HiyaHiya 8 Inch Bamboo Flyer Knitting Needles

HiyaHiya flyers are double points with a bend in the middle: a 3 inch bamboo tip at each end joined by a 2 inch flexible cord, three to the pack. The stitches sit on two of them and you knit with the third, so a round has two needle changes instead of four, and the resting needles bend out of the way of your hands instead of poking them.

HiyaHiya's bamboo is infused with resin, so it won't splinter or warp, and the needle stays light and warm in the hand. The surface has just enough grip that silk, bamboo and superwash yarns stay put when you set the work down, and it's the needle to reach for if steel makes your hands ache or cold.

What they're for

Anything small enough for double points: socks, mittens, gloves, sleeves, hat crowns, toys. Two jobs where they earn their place over straight double points: stranded colourwork in the round, where the cord takes the tension out of the gap between needles and the ladders go with it, and the neck of a top-down sweater, where the first few rounds are too small for a circular and too fiddly for five needles. Sizes run US 0 to 9, which covers sock yarn through worsted.

Not sure whether you want these or double points? Call or chat and someone who knits on both will tell you.

Specifications

• In the pack: Three flyers and a locking stitch marker
• Length: 8 in each, a 3 in bamboo tip at each end and a 2 in cord between
• Sizes: US 0 to 9 (2 to 5.5 mm)
• Tips: Resin-infused bamboo
• Made in: China

Goes with

The bamboo double points are the straight version in the same sizes and three lengths. The 9 inch bamboo circular knits a sock with no needle changes at all, on 2 inch tips. The sharp steel flyers are the same needle with a fine steel point for lace socks. Every HiyaHiya needle is in the HiyaHiya collection.

We carry every HiyaHiya length and size, and the people who answer the phone knit on them.

Frequently Asked Questions

How are flyers different from double points?

Three needles instead of four or five, and each one bends. You knit the same way, but you change needles twice a round instead of four times, and the two resting needles fold away from your hands. The first sock is where your hands learn it.

Can I knit a hat on flyers?

The crown, yes. For the body of an adult hat use the 16 inch bamboo circular in the same size, then move to the flyers when the rounds get short.

Which size do I need?

The pattern tells you, and when it gives both, knit to the mm figure. Choosing without one: US 1 to 3 for fingering and sock yarn, US 4 to 6 for sport and DK, US 7 to 9 for worsted.

Why do they help with ladders?

A ladder is the loose column of stitches where one needle hands off to the next. On a flyer the hand-off happens where the cord bends, so the yarn doesn't have to stretch across a rigid gap, and the tension across the join stays the same as the rest of the round. In stranded colourwork, where both yarns cross that gap, the difference shows.