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

[untonuggan]

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!

Colorwork FAQ?

[marusarel]

Lurker turned first-time poster, ahoy!

So, I've been looking around, but have yet to find any basic colorwork instructions that I can a) understand and b) that are free (I'm poor). But, I have wanted to learn how to knit with more than one color for some time, and have a number of projects I'd like to make, and am bored with one-color knitting....help? Any basic links would do...I'd be pleased for one method, but options are always lovely. ^_^ Thanks guys!

Knitting with two balls of yarn

[storyfan]

I've never knitted anything that required a double thread until I picked up an easy afghan pattern. The pattern itself is no problem, but I'm wondering if there's a way to keep the yarn from twisting. After ever row I have to untwist the balls of yarn which is easy but annoying.

Right now I've got each ball in a separate box, but it doesn't seem to help much. I'm using giant balls of yarn (those super saver types that are 1 pound each that began as skeins), so could the size be the problem? Should I have left them as giant skeins?

I'd appreciate any advice. If this is an unavoidable problem, that's OK. In the scheme of things, it's not all that bad. :)