Siamese Sleeves

Well, it's that time again. The part of the knitting where I start to procrastinate......THE DREADED SLEEVES (to be said in a deep dark voice, in an echo chamber).

I am a traditionalist, I like to knit my Fair Isle sleeves by cutting open the armhole steek, picking up stitches and knitting down to the cuff. BUT, since I'm doing this sweater to a specific deadline, and I really want it to be FINISHED (yes, with both sleeves), I though drastic action might be necessary.

You'll see on Lucy Neatby's site this great technique she calls "Siamese Sleeves - for Steek connoisseurs" -- http://www.tradewindknits.com/tbsiasle.html

Check out all of her great tips in the Bosun's Locker -- http://www.tradewindknits.com

Basically, her Siamese Sleeves technique is when you knit both sleeves, at once, on the same needle, in a round, separated by steeks. Well, I'm definitely a steek person, they don't worry me in the least -- and I'm pretty good at doing seams, so, I'm giving it a go.

Here you'll see the two sleeves, separated by steeks, being knit as one circle on a 24" circular needle -- I started off on a 20" for the cuffs, and will graduate up in length as required. It works well in that there are no tedious weaving in of the new and out with the old shades -- I start/stop the shades in the middle of the first steek of the round. When I cut the two sleeves apart, separating the Siamese Sleeves, they will be identical (because it's easy to make the increases on both of them at the exact same place this way right) and will require the underarm being seamed.

I'm almost to the elbow, so I'm getting there -- I hope to have this wrapped up by the end of the week.

While I'm knitting, I am watching the first season of Star Trek, the Next Generation. I love this show -- Data is my favourite, well Ryker is my favourite, no Picard is my favourite, you see what I mean, I'm a major Trekkie. Have you figured out that I'm a TV 'holic? Well, I WAS, but to be frank, most of the stuff on TV these days is garbage......I only get basic channels as where I live there is no cable available, and I refuse to pay for Satellite to receive 100+ channels of rubbish -- so I now live on DVDs of my old favourite shows -- could be worse (if DVD's weren't available LOL). Here's Picard talking tough to some Klingons..........what a guy!

Happy Knitting,