It's amazing how intimidating cables can be! For those not as familiar with knitting terminology, a cable in knitting "is made by working a group of stitches out of order. A cable needle (a short, double-pointed needle) is used to temporarily hold stitches out of the way while knitting the next ones, thus reversing their order and crossing them over one another."(Vicki Square, The Knitter's Companion: Deluxe Edition (Fort Collins, CO: Interweave, 1996) 117) I've known knitters who spend years avoiding this knitting technique, just because of it's visually daunting appearance. Well, I am here to tell you cables are truly a breeze and with a good pattern and some confidence, you too can concur the infamous cable.
Close up of the 12-Stitch Plaited Cable executed in the Braided & Cabled Ear Warmer Pattern. |
Braided & Cabled Ear Warmer
Skill
Level: Intermediate
Materials:
US 7 straight needles
100 yards worsted weight yarn
1 yard contrasting yarn for provisional cast-on
Tapestry needle
Cable needle
US 7 dpn for 3 needle bind-off
Pattern:
CO 22 sts with contrasting color yarn, using the provisional cast-on
Row 1,5 (RS): K22
sts
Row 2,4,6,8 (WS):
K5, P12, K5
Row 3: K9, “Cable 8 front (K4 and 4)”
(slip the next 4 sts onto a cable needle
and hold at front of work, K4 from
left-hand needle, then knit the 4 sts
from the cable needle.), K5
Row 7: K5, “Cable 8 back (K4 and 4)” (slip
the next 4 sts onto a cable needle
and hold at back of work, K4 from left-hand
needle, then knit the 4 sts
from the cable needle), K9
Repeat Rows 1-8 till piece measures 16”
Keep the 22 sts on the needle and pick up
22 sts from the right side of the
provisional CO edge using the size US 7 dpn needle.
Holding right sides
together, join both ends using the three needle bind-off.
Use the tapestry needle to weave in ends.