inch needles using my variation of it with only one loop instead of two and it works out very well. With the 24", once I have a couple of inches done, I can spread out the sts and don't have to loop it again until I get some of the decs done.

[Beloved]

Does your yarn have any recommentations for needle size on it? I just saw an interesting article in Kint 'N Style Dec. "07 issue page 34, in which they makes a suggestion that you "fold the yarn in half and lay this double strand across a needle gauge. The hole that covers both strands completely is a good starting point for the size needle to use". I've never done this, but thought it seemed like a good idea.

I love Skacel circular needles myself but they are metallic and many people say they are too slippery. Lots of people love the bamboo. You need a smaller length like 16".

[Beloved]

I've never done a hat so, after posting, it occurred to me that as your decreasing toward the top, the knitting would no longer fit a circular needle but would have to be changed to DPN.

[suzeeq]

You could use dpns for the top, but you can also do ML.