Question about the order of steps in knitting a seamless cardigan...

[lizcommotion]

So last night I was gifted 750 yards of Malabrigo Silky Merino. Yay! It had been sitting in someone's stash for a year and they thought I could make more use of it I guess. Anywho, I would like to make a cardigan out of it - probably with short sleeves given the yardage and because the colors are hard to match.

I am thinking of making Knitty's Amiga cardigan, which calls for 2 skeins of 437 yards (874 yards) each for sizes small, medium, and large. I would like to knit size medium. I think probably going to be knitting shorter sleeves to compensate for any difference in yardage, unless the pattern is just really non-specific because of how big the balls of yarn are given in the pattern.

Here's my question: the pattern is a seamless design, and calls for one to knit the body, then the sleeves, then the button bands. Is there any reason why I couldn't knit the body, then the button bands, then divide what yarn I had left into two equal amounts and knit the sleeves until I ran out of yarn/decided they were long enough?

Thank you in advance for any responses!

Comments

[starfish]

At a quick glance, I see no reason to make the sleeves before the bands, so I say go for it!

[afuna]

I agree!

[lizcommotion]

Thanks! I thought not, but I wanted to make sure I wasn't missing anything. *g*

[aunty_marion]

Absolutely no reason why not. I've just finished a Lion Brand top-down raglan cardigan in Lily Sugar & Cream cotton, and I did exactly that, because I wasn't sure how much yarn I'd have left for the sleeves. So I allowed one ball for the front button bands (as I'd made it big enough to button, though the pattern didn't say you should), and worked those first; then I'd got one ball left for each sleeve, and a few bits. And I had enough to make each sleeve full-length!

[lizcommotion]

Thank you for the first-hand experience! I always wonder why patterns are written for sleeves first when it seems logical to me that button bands should go first. *ponders* Unless they are trying to prevent second sleeve syndrome...