Q&A for How to Knit a Cable

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Is cable-knitting hard to do?

Jen Webber
Knitting Specialist
Jen Webber is a Knitting Specialist and the Manager of The Quarter Stitch, a crafting store based in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana. With over 17 years of knitting and crafting experience, Jen helps educate customers and the public on best knitting practices for their DIY projects.

Jen Webber

Knitting Specialist

Expert Answer

Cable-knitting looks impressive, but it's actually relatively easy. Basically what you're doing is as you knit along, you stop and you're taking some stitches and bringing them either to the front or to the back. Then, you just hold them there and knit a couple more stitches, which twists the stitches around each other. It's easiest if you use a tool called a cable needle, but you can use a double-pointed needle if you don't have one.

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Question

How do I start a traveling cable that doesn't cross over itself and will be in the shape of an "S"?

Community Answer

Alternate which way you take the stitches out on the worked row. The first time, put the three stitches in front of your work, on the second put them behind. This constant switching between a left cable and a right cable will give you the "S" shape you've described.

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Question

The pattern says purl 3 cable, 4 back cable, 4 front. Please explain.

Community Answer

It seems to be saying that you purl 3, followed by a cable 4 stitches, by slipping stitches #1 and #2 to a cable needle, hold 2 stitches on the cable needle to the BACK, knit the 3rd/4th stitches and then 1st/2nd stitches off the cable needle and then proceed to cable the next 4 stitches, by slipping stitches #1 and #2 to a cable needle, hold 2 stitches on the cable needle to the FRONT, knit the 3rd/4th stitches and then 1st/2nd stitches off the cable needle. Cable knitting instructions are often confusing, especially if the writer doesn't use 'standard' knitting terminology.

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Question

I am doing a wide cable stitch with 8 stitches on the holder. Do I still need to keep the working yarn tight to the first stitch?

Community Answer

No, do not hold the yarn tight. Doing so will make your cable look puckered.

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Question

How can I keep my stitches from becoming too tight?

Community Answer

Try not to tighten them constantly. Make sure you aren't pulling them too tightly every time you make a new loop. You will get the hang of it eventually.

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Question

What does C2K mean?

SarahB

Community Answer

Knit the 2 stitches on your cable needle.

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Question

How many stitches do I carry forward if the pattern says c6f, c6b, p3, k2, etc.? Do I knit 3, bringing 3 forward, then bringing 3 behind, and then knitting 3, or do I bring all six forward some way?

LibraryMouse

Community Answer

You do it in threes, as you first described.

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Question

Are the rows in back done just in the knit and purl?

Community Answer

This depends on what you mean by 'the rows in back'. If you mean the parts of the design on either side of the actual cable: Most cabled patterns will highlight the cables (usually done with 'stockinette' stitches - i.e. knit on right side/purl on wrong side) with surrounding stitches done in either 'reverse stockinette' (purl on right side/knit on wrong side) or garter (knit for ever row). This makes the cables stand out a little better.

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Question

What is the pattern for 16 stitches?

LibraryMouse

Community Answer

For a 16 stitch cable pattern, you would have a 6 stitch cable (as demonstrated in this article) but in a 5 stitch border, working your in-between rows like this: Row 1: knit five stitches, purl six stitches, and knit five stitches. Row 2: purl five stitches, knit six stitches, and then purl five stitches. Row 3: knit five stitches, purl six stitches, and knit five stitches.

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Question

I am using seed stitch and then c4b. Do I continue the seed stitch in the cable?

LibraryMouse

Community Answer

No. Unless it specifically says otherwise, cables are always worked in stockinette stitch.

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Question

What does "sl 1 twice" mean?

Community Answer

It means you slip one stitch from the left to the right without knitting or purling it, then do that again.

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Question

Do you have to use a cable needle?

T. Chinsen

Top Answerer

If you have a crochet hook of the same size, you can use this instead of a cable needle. A hook is longer than a cable needle and may make it slip and more awkward to work with.

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Question

How do I slip first 3 stitches of the row onto a cable needle then knit 3, then knit 3 from cable needle? It’s not working out to do it this way but that’s the way the pattern says?

T. Chinsen

Top Answerer

When making a cable stitch, keep the stitches slightly loose. It makes it easier to pull the stitches to the front (or to the back). You are simply moving the position of stitches ahead of the stitches on the cable needle then knitting the stitches off the cable needle. Think of it as making a fold in the knitting. Complete the next row to see the effect of creating a cable. Look for an online video to get comfortable with the process.

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