needles...ARRRGGGGGG!

So. I cast on my second pair of Embossed Leaves with the Lorna's Laces. On the same 2.5 mm Inox Express needles I used for the first pair. The first pair is a little snug but mostly just a tad short on my foot so I planned to fudge the toe some. Maybe add another 1/2 a repeat of the leaf pattern. But I began to suspect the ribbing was going to be more than just a little snug. I was right. I dug through my needles looking for something to move up a bit. The best I could do was US #2 Boyes. Not just Boyes...interchangeables. Ick. I cast on but knew right away there was no way in hell I could knit socks with those crap needles. And so begins The Great Needle Search.

Grumperina claims there are Inox Express in 2.75 mm.

Oooh, that sounds perfect! I call all the yarn stores we recently visited. Not only do they not have Inox Express in 2.75 mm, they have NO Inox Express needles. :-(

The search moves to Google. Hmmm. I find several sources (including some I've ordered from in the past) for Inox Express needles but they don't give the sizes in mm, only US sizes. I have three sets of 16" Inox Express circs sitting right here. A 2.0 mm, with the package marked as a US 0. A 2.25 mm, package marked as US 1. And a 2.5 mm, with the package...missing. Most sites where I do find both mm and US sizing of their Inox Express needles say a US 2 is 2.5 mm and a US 3 is 3.0 mm. Where does a 2.75 mm, if such a thing exists, fit in there?

*scratches head*

Bleary-eyed and brain fried, I finally gave up for the night. But not before emailing a place I'd ordered Inox Express from before, asking if they carried 16" 2.75 mm.

Started again this afternoon. So far, no response on last night's email. I searched knitty.com's forums and Knitter's Review forums. Somewhere in one of those, I found a link to this needle sizing list. According to that, Inox doesn't come in a 2.75 mm. But Susan Bates and Boye do. Yippy. I'd never heard of Aero needles before so went back to the forums to see what I could find.

I have no idea what, if anything, I found there about Aero circs (though I did try to order some and the shipping from wherever was almost as much as the two needles!) because I got lost in reading about TKGA's master knitter program (I really am going to do that, one of these days) and how to take care of wood needles and reviews on the new Knit Picks Options needles (along with their classic circs, which--dammit--don't come in 2.75 mm), etc. etc.

I want...16" smooth shiny metal circs in 2.75 mm size with a pointy tip, a flexible cable and a smooth join.

*stomps feet and throws self on floor*

Is that too much to ask?

After more than 24 hours of searching, I finally ended up ordering from the first result in my google search of "Inox Express 2.75"-- spinblessing.com They list the US 2 as being 2.75 mm. There was a comment/special instructions box on the online order form. I asked them to please check that "2.75 mm" was actually stamped on the needles because I already have US 2-2.5 mm needles and will cancel the order if they're not 2.75.

And now we wait.

I'm not so good at waiting. Poked through the shelves to see what UFO I could pick up. Hmmm, some Lacy Scallops socks I started after tearfully parting with Kristyn's socks. I figured out where I left off and started right back in again. Half a row later, I realized why I'd relegated these to the UFO shelf. Not only was I knitting them on two 12" circs (OK, I actually like using two shorter circs for 2 on 2 socks but 12" is TOO short...ouch!) but look at the tip of the Addi on the right...

Yes, that's the finish peeling off. The opposite tip is peeling too. That was actually a brand new--$12--needle when I cast on these socks. Grrrr. It wouldn't be so bad if it were just wearing instead of peeling with edges that catch. I'm switching to my 2.5 mm Inox needles and to hell with any gage/tension change. As soon as I wake up tomorrow. I'm too damn tired to knit now.

Is there a movement to completely do away with US needle sizing? Because this is one area I can totally get behind the metric system. Having so few US sizes for so many metric sizes is just silly and confusing and...well...pisses me off. Knitting is supposed to be relaxing.