Marooned!

Jorth stood at the edge of the jetty, shielding her eyes from the sun sparkling off the waves, and watched the boat motor in. The captain brought his vessel in close to the jetty edge, and after securing the ropes he put down the plank. Jorth picked up her knitting bag, and was all set to climb aboard when the captain said "Welcome, passengers, to the Sleeve Island Service. Please show your tickets before boarding the boat."

"Oh!" said Jorth in a panic. "I don't have a ticket!"

The lady with the purple rinse perm who had been waiting in line behind Jorth chuckled and said in a kindly tone "Of course you do, my dear!", then fished into her own knitting bag and presented two finished knitted sleeves to the captain, who tipped his cap and helped her onto the boat.

"Goshdarnit!" thought Jorth. "Finished sleeves are the ticket." She looked imploringly at the captain, and began to explain how she had run out of black yarn, and so only had one finished sleeve to show. Would that do the trick?

"Sorry, lady" said the captain. "No sleeves, no boat ride. You're just gonna have to stay on Sleeve Island until both - and I mean both - sleeves are done."

"If you're quite done, now?" inquired a burly man sporting a ginormous walrus moustache and clutching two intricately coloured Fair Isle sleeves which the captain smiled appreciatively at. He was followed by a horde of knitters, all anxious to depart from Sleeve Island and make their way to Blocking Central. Once the last sleeve-toting passenger was safely on board, the captain removed the plank and set sail.

Jorth slumped down on the jetty, and watched until the boat was a tiny speck in the distance. As it was swallowed by the big, blue horizon Jorth wondered how she could have miscalculated her yarn requirements so badly, and how long it would take to deliver a single ball of black yarn to her place of maroonment.