Cable
A Cable or Cable Stitch is a decorative technique that overlaps the fabric creating the appearance of a twisted rope or a braid. It requires a cable needle (also known as a cable stitch holder) or you can use a spare double pointed needle to serve the same purpose. To see our collection of cable needles, please click here.
Cables come in all shapes and sizes. Changing the number and orientation of the stitches, as well as the frequency in which you work a cable row all effect the look of your cable. Above is an image from the Cable Back Shell of a 22-stitch cable held to the back and repeated every 20th row. But before we get to that project, let’s take a look at the fundamentals laid out below.
Basically, to create a cable you skip over a number of stitches, work another chunk of stitches out of order and then return to the skipped stitches, creating an overlap in the fabric. The stitches that are skipped over are temporarily held on a cable needle to either the front or the back of the piece.
Holding stitches to the back creates a right-leaning twist in the fabric, and holding stitching to the front creates a left-learning twist. Below we demonstrate the basics by first showing a 6-stitch cable held to the back (C6B), then a 6-stitch cable held to the front (C6F).
C6B: Cable 6 Back
The cable below is worked across a total of 6 stitches.
Slip 3 stitches purlwise onto a cable needle and let them hang in the back of your work.
Work across the next 3 stitches that are on the knitting needle.
Then, sliding the 3 on-hold stitches to the right end of the cable stitch holder, work the stitches off the cable needle.
After the cable row (the row in which I did a cable stitch), I worked 9 rows.
C6F: Cable 6 Front
The cable below is worked across a total of 6 stitches.
To cable to the front, follow the instructions above, except after slipping 3 stitches onto the cable needle, let the cable needle hang in the front of your work, rather than the back. Work the following 3 stitches, then work the stitches off the cable needle.
After the cable row (the row in which I did a cable stitch), I worked 9 rows.
Left Cross and Right Cross
We used the following cables in our Traveling Cable Hat pattern. They may come in handy elsewhere too!
LC: Left Cross
When you get to a Left Cross (LC), you will have 3 knit stitches on the left hand needle.
Slip these three knit stitches purlwise to a cable stitch holder. (“Purlwise” means to insert the right needle into each stitch as if you were purling it.)
Keep the cable stitch holder at the front of the work.
Purl one stitch from the left hand needle.
Slide the slipped stitches to the other end of the cable needle. (Do not spin the cable needle or try to knit the stitches from the same end that you used to slip the stitches.) Now knit the 3 stitches from the cable stitch holder.
RC: Right Cross
Making the Right Cross is like making a Left Cross in reverse.
When you get to a Right Cross, you will have 1 purl stitch followed by 3 knit stitches on the left hand needle. You will…
Slip the purl stitch from the left hand needle onto a cable stitch holder; hold the cable stitch holder to the back of your work; knit the 3 stitches from the left hand needle; purl the stitch from the cable stitch holder.
C’est très bien expliqué, le travail est très beau. Merci
I would love to know how to do the cable in the very first picture. It just seems to flow.
Hey Mary An Kelly,
Thank you for your comment! That cable is used in our Cable Back Shell project. Here is a link to the project with the instructions to make the cable; https://www.purlsoho.com/create/2013/06/30/lauras-loop-cable-back-shell/
Happy knitting!
Jake
I really enjoy your tutorials. I have been knitting for 2-3 months and when I read this the other day I went right home and tried to replicate the 22 stitch cable at the beginning of the tutorial. Needless to say it wasn’t that lovely but I think I’ve got the idea. Thanks for the clear tutorials that are both visually simple and lovely.
what does make 1 right and make 1 left mean?
Hello, Irma!
Thank you very much for writing in! We’ve got a wonderful tutorial here: p://www.purlsoho.com/create/2013/08/13/make-one-right-m1r-make-one-left-m1l/ the Make 1 Right + Make 1 Left stitch. Please let us know if you have further questions!
Happy knitting,
Kumeko
okay I will wait for response.
Any helpful hints on how to keep your cables balanced?
Hello Noel,
Thank you for reaching out! Keep the cables balanced in the sense that your cables or stitches are uneven? This could be a tension issue which will get better with practice as your hands become more comfortable with with this technique. Tension issues can also often be fixed during the blocking process.
I hope this helps and let us know if we can clarify anything!
Happy cable-ing
-Marilla
My cable pattern is over 18 stitches with a twist left and right , six stitches for each twist over two rows. There four rows between the double twist.
The cables are not lying flat. They looked pinched or too tight.
Any suggestions as to why?
Thank you!
Hi Martha,
Thanks for reaching out! Although I can’t say for sure without seeing your work, it sounds like this might be normal. Because you are crossing stitches over other stitches, it is normal to have a tight spot right at the twist of the cable, and although it will never lay perfectly flat, usually they look much more organized and lay significantly flatter after blocking.
I hope that helps!
Julianna
Thank you Julianna and Cassy!!!
Sounds like a lovely tutorial. When you knit, do you knit a knit stitch untl the point where you take the three stitches off, then work a purl stitch until the cable is done and then continue a knit stitch, then alternate the next row, like a ribbed stitch? Im only a beginner and my question sounds confusing but does anyone know the answer? thanks
I have tried this and it seems to work great, a bit fumbly but after all I’m a beginner, only 11-years-old (congrats! If an 11-year old can follow this tutorial anyone can ? ) so im sure I’ll get the hang of it soon. However the fabric curls in where the overlap row is, why does this happen and how can I fix it? Thanks
Hi Emily
Thanks for writing in! I think you’re asking about the Left Cross (LC) cable here. Usually, on cabled projects, the following rows are knit in pattern, so you would knit your knit stitches and purl your purl stitches. But cables come in all shapes and sizes, so each pattern that includes cabling should give you the instructions at the beginning: how to do the specific cable they require, exactly what to do on the following rows and how many rows between the cable rows. Most cables are bordered by stitches on each side and don’t start on the very edge. But all cables generally pull the fabric of your knitting in (all the crossed stitches) I hope this helps!
Happy knitting
Jessica
I am doing a cable 6 back and it tells me to hold 3 at back,knit 3 from left kneedle then purl 1 then knit 3 from cable needle this I am ok with but there are not enough stitches left to to finish pattern I am so confused
Hi Jean,
Thanks for reaching out! I am happy to help but would like some more information to continue, what pattern are you working on?
Looking forward to your response!
Gianna