I love that the knitting world has its own terms, including ‘sleeve island’, which is a phenomenon that happens when knitters abandon a sweater project after losing motivation on the sleeves. In order to avoid ‘sleeve island’ for this test knit, I ended up knitting both sleeves at the same time! The sleeves in this pattern are worked flat, so I didn’t have to wrestle with the magic loop for two-at-a-time, but it’s definitely on my list of techniques to try in the future!
- Appropriate weight yarn
- The appropriate gauge needles (either DPN or circular)
Due to the cable pattern, these sleeves were a bit trickier than the typical sweater, and I found myself unsure about the stitches at the beginning/end of each row. In order to make sure the sleeves were symmetrical, I thought it would be best to work them at the same time. That way, I could remember and replicate whatever I had tried on the first sleeve on the second sleeve. It’s actually fairly simple, you just have to have two yarn sources and then cast two sleeves onto the same DPN or circular needle, one sleeve from each ball of yarn. The pattern is worked the same as if you were only doing one at a time, the only difference is that you have perfectly matched sleeves!
My only tip is to make sure that you are keeping track of how you turn your work, because if you always turn the same way, the yarn ends up getting very tangled. For example, if you flip your work counter-clockwise, try to turn it clockwise the following time so that the yarn can uncross. If you always turn counter-clockwise, the yarn will continuously spiral around each other. If that doesn’t make sense, just set aside time every few rows to untangle the two yarn balls.
Eventually, these flat panels will have to be seamed together to form a sleeve shape. I actually quite dislike seaming, which is why I typically prefer working in the round for sweaters or sleeves, but this sweater pattern was so gorgeous that I decided panels were worth it. My goal this week is to find a seam stitch that is both strong and simple. If you have tips to share, please send them my way, I’d love to hear them!
Until next time, happy crafting!