Sue, it is a little difficult at first to work with the short circulars, but I would think that the piece would stretch too tightly across the 12" circulars, wouldn't they? The circumference of my foot at it's widest point is just over 8". You could try a pattern that is knit on straight needles and then seamed.

Thanks...I know I have heard of patterns for using this size circular needle but haven't found one..I just did some on 5 dp needles and that isn't bad really but just curious about different patterns and methods etc..I am very curious about doing them on the 40" long circular needle too...ha ha maybe I should stick to the simple good old double pointed needles but always curious....

Sue, I think you're talking about the "magic loop" method, sometimes using 2 circulars, sometimes just one long one. I want to try that sometime, too.

i HAVE SEEN THE MAGIC LOOP METHOD ON LINE AND YET NOT TRIED IT..THAT CALLS FOR A 40" CIRCULAR NEEDLE AND i HAVE FOUND PATTERNS CALLING FOR THE 11" OR 12" BUT THEY ARE MADE USING WORSTED WEIGHT YARN AND THEN THERE ARE PATTERNS USING THE 2 CIRCULAR NEEDLES RATHER THAN DP'ED NEEDLES...WANT TO TRY THEM ALL! WHAT FUN

Sally thanks for the info about the site..will look into it!
I am really hooked on knitting socks..started my first pair Dec 11th and since have finished those and one other pair and nearly finished the 3rd pair...have a lot of yarn with just 2 or 3 balls of this or that so it is great way to use it up...

I knit all my socks on two 39" circular needles. I bought long ones so that I can use them for other things as well. I never thought I could ever knit socks so I am very proud of myself. I use Cat Bordhi's book. I knit all the straight bits ie the leg and the foot on a 12" circular needle. I do have big feet though size 8 English. Using a short circular needle means that your socks look very neat and do not have ladders up the sides.

Sue, I have used the 12" circulars for socks. You don't need a special pattern. Use the one you like the best. It really stretches the cuff area until you get a few rounds knitted, then it's fine. It takes some getting used to to hold the short needles comfortably. I do find that my hands and fingers cramp more using the 12" than they do with the 40". I had to use another needle to do the heel when I used the 12", as I was uncomfortable in that small of an area with just one 12", then I went back to the 12". I do almost all my socks the magic loop method. I find that using one needle instead of 4-5 double points goes faster because I'm not changing needles as often, and I don't drop and loose needles that way. I am ALWAYS dropping my double points and loosing them down in my chair or the seat of the car! Oh, and I wear anywhere from an 8 1/2 to a 10 1/2 size shoe, American sizes. Besides being a very fluffy person, so my calves are larger. I usually cast on 68 or 72 sts. If I cast on 72 sts, I decrease at the ankle back down to 68 sts to finish my socks.

Tami

Here's a link to the site from which I learned magic loop. There's also a link to 2 circulars. Like Tami, I was always dropping DPNs or pulling out the wrong one.
I like magic loop better than 2 circulars because there's only 1 needle to buy and fuss with. Get a 40 inch with a good flexible cable like Addis or Knitpicks. Clover does sell 8 inch plastic circulars which may be better than the 12 inch but they're still hard on your hands. If you learn magic loop, you need only buy 40 inch circulars in the future and do regular knitting as well as small cirumferences like sleeves and hats on only 1 needle.

Here is a link that might be useful: Magic loop

I also start both socks at the same time. If you are using one 100g ball of yarn re-wind it into two balls. By starting both at once, you can make sure you are starting both socks at the same place in the yarn color sequence. Of course, if you are using solid color yarn, it doesn't make any difference. But, I have probably 4 sets of #2 circulars that I mainly use for socks. I sometimes have more than one pair going at one time. Especially if I go on vacation and don't take any with me! I have been known to stop at a yarn shop and buy needles and sock yarn so I can knit in the car, when I didn't take any with me! Which of course, means more needles and more yarn for the stash, because I can't buy just one.......There are always more than one color sock yarn I find!

Tami