Plugging away on the sleeves of the Lightning-Bolt Family pullover. I'm probably about half done.

When a pattern has identical sleeves (i.e., the shaping is exactly the same and not mirror image or something like that) I knit them at the same time, on a long circular needle. This helps me get it done more effectively. The SSS I suffer from is not Second Sock Syndrome, but Second Sleeve Syndrome.

The sleeves (except for the very cuff) are all stockinette, with gradual increases. I find I can knit on these and read journal articles or textbook chapters at the same time. I know I've talked about this a lot, but it's something I do and I find it helps me immensely. The knitting:

1. occupies the low-level monitor-and-worry centers of my mind that would normally be going "Hey, don't you need to do the dishes?" "Wait, did you order two boxes of checks and only one came? did someone steal the second one and is now out draining your account?" etc.

2. Keeps me from racing through the read, thinking "just two more articles then I can KNIT!" It makes it feel less of a punishment. (Yes, sometimes reading scientific journal articles feels like a punishment - some scientists CAN NOT WRITE coherently, or they jargon-up their papers to show how smart they are, or they take an interesting subject and suck the life out of it).

3. Slows my brain down so the stuff has a chance to sink in. I tend to read complex things too fast and on "autopilot" and I catch myself thinking about other things and have to go back and reread pages or paragraphs. I think the slowing down is part of the "low level monitor and worry centers" being occupied.

4. Gives me the chance to work on the more, shall we say, meditative parts of a piece without getting frustrated with how "boring" stockinette is. Television and knitting stockinette doesn't work anymore; it's not distracting/interesting enough for me.

5. I find I both knit and read for longer periods of time.

That last isn't always good. I have to find a better position to sit in so my back doesn't ache the next day.