Cables aren't scary, I promise!

I'm working on a pattern with cables in it called "Knotwork Cabled Headband" by Lucy Liebenstein.  Here's a step by step for the cables, but these instructions apply to any cables you might find.  This pattern has front and back cables, all that means is that you hold the cable needle to the front or back of your work.  All cables are basically the same, different pattern writers just call them different things or have you hold a different number of stitches to the front or back

Here's how to do the front cable in this pattern (row 8).  I've yet to find a pattern with a cable where the writer doesn't spell out exactly how the cable is done.  I'm going to show you the front cable first because it's easiest to see, even though it comes second in the pattern.

The instructions say C6F:  Slip 3 stitches onto cable needle.  Hold in front of work.  Knit 3 from left needle, then knit 3 from cable needle.

 Here we go.  I've done the first 7 stitches ( K3, P1, K3)
in row 8 and I'm ready to do the cable.

Since the cable needle is going to be held in the front, I hold my working needles a little out of the way behind the cable needle.  Here I'm slipping the first stitch (just like it was on the working needle) from the left needle to the cable needle. 

There are a lot of different types of cable needles.  I like this one (I think Clover or Lantern Moon makes it) because it's bamboo and not slippery, and the ends have a slightly larger area than the middle so the stitches won't slip off.  I also like the bamboo ones that have the lines around the circumference of the needle scored in the wood.  They help to hold the stitches on the needle too.  I tried a few different kinds before I decided what worked best for me.

So now I'm slipping the second stitch onto the cable needle.  Are you with me so far?

And now I've slipped the third stitch onto the needle.  That's done. 

Now the instructions tell me to knit 3 stitches from the left needle. 

 This is where it gets a tiny bit fiddly.  If you think that the cable needle is in your way while you're knitting off the working needle, by all means stick an end into the finished knitting to get it out of your way.  Ignore it until after you've knitted those 3 stitches from your left needle.  Don't worry too much about tightness, just knit like you normally do.  Here's stich #1.

Now I'm doing stitch #2 from the working left needle.

Here I'm knitting the third stitch from the left needle.  The cable needle is still being held on the front of the knitting.  In the next step, you're going to use it just like a little DPN and knit right from it. 

So now you're going to knit off the three stitches on the cable needle. 

I've stuck my left working needle into my finished knitting to keep it secure while I am not using it.  This also keeps that needle out of my way.  Just knit as you normally would, using the right needle and the cable needle as your left needle.  Easy so far, right? 

Ok, you've knitted the three stitches off your cable needle, so now pull your cable needle out and do whatever the next direction in your pattern says to do. On this row, you do two of these front cables, then knit 3, p1, knit 3. 

 And this is how the finished row looks.  Your cable doesn't look like much yet.  The next couple of non-cable rows are what makes the cables pop out.

 



Now we're going to do the other cable in this pattern, C6B (row 4).  The instructions for this one say:  Slip 3 stitches onto cable needle.  Hold in back of work.  Knit 3 from left needle, then knit 3 from cable needle. 

It's going to be basically the same as the other cable, but our stitches on the cable needle will be held in the back.  You're going to have to move your working yarn around to keep it in the right place to do those knit stitches, same as the other cable.

Here, I've stuck my right working needle into the knit fabric to get it out of my way while I slip the stitches onto the cable needle.  I have the working yarn held in front, since the cable needle is going to go behind the work.  You don't have to do that, as long as you make sure when you go to knit again that your yarn isn't looped around anything.

Here, I've got my cable needle holding 3 stitches back behind my fabric.  I'm now knitting 3 stitches from my left needle.  See how you have to occasionally move the yarn to do your knit stitches?  Just make sure it isn't looped around the cable needle and you'll be fine. 

 Here you can see I've made my 3 knitted stitches on my left needle (I'm still working on the third stitch here).

 Next bring your cable needle up and again use it like a knitting needle.  You'll be knitting the three stitches from it starting from the right most stitch, just like if it was a DPN.  Make sure your needle is lying flat with the stitches it's attached to.  Sometimes it might twist a bit.  Remember to have your yarn where you need it to knit those stitches.

Stick your left working needle in the work if you want to keep your stitches from falling off.  You can also stick a needle protector on the end of it, or slip the needle way up on the knitting if you're using a circular.  Just do whatever feels right so your knitting doesn't come off that left needle while it's not being used.

Now I'm knitting off the last stitch on the cable needle.

 Here's another shot of the cable needle with 3 stitches on it being held behind the work while I knit 3 off the left needle.  That's all there is to it, really.  Just hold the stitches on a cable needle and then knit them off.  Front or back, it's done the same way.

 

And here's the 3 cables done.  Again, don't expect to see much when you finish the row, they "develop" as you do the straight knit or purl rows between cable rows.

Every knit pattern writer can make their cables different, but they'll include directions on what to do and in what order.  I've seen some patterns that hold more stitches than they knit off the working needle, some hold less. 

