Simple python method to create an interleaved list from two or more iterables.

interleave.py

from itertools import chain, izip

ileave = lambda *iters: list(chain(*izip(*iters)))

# full method with doctests
def interleave(*iters):
    """
    Given two or more iterables, return a list containing 
    the elements of the input list interleaved.
    
    >>> x = [1, 2, 3, 4]
    >>> y = ('a', 'b', 'c', 'd')
    >>> interleave(x, x)
    [1, 1, 2, 2, 3, 3, 4, 4]
    >>> interleave(x, y, x)
    [1, 'a', 1, 2, 'b', 2, 3, 'c', 3, 4, 'd', 4]
    
    On a list of lists:
    >>> interleave(*[x, x])
    [1, 1, 2, 2, 3, 3, 4, 4]
    
    Note that inputs of different lengths will cause the 
    result to be truncated at the length of the shortest iterable.
    >>> z = [9, 8, 7]
    >>> interleave(x, z)
    [1, 9, 2, 8, 3, 7]
    
    On single iterable, or nothing:
    >>> interleave(x)
    [1, 2, 3, 4]
    >>> interleave()
    []
    """
    return list(chain(*izip(*iters)))