What kind of needle is this?

[MainelyKnitting]

I hope someone can help me and my friend.

She is not a knitter, but when wanting to learn, she looked thru her things and found a set of size 8's that belonged to her grandmother. She sent me a picture and asked me what kind of needle it was. At first, I thought someone had taken a circular needle and cut it off, then added something on the end to hold the stitches on the needle, but that's not the case. She said that on the end it says "Boye 8". So... I know it's made by Boye and that it apparently was meant to be this way.

Here is a picture of one of the needles and if anyone can help us solve the mystery as to what kind of needle this is and/or what it's mostly used for, I would be very grateful!

TIA!

I hope I get the picture in here correctly, lol... here goes...

[FSB]

Interchangeable needles
It looks like what comes with sets of circular needles. One end of the line screws into the needle, and the other end a tag is added to stop the yarn from falling off. In the case of this needle, a tag with the size needle. Some where there is a loose needle point size 8 with more circular plastic lines. If I am right ?????

[imrachel]

I can't quite see from the photo, but it's either one of two things:
1. Boye made one of the original interchangables, and they used those stopper things that screwed onto the ends. So if the needle can be un-screwed from cable and the stopper can be un-screwed from the other end of it, then that's what it is. If not, then it's Boye's version of flex jumpers. . .
2. Flex jumpers: http://www.elann.com/productdisp.asp...ype=3&Count=28 , a cross between a straight and circular needle. They were popular about 10 or 20 years ago, but I don't see them much these days.

[linknit41]

What imrachel said--looks like a flex needle. i have some bamboo ones, and i really like them. They are used like straight needles, but are less likely to get caught in something as you knit, and they are lighter weight and 'flexible'. linknit41

[knittingymnast]

What imrachel said--looks like a flex needle. i have some bamboo ones, and i really like them. They are used like straight needles, but are less likely to get caught in something as you knit, and they are lighter weight and 'flexible'. linknit41

It deff looks like to me.

[knitasha]

Almost positive it's a flex needle.
They're a sort of hybrid between straights and circulars, and very comfortable to knit with. I have a couple of old sets and like them very much. They're hard to find since circs became so popular because circs do everything a flex needle can do PLUS you can knit in the round with them.

[MainelyKnitting]

Thanks to all of you!

I will email my friend the link to this page so she can read the replies. They say you learn something new every day, I sure did!

I've never worked with circulars or interchangeables, so this is all new to me. I work mostly with dpn's. If there is any way at all I can get away with short needles, it's my dpn's. I have some circulars, but have never been able to get the hang of them.

Again, thanks for all the replies - I really appreciate it!

[mathwizard]

I have the Boye Needlemaster set from my mother. It is an interchangeable needle. I do have a flex needle which looks just like that needle.

[mwhite]

I use the flex needles to work on heavy, knit/purl, larger afghans and blankets....very good for preventing elbow and wrist stress.