The River........WHY?!?!?

If you're in the River Knit-Along, you may have noticed (and if you're Jodi, you may have mentioned) that my River Stole has been a little camera shy. Here's why:

WHY?! WHY?! WHY?!

I just wasn't loving River on size 10 needles. And honestly, it wasn't loving me. I had gotten to the point you see pictured above twice and ripped out the whole thing due to irritation with sloppiness and mistakes, despite the fact that, as lace goes, it's a pretty easy project. There's just something about the combination of those huge yarnovers and the fine, fuzzy mohair that sends things awry for me. I was not a happy camper.

I really should have known better. Because I only knit with fine mohair about once a year at the most, it is always a struggle for me.* It's inevitable that I will rip back the first couple repeats numerous times before settling into the pattern, and that I will end up tinking here and there along the way when I get cocky and inevitably screw up. I had the same experience with Birch, the last mohair lace I knit, so I should have been a little more mentally prepared going into the battle.

I wasn't, so progress stalled for a few weeks, but then this weekend I went to Michael Levine's in downtown LA with Mary Heather, and I stumbled across a wonderful motivator - Bryspun circular needles. I am a long-time afficionado of Bryspun straight needles, and acquired an entire set the first time we lived in LA while I was working at the Knit Cafe. I recommend these needles for beginners because they have just the right amount of grip (not too much, not too little), are easy on the hands (not too heavy) and are extremely well-priced. Every time I teach a class or help a new friend to knit, these are the needles I pull out. Bryspuns are also my needle of choice for mohair lace. Again, they have just the right amount of grip - not too much, not too little.

Despite my devotion to these needles for two great purposes (and I believe there is a different needle for each purpose, which might explain why I have so darned many), I had never encountered Bryspun circular needles in person. There has been some talk about them in the River Along, so my interest has recently been peaked. When I discovered them at Michael Levine's, I knew that I had to try them. So, in keeping with my thought that the 10's were making this lace look too big and sloppy, I picked up a pair of 8's in 29-inch length.

I have found them to be most lovely:

Ah, that's better.....

And my crack-silk haze seems to be liking them, too.** The addictiveness is starting to kick in as well. I don't know if it is because I went down in needle size or because I have knit this segment to the point that I finally have it memorized, but the tinking and ripping is easing up and I'm finally able to enjoy the lacy confection which is the River Stole in Candy Girl Kidsilk. Oooh, loverly.

The interesting thing that I'm noticing now, is that although the two versions are very different in person, they may not be so evidently different in the pictures above. (Can you guys tell the difference?) In fact, the lace on 10's is much more in the spirit of the original River. And the second time around, I may very well make it on 10's. I think the sloppiness may be what gives it that gossamer appearance that we all love in the photograph. Blocking does a lot for a fine lace piece, and it's probable that the original is brought to life through blocking. For now, I like the tidy neatness of my River on 8's, however, and I am finding it much more manageable to knit.***

Finally, I'd be remiss if I didn't add in a word about the Bryspun circulars. They're great for this project and I really love them. They're slick and sleek and have a very nice join. The Cracksilk does snag on them, but honestly it's so fine that it will snag on anything - trim your hangnails before use! - so you really can't blame the needles. I'll be picking up more on my next trip downtown.

*Mohair lace and cotton intarsia are the Achilles heels of my knitting. You are unlikely to see much cotton intarsia on this blog, as I have little use for cotton intarsia knits for the most part, but the mohair is in the stash, and it must be knit!

**Although some people may disagree, I think the name crack-silk haze is aptly applied, because at least at the beginning stages, you need to be on crack, or at least really jonesing for a lace hit to knit with the damned stuff. Please refrain from flaming me for this belief. Sometimes *heresy* is true!

***Yes, another footnote! To make up for the loss of width due to the change in needle size, I'm adding a fourth repeat. It's something to consider if you decide to monkey around with the gauge, but want to keep River stolische in appearance.