All cable patterns do basically the same thing.  They hold some stitches either in the front or back, you knit some stitches (or purl, it can happen) and then knit or purl what's on the cable needle.  Just follow the patterns, they're all going to be similar in the way they're done.  And have fun!  It's going to take a little practices for it to feel a little less strange.  But cables are so gorgeous in knitting, it's worth a little discomfort to learn to make them.

Easy cabled brim hat

Easy Cabled Brim Hat Knitting pattern

This is a pattern that is actually a combination of a few other patterns...easy to do even if you've never done cables before.  My sample is out of handspun Merino-Silk blend, spun approximately DK or Sport weight.  I will post a picture of the finished hat when it's blocked and ready.  I wanted to get the pattern onto Ravelry ASAP.

Materials:

1 skein of yarn.  You need about 200 yards or 130 grams.  More on yarn below.
1 circular needle, 16 or 24 inches long.
Optional:  another same size circ or a set of DPNs in the same size
Cable needle
Stitch markers

The size of the hat can be adjusted this way:
Size Large to fit most men:  Use a worsted or heavy worsted weight yarn and a size 7 or 8 needle. 
Size Medium to fit most women:  Use a DK or Sport weight or even a light worsted yarn and a size 6 or 7 needle.
Size Small to fit a larger child/adolescent:  Use a heavy fingering or heavy sock weight yarn and a size 5 or 6 needle.

Remember, if you make a hat that is too big you can always felt it down a little bit.  The one I'm making is on a size 6 needle.  It's got ribbing throughout the part of the hat that goes on your head so it'll fit well. 

As far as the type of needle, it's up to you.  I always use just one circular on my projects.  The 24 inch worked really well for me on this hat, until I got to the decreases and pulled a loop of it out.  When I start my decreases, I start using the magic loop method.  Here's a link to a tutorial:  http://www.knittingdaily.com/blogs/daily/archive/2009/09/16/the-magical-magic-loop.aspx  There are also some You-tube videos on how to do it...just google them up.

You can also use two circular needles on any circular project even when it gets small with the decreases at the top.  Here's some help with that technique:  http://www.weebleknits.net/twocirculars.html  I have used two circular needles a lot in the past especially when I want to do two socks at the same time. 

You can also use DPNs (Double Pointed needles) for the entire hat.  Here is some help with those:  http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEsummer03/FEATtheresa.html  Since I've switched to the magic loop I don't really use DPNs anymore, even on socks.

Directions:

Cast on 120 stitches.  Join in the round, being careful not to twist the stitches.  Place a stitch marker where you join the stitches, this is your beginning/end of row marker.  I like the cable cast on, it's nice and stretchy, but use your favorite, making sure you don't make it too tight.  The cable cast on is shown here:  http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEsummer05/FEATsum05TT.html

Round 1-5:  *K2P2* all around (Knit 2, then Purl 2)

Round 6:  *K2, P2, C8F* all around.  The C8F is your cable row.  To do the C8F cable 8 front, Slip 4 stitches to a cable needle and hold it to the front of your work.  Now K2P2 from the next stitches on the circular needle, while you keep holding the cable needle in front of your work.  Then, being careful not to twist the cable needle, do the K2P2 from the cable needle.  Now proceed to the K2P2 on the circular and then repeat the cable.  It's fiddly at first, but I promise it's not difficult.  You'll get better with practice.  Some designers would call this a C4F because you actually take 4 stitches and put them in front of the others, some use all 8 because 4 go front and 4 actually go back.  Either way, every pattern should tell how the author wants it done.

Now, repeat Rounds 1-6 twice more.

Continue in K2, P2 rib pattern until the piece measures 8 inches long from the cast on.  If you're making a child's hat, you might want to make it 6 or 7 inches.  You're going to turn up the cabled portion so it'll shorten the hat a bit.

Decreases:  You're going to be placing stitch markers here.  It's a good idea to make your end/beginning of row marker a different color or put two in right there so you know it's the row marker.  Now, K2P2 for 20 stitches, place a marker, and repeat until you have all 6 stitch markers placed.

Round 1:  K2tog at the beginning of the section after the knit marker.  Then P2.  Repeat K2P2 until you reach the next stitch marker, then repeat it for the next section until you've K2 together in the first 2 stitches after each stitch marker in the whole round.

Round 2:  K1, P2tog after the stitch marker and finish the area with K2P2 until the next stitch marker.  Again repeat for each section until you finish the round.

Round 3:  P2tog, then K2P2 for the rest of the section.  Repeat for each section in the row.

Round 4:  K2tog, K1, P2.  Then K2P2 for the rest of the section, repeat for each section in the row.

Repeat rounds 1-4 until there are 8 stitches left on your needle(s) per section.  That's 48 total stitches.  Now:

Round 5, K2tog, P2tog, K2, P2, slip marker.  Repeat this for each section all around.

Round 6:  P2tog, K2tog, P2, slip marker.  Repeat this for each section all around.

Round 7:  K2tog, P2tog, remove marker.  Repeat this all around.

Now cut your yarn leaving at least a 12 inch tail.  Thread a tapestry needle and thread the yarn through all of the remaining stitches.  Pull this in, pass the yarn to the inside and weave in the tails.

The cable portion can be worn folded down or folded up as a brim.