Toe up socks - ugggg

well, it seems that although I do prefer to knit my socks toe-up, they sometimes do not work for me.

For instance, I've been knitting socks for my youngest daughter. I finished a pair, but they were a little too big in the foot area, so decided to rip the toe out and re-do it. That's fine, a little fiddly... but do-able. BUT, I didn't like the fix. In fact, I hate the fix so much that I may just rip it out again to redo it.

So, I started a new pair. Just finished the heel, and am now working on the leg pattern, and at the last fitting, the foot section is AGAIN too long for her foot. So, I'll have to rip the toe out and re-do it again.

What the hell is going on here? Why can't I do a sock toe-up???