Size Matters

Okay. Remember that sock that is taking me FOREVER to knit? Well, I decided to renew my interest in this by learning how to knit a sock on one or two circulars. I may not be able to start on the sock in progress, for fear of totally messing up the gauge, but I figured I'll at least be motivated to cast on the second sock.

I have the books. I have the yarn. I have the pattern. (More or less.) So what's stopping me? I don't have the needles. Even after ordering (what I thought were) the needles. (My LYS doesn't normally carry circular needles that small--just DPNs.)

The current sock is being knit on U.S. size 1 bamboo Takumi DPNs from Clover. The new needles are U.S. size 1 nickel-plated circulars from Knit Picks. So far, so good, yes? Not so much. The DPNs are 2.25mm, while the new circulars are 2.5mm. Can someone please explain to me WHY the U.S. sizing doesn't seem to be consistent? In the mean time, I'll be checking the yarn stores near me for 2.25mm circulars.