If you don't already know what a broken Bryspun circular looks like, here's an illustration. I suppose it serves me right trying to knit with them even though they were too sticky for this yarn, but they are the only 11's I have that I can cram all those stitches on. But now I have about 40 stitches to pick up and re-knit because in wrestling the stitches over the chunky join, I snapped the needle suddenly enough and with sufficient force that not only did the stitches soar into midair, but many of them went awol for a few rows as well. I should have seen this coming since the join was beginning to feel a bit dodgy, but it never occurred to me that it would actually break!
And I'm not alone. Unwind Stephanie and Teresa both had their bryspuns snap, and threads at Knitters Review and Ample Knitters suggest that this is not an isolated problem. But the news is (according to yarn store owner Patricia on the Knitter's Review thread) that Ben Abbot would like anyone send him notice of their bryspuns snapping, he will happily replace it, and hopefully use that experience to improve the needles. His email is updraft at juno dot com.
It's a good thing I didn't do this sitting next to anyone not wearing a helmet, during the old masters auction at Christies, or in the Etruscan vase gallery at the Museum of Fine Arts. There would have been stitches and superglue in the works. And while I suppose clearing the shelves of 3000-year-old pottery in one smooth knitting move would qualify as my extreme knitting entry, I feel fine not having that one to send along to Teri.
It's the small things that make me feeled blessed.
It's all fun and games 'til someone loses an eye, my mum always said...
Good luck getting the stitches back in place, and I'm glad no one got hurt. Man, this is a dangerous little obsession we have here, eh?
Posted by: Lee Ann | August 11, 2005 at 04:12 PM
hee hee, awol stitches. hilarious!
Posted by: melanie | August 11, 2005 at 04:17 PM
Yup, dangerous. Everything isn't all turbo's and cashmerino. And I'm beginning to think that my very sore left thumb joint might have something to do with the bitch of a cord that I am trying to knit into a beaded bag for your baby sister for Christmas. Hang in there.
Posted by: Mom | August 11, 2005 at 04:41 PM
I believe the expression is, "It's not fun UNTIL someone loses an eye." At least that's what the t-shirts printed up by DH's fraternity said.
Posted by: susan | August 11, 2005 at 04:49 PM
Hee, I love both the lost eye quotes! I'm not sure I even want another Bryspun. I don't especially like the stickiness of them, at least with lace weight yarn.
Picking up those stitches must have been a blast, hope you were in air conditioning!
Posted by: Teresa C | August 11, 2005 at 06:51 PM
Yikes! And after all the blogland hoopla about Bryspuns and lace, and aren't they wonderful. I have one I'm going to test-knit. I won't put heavy stuff on it.
Posted by: Laurie | August 12, 2005 at 06:43 AM
That looks awfully like chenille. I don't remember chenille being mentioned recently (not since the flower trellis scarf missing crochet hook debacle.) What's it going to be?...
Posted by: Beth S. | August 12, 2005 at 12:28 PM
Only a *true* blogger would run for their camera to document their needle breaking instead of frantically putting stitches on the closest thing that resembles a stitch holder ;o) Good luck!
Posted by: JessaLu | August 12, 2005 at 02:25 PM
I was surreptitiously looking at that project in my non-knitting visit yesterday, and admiring it without being able to decipher it. That and the other projects lying around, including the stunning socks.
Good luck with the replacement!
Posted by: benedetta | August 12, 2005 at 04:57 PM