Knotty Question of the Week

                                                         

I am about to start the sleeves for the cardigan I am making - so I thought I'd use this as a good opportunity to ask the Knotty Question of the Week:

What is the best way to deal with sleeves?

I've heard all sorts of things like you should knit both of them at the same time -- to knitting them first to get it over with --  to picking up stitches after the sweater is put together and knitting them in the round. Personally, I am feeling a strong urge to go back to shawls and purses.

What's your opinion or best sleeve tip?

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Comments

[Theresa]

Personally, I think seams at the shoulders add support, so unless it's a traditional Norwegian steeked sweater (or a baby sweater), I wouldn't pick up and knit down. I vacillate between doing both at once and one at a time. Both at once takes a long time, and lately it's been a little too much for me, plus it's much less portable. But after I make my current sleeves totally different from each other, I bet I'll be back to the both at once strategy.

[hanne]

most people find the second sleeve the most boring one to knit, so I always knit that one first.... :)
hanne

[Marcia]

When you knit them both at the same time, you don't get the dreaded SSS. Second Sleeve Syndrome. And they match. Dropped shoulders with the sleeves picked up and worked down only look good on babies and children. On grownups they puff out right at the spot where your underarm puffs out....

[Monica]

Whenever I knit sleeves one at a time, no matter how many detailed notations about my increases and decreases I pencil in on the pattern, they come out different form one another. Sometimes this doesn't make a difference when they're seamed and attached to the body, but sometimes it's a big pain. Now--unless I'm knitting in the round--I always make them both at the same time. Then you're DONE and they MATCH!

[Jennifer]

I just give into the idea that I'm headed to sleeve island, and pack chocolate.

[Sharon]

I prefer to knit the two sleeves at the same time. Never again will I seam the pieces of the sweater together as they are completed. Time, $$ and an uneven collar = :`( ! Much better to keep checking your inc. and dec. etc. as you knit the two!

[scribblesnbits]

I just knit one at a time. I've heard the knit them both at the same time thing, but somehow I just haven't been able to wrap my head around that. I mean, I know there's 2 balls fo yarn then, but why tap into 2 balls when I might be able to knit them both with one ball then I have a whole untouched ball. I have issues....

[Harriet]

I still have not finished the second sleeve on my 100$ sweater. So I quess I am not the one to ask!
Loved yesterdays Easter message.
I never had an Aunt Fanny, but Dottie and Ruby were right on. My Aunt Minnie was the knitter in the family.
She was forever doing something on needles. Maybe you got the knitting gene from her.

Can't wait to get home and golf with you, etc.
x0x0x0's

[Chris]

I always knit sleeves one at a time, but I definitely keep track of the number of rounds!

[Daniel]

To save on portability, I like to knit them after the front and back are done and blocking. I do each sleeve, one at a time keeping track on which rows the increases are and work up to the row before decreasing. I then put it on a stitch holder and do the second one to the same point. Now is the time to find any inconsistencies and make corrections, otherwise I then put them on the same needles and work the final decreases at the same time. Granted, these final decreases do not make for easy portability, but they can go quite fast at a knitting group and they come out identical. As I block the sleeves, I do my finishing on the front and back shoulder seams, do the collar treatment and by the time that is all done, I can attach the sleeves. Then the home strech of the side and arm seams can take as long as needed. I love finishing seams. (Yes, I get strange looks when I admit this.) Its when I feel the most gratified because its done!

[Jennie]

I got this idea from a gal in my S&B group: knit a sleeve as the first piece of the sweater, and it can be your swatch! I had to rip mine out 4 times for gauge, but when I finally got the gauge I wanted, I could just keep knitting rather than *start* the sweater. I'm also knitting the 2nd sleeve before I finish the other front of the sweater, as I don't want to hate the sleeves...!