The hunt for clover plastic mini circulars

So I'm working on two Durrow sweaters as some of you know. One of them I am working in the round from the bottom up and I have discovered that while I normally love dpns (double point needles), I really don't love them when working with six inches of knitting AND trying to work several cables. There is such a thing as too much when it comes to sharp pointy things and I have reached my limit apparently.

So of course I am now on the hunt for what appears to be the only alternative for a knitter who REALLY dislikes the magic loop method of knitting (okay, I lied, I could try working them on two circular needles but I'm too stubborn now that I've decided that I need to do it a different way). My solution are the Clover plastic mini circular needles. However, not many places still sell them for some odd reason. They were introduced to the US market in 2001 and I have seen them periodically since then but never in large numbers and they have become even more rare as time has passed. On top of it all an internet search pulls up statements from retailers suggesting that Clover might not continue making these lovelies.

Noooooooooo-oooooooo-ooooooo!

I found a few places still selling them like here (scroll down a bit and you'll see them on the right). But of course, I need a size 5. Since I first decided I needed an 8.5" needle in the size 5 I have purchased nearly ten of these needles in the hopes that the different size system used in Japan will mean that a size 4 or 6 might be a US 5. Nope. Today I received my first shipment of these babies in sizes 4, 6, 8, and 10 and while the size 10 is really closer to a US 8 and the 8 is somewhere between a US7 and a US 8, the 6 is almost indistinguishable from a US 6 and the 4 is just a smidge smaller than the US 4. So no luck there.

However, it does mean I have started a lovely collection of these for future projects:


Hmmm, me thinks that this photo is blurry but -it's midnight, so I'm not going to worry about that now I'm afraid. I promise a better photo when the next shipment arrives which will include a 10" size 5 which may work now that I'm up to nearly eight whole inches of knitting for the sleeve I on which I am currently working.

Keep your fingers crossed folks.

And...

If anyone out there knows where to get an 8.5" size 5, I'd really love to hear from you!