Knitter's Denial

I give you this short story so that you can learn to recognize your own Knitter's Denial. Its real, its out there, its a fact of life!

I hurriedly finished up my toe up socks to get them off the needles so that I could start the Tardis socks mentioned in my last post. I cast on the Tardis socks shortly after midnight (problem no. 1 judgement is severely impaired at this hour). The pattern calls for 72 stitches, I usually use 64. I look at the colorwork band and it does indeed need the 72 stitches to be completed, so no altering that. Then I thought I could decrease after the colorwork band so that I am down to my usualy 64 stitches. I'll make the socks a little longer so that where they are 72 stitches is higher up on my leg so they'll fit. But there's a pattern stitch and I'm not sure that would work out and not interfere with the pattern.

Then I measured the gauge on other socks in this yarn on size US1 2.25mm needles and got 9-9.25 stitches per inch. Well that'll work I tell myself. That comes out to 8 inches circumference. That's about what my foot and ankle are. While this is going on I am completely ignoring the fact that it is advisable to subtract 10% from a sock so that they have negative ease and fit properly (problem no. 2 utter and total denial). For some unearthly reason I think, or tell myself, that socks knit on size US1 with 72 stitches are going to fit just like socks knit on US 1 with 64 stitches .... why would this work in any way, shape or form?!?!?

Not once do I think that I should change needles sizes, (problem no. 3 disbelief in the existence or reality of a thing) althought it may be due to the fact that I'm pretty sure I don't have anything smaller than a US 1 in my collection. So this justifies the fact that I am going to add 8 stitches to a sock and not change anything else and somehow they are going to fit me ...

I cast on said socks. I knit 2 rounds. Looking at what was there and telling myself, see its not that big, they'll fit ... then I went to bed.

Luckily sanity returned with daylight. I got up and had some coffee. Went online to see if Knit Picks carries size US 0 and found that they do and thought, perhaps you should order some. Of course I don't want to wait until they arrive to start these socks. I then went in my stash - I was pretty sure I needed US 0 DPNs before for a project, but wasn't sure if they were good needles or not (like did I want to knit an entire pair of socks with them or are they icky needles that I just got for a tiny Christmas ornament once). They are Clover Bamboo 5" DPNs and seem to be in good condition, so I'm gonna go with them. I think I'll order US 0 circulars for future use though because I typically prefer Magic Loop.

I can assume that I'll get at least 10 stitches to an inch on 2.0mm from the 9 I get on 2.25mm. Usually I get 7.5 or so on 2.75. That brings me awfully close to the size I get with 64 stitches.

Why, oh why do I continue to deny? I admit that I do have Knitter's Denial, but am able to recognize it before a project gets too far. Usually sleeping on it helps.

Do you suffer from Knitter's Denial?