# Pitting myself for failure to grasp the concept of The Metric System.( Lame-o) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 12, 2005, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-myself-for-failure-to-grasp-the-concept-of-the-metric-system-lame-o/335320 "2005-12-12T21:58:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2005, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-myself-for-failure-to-grasp-the-concept-of-the-metric-system-lame-o/335320/1 "2005-12-12T21:58:38Z")
I bought some addi circular knitting needles for myself off of ebay for $10 brand new with shipping. (They retail about $17 to$25) I thought I ordered the 40 inch cable kind. I , like a fucktard, ordered 40 cm. which is off by a long shot. GAH! The sizing (#10) is the only thing correct. I’m pretty sure the metric system is put out there by people who just hate me. I’m such a tard. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2005, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-myself-for-failure-to-grasp-the-concept-of-the-metric-system-lame-o/335320/2 "2005-12-12T22:01:45Z")
> [@Shirley Ujest](#): > > I bought some addi circular knitting needles for myself off of ebay for $10 brand new with shipping. (They retail about $17 to$25) > > I thought I ordered the 40 inch cable kind. I , like a fucktard, ordered 40 cm. which is off by a long shot. > GAH! > > The sizing (#10) is the only thing correct. > I’m pretty sure the metric system is put out there by people who just hate me. > I’m such a tard. But you’re still a pretty girl, \*and \* a knitress so all is forgiven! ---
**Author:** ![FatBaldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecd19e/32.png) [@FatBaldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FatBaldGuy)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2005, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-myself-for-failure-to-grasp-the-concept-of-the-metric-system-lame-o/335320/3 "2005-12-12T22:08:08Z")
**Shirley** , my apologies, as I am a man, and also knitting impaired, but how could anyone possibly use a 40 inch knitting needle? Or am I completely misunderstanding something here? ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2005, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-myself-for-failure-to-grasp-the-concept-of-the-metric-system-lame-o/335320/4 "2005-12-12T22:15:45Z")
> [@Shirley Ujest](#): > > I bought some addi circular knitting needles for myself off of ebay for $10 brand new with shipping. (They retail about $17 to$25) > > I thought I ordered the 40 inch cable kind. I , like a fucktard, ordered 40 cm. which is off by a long shot. > GAH! > > The sizing (#10) is the only thing correct. I’d say you aren’t exactly a rocket scientist, but [several years ago, some real rocket scientists made just this kind of mistake.](http://grin.hq.nasa.gov/ABSTRACTS/GPN-2000-000498.html) At least it was a $20 set of knitting needles and not a $327.6 million dollar Mars probe this time… ---
**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2005, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-myself-for-failure-to-grasp-the-concept-of-the-metric-system-lame-o/335320/5 "2005-12-12T22:19:55Z")
> [@FatBaldGuy](#): > > **Shirley** , my apologies, as I am a man, and also knitting impaired, but how could anyone possibly use a 40 inch knitting needle? Or am I completely misunderstanding something here? Ooh, ooh, Mr Kotter, Mr Kotter. Mrs. Blather owns a knitting store so I know way more about this than I want. A circular knitting needle is two short knitting needles joined by a “cord” made of monofilament. In this case 40" is the length of the cord (that would be a really long one BTW). Circular needles let you knit a really wide garment or knit “in the round”. The trouble with regualr long needles is that the weight of the knitted piece is pulling down on the ends of the needles. Circular needles let the weight of the knitted piece sit on your lap. There are also flexible needles that are similar but the cords have knobs on the end and are not joined together. We have loads of flexible needles on sale right now. ---
**Author:** ![Bren\_Cameron\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@Bren\_Cameron\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bren_Cameron_1)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2005, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-myself-for-failure-to-grasp-the-concept-of-the-metric-system-lame-o/335320/6 "2005-12-12T22:20:04Z")
> [@FatBaldGuy](#): > > **Shirley** , my apologies, as I am a man, and also knitting impaired, but how could anyone possibly use a 40 inch knitting needle? Or am I completely misunderstanding something here? Circular needles aren’t the straight ones–it’s like a cable or a wire joined by two knitting needle ends. You can knit really wide things, or very big tubes with them. They’re very handy for things like shawls and afghans. Shirley, I probably would have made the same mistake. But hey, you’ll use them for something. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2005, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-myself-for-failure-to-grasp-the-concept-of-the-metric-system-lame-o/335320/7 "2005-12-12T22:46:51Z")
I’m okay with metric, but I once forgot that my bicycle tire pump was calibrated in bars and not 10’s-of-psi. My tires were rated for 100 psi, so I pumped them up to 10. Boom, but not right away. ---
**Author:** ![Giraffe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giraffe/32/129_2.png) [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2005, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-myself-for-failure-to-grasp-the-concept-of-the-metric-system-lame-o/335320/8 "2005-12-12T23:06:00Z")
Unless a really heated exchange breaks out between pro- and anti- metric system nerds (unlikely, since 9 out of 10 nerds support metric), I’m thinking this thread will stay cordial enough for MPSIMS. ---
**Author:** ![fluiddruid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@fluiddruid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fluiddruid)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2005, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-myself-for-failure-to-grasp-the-concept-of-the-metric-system-lame-o/335320/9 "2005-12-12T23:08:56Z")
Sorry, this is a bit mundane and, er, “soft” for the Pit. I’m closing this. Feel free to re-open in MPSIMS. ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2005, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-myself-for-failure-to-grasp-the-concept-of-the-metric-system-lame-o/335320/10 "2005-12-12T23:26:09Z")
And once upon I time, I accidentally bought 6mm and 8mm needles, instead of US6 and US8. Oops. I have paid closer attention, ever since.