Never Enough Needles

This is probably a universal phenomenon, but as a knitter I experience it in needles. For some reason – and in spite of the fact that my needle case is so full that opening it without something falling out is nearly impossible – I never have the size needles I need. I've got at least one set of every other size, but whatever size I'm looking for, I don't have it. Yet as soon as I buy extras of any size, I suddenly can't remember what project I needed them for, and end up spending months before I have a new use for that size.

I'm not going to complain too loudly, as a needle shortage does provide an excuse to do more knitting-based shopping (and I do like to shop!). But it is annoying that I still assume I've got all the needles I need, and then come to start on something, only to discover I don't have any of that size needles available. I'm all worked up to knit a particular project and can't do anything (unless I want to use the wrong size needles – which I've done and learned why I shouldn't do it: having run out of wool before the end of the Hitchhiker Beyond scarf; trying to make it work, and then frogging 2/3 of it so that I can start the decreases sooner and have enough wool to finish the thing properly). I've only this week been able to get back to knitting my Owls sweater, having finally gotten around to ordering the needles I required. It looks like they're only needed for 2" of cuff on each sleeve, so the fact that I've delayed progress this long is particularly annoying. Unfortunately my magic circle technique leaves me with a good half inch between the sections I separated, so I couldn't risk that and had to wait until I could order a second pair of 4.5mms (I'm a big fan of using 2 sets of circular needles for working small circumferences in the round!).

Ultimately, this is probably just a sign that I should be going through my old WIPs to frog the stuff I'm never going to finish and retrieve the needles those projects are using, but it's so hard to let go of the idea of a project I once liked.