I don't think you look dumb at all. You're plenty methodical and show adequate experience in your troubleshooting. I think you're just dealing with one of those hard-to-nail issues. It being intermittent only makes it more difficult. Any freeze frames of this knock sensor code(s)? The sensors themselves could be fine but something is still telling the PCM to pull timing. Or maybe there's an intermittent fault in the wiring between the knock sensor(s) and the PCM. IAT is another sensor that affects timing. Maybe the PCM is (falsely) detecting wheel spin and is pulling timing because of the Torque Management tables? Perhaps a faulty wheel speed sensor or a fault in the ABS system (which you may have based on your previous findings, but lets not dive down that wormhole just yet) is telling the PCM that a wheel or wheels is losing traction, and the PCM is pulling timing to reduce power to get the truck back under control, but there's actually no lost traction in the first place. The PCM doesn't "see" a problem, it's just doing what it's programmed to do in response to what it's told by sensors and modules. But, you have these knock sensor codes being thrown that may not even be related, so I'd start by reviewing the freeze frames for this/these code(s).
If your quick with the steering wheel and the throttle ... you can beat it! 
