Knitting needle question

[firecat]

[xposted to <lj user=knitting] I'm taking a class at Stitches West this year, and it calls for the following tool: 8-11” appropriately sized circ ndl (5-5.5mm (US 8-9)) I assume this means a set of size US 8 or 9 circular needles with a length of 8 inches to 11 inches. But I just went to my Local Yarn Store and they don't have any such thing. The smallest-length circular needles I could find there or at http://www.knittinguniverse.com was 12 inches. So does any of you know where such a thing can be had, or can you think of something else that might be meant by the phrase?