The Cable Connection

Good Afternoon,

I just received my Vogue Knitting Magazine in the mail today.  One of the hot items for fall and winter is Arans. I personally love adding cables of all sizes and varieties into my knitting.  It breaks up a long monotonous knit, sweater or coat, and gives it character.  The garment now has a voice that invites ohhhs and ahhhs.

Cables can be very small as in a two stitch twisted rib or as big as a ten or twenty stitch cable.  There is often a collection of cables within one garment.  Usually, a center focal point and then smaller cables on either side to "frame" the center motif.

While helping my students and other customers in the yarn shop, I have heard so many remarks and fears about cables.  The remarks are about how beautiful they are when paired with just the right yarn to show them off at a distinct advantage.  Add to that the correct lighting, and you have a winner of a piece to show off.  But on the other hand, the fear that you can see in the eyes that agrees with the beauty of the piece, but also, the phrase, "I could never do that!". 

So here is where I like to break something like this down into components and explain that all the seeming complexities of cables is merely taking the stitches out of their existing order and rearranging them.  That concept seems to be understood, but then when shown traveling cables, I can see them start to twitch, and again say "Oh, I could never do that either!". 

It is so enjoyable to sit with students who are learning about cables and I love it when they finally see that they really aren't difficult, but just look intimidating.  One of the most important things that I also teach along with the mechanics is getting the right cable needle.  I do not encourage anyone to use the aluminum ones as they are so very slippery.  But, that is what I learned on and because of the needle always falling out, I learned to do many cables without the benefit of using a cable needle.  It just plain slowed me down, constantly picking up the cable needle from the floor.  I always recommend wooden ones to beginning cable students.  I personally like the birch ones that come three sizes to a package.  When I was at the yarn shop last week, one of my colleagues had a wooden cable needle with a bend in it similar to its aluminum cousin.  Quite unique.

For those who aren't familiar with cables, I will include a couple of my favorites here:

 

Simple Braided Cable, courtesy of Dummies.com

 

Basket Cables courtesy of thewalkertreasury.wordpress.com

 

Celtic Cable courtesy of knittinghelp.com

 

 

All three of the samples above can be found either in print or in charts in a knitting pattern.  Sometimes you will find both, the written out instructions as well as charts.  The one most valuable piece of advice that I can give, is that when knitting on the left side of the design going from cable to back ground stitch, purl the first stitch after working the cable.  It will be hidden by the edge of the cable and the purl stitch will tighten up that loosey goosey stitch following the cable.

 

Now that you are armed with some insight into cables, do not be afraid of trying one in your next project.

 

Have a wonderful rest of the afternoon and Happy Knitting!

 

P.S.  Just wanted to say that I'm glad to be back.  It was totally crazy getting everything ready for California.  I am so happy that I was able to ship well before the fair begins later in the week, and what a relief it was!