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steek steek steek!
Jan. 30th, 2007 02:24 amSo, I've discovered an important rule about knitting for me. I have to start with the hardest part of the project first (or the part I least want to do), otherwise I'll have 37 things started at the easiest bit and not feel like doing the rest.
In the case of sweaters, this is sleeves. I hate sleeves. Mostly I hate that there are two of them. I also hate that you have to make them on double-pointed needles, or make them flat (with half the stitches purl) and seam them.
There is, however, a solution: Siamese sleeves. You make two sleeves at once, with steeks between them, then cut the steeks apart, seam the sleeves, and you're good to go. This also means no fiddling with yarn or remembering where the decreases and increases are-- if you use skein-dyed yarn that is one color at one end of the skein and goes through various colors, you'll have the same color sequence on both sleeves.
So, by the numbers:
Cast on 50 stitches (10") per sleeve plus two 7-stitch steeks = 114.
Increase 2 stitches, one at each end, every 6 rows, for 108 rows.
Total increases = 108/6 = 18 * 2 stitches = 36 stitches. This makes two sleeves 18" or so in length and a little over 17" around at the top end. At this point I'll figure out how I'm going to put them in the sweater, and either work an armscye (somewhere I have an article on the theory of the whole thing) or pick up the stitches with some provisional ones and do the yoke of the sweater in the round. Or something.
As a side note, the yarn I'm using is practically felting itself. This is some STICKY yarn. Steeks should be no trouble.
In the case of sweaters, this is sleeves. I hate sleeves. Mostly I hate that there are two of them. I also hate that you have to make them on double-pointed needles, or make them flat (with half the stitches purl) and seam them.
There is, however, a solution: Siamese sleeves. You make two sleeves at once, with steeks between them, then cut the steeks apart, seam the sleeves, and you're good to go. This also means no fiddling with yarn or remembering where the decreases and increases are-- if you use skein-dyed yarn that is one color at one end of the skein and goes through various colors, you'll have the same color sequence on both sleeves.
So, by the numbers:
Cast on 50 stitches (10") per sleeve plus two 7-stitch steeks = 114.
Increase 2 stitches, one at each end, every 6 rows, for 108 rows.
Total increases = 108/6 = 18 * 2 stitches = 36 stitches. This makes two sleeves 18" or so in length and a little over 17" around at the top end. At this point I'll figure out how I'm going to put them in the sweater, and either work an armscye (somewhere I have an article on the theory of the whole thing) or pick up the stitches with some provisional ones and do the yoke of the sweater in the round. Or something.
As a side note, the yarn I'm using is practically felting itself. This is some STICKY yarn. Steeks should be no trouble.
