Cabling means making your knitted stitches travel, twist around, and cross each other to make gorgeous, textured designs. Reading cable charts is an added challenge for the intermediate knitter, but is worth the trouble to learn. You can make cables with or without an added tool which is a cable needle.

Video Knitting Course: Mastering Cables

Anyone can knit cables - just cross your stitches according to the chart or pattern. But you'll need the best tips and tricks learn to cable easily and efficiently.

In this cabling-for-beginners class, you'll learn to cable with or without a cable needle, follow a cable chart, and fix common and not-so-common cable-knitting mistakes. All while knitting a fashionable pair of super-bulky legwarmers with buttons.

$24.99
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How to Read a Cable Chart

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How to Read a Cable Chart
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Guest Blog Post: Workshop With Cookie A: Stitch Patterns

Designing ribbing to fit cable design socks Cookie A square 1By Alex Capshaw-Taylor / Cables, Designing Patterns / March 25, 2011 / 9 Comments
Sock designer Cookie A.’s tips for modifying stitch patterns for your own designs. Especially helpful when adding a cable design to a sock or anything with ribbing. I can’t wait to try this tip on my next cable-design pattern! Read Post »

Blog Post: How To Knit Reversible Cables

Red "Palindrome" Reversible Cable Scarf by notmartha.orgBy Liat Gat – Founder / Cables, World Travels / September 18, 2011 / 7 Comments
Reversible cables are made with ribbing so that there is no “wrong side” to the project. This means a reversible-cabled scarf will look fabulous on both sides. Combine your ribbing skills with cabling to knit projects like this Palindrome scarf. Read Post »

Guest Blog Post: Workshop With Cookie A: Adding Stitch-Patterns to Socks

Cabled socks by Cookie A square cropBy Alex Capshaw-Taylor / Cables, Designing Patterns, Lace, Socks, Top-Down Socks / April 1, 2011 / 4 Comments
Three professional tips for adding cables, lace, or other stitch-patterns to your socks, including combining multiple stitch patterns, checking to see if the socks will come out too big or too small, and heel-flap design tips. Read Post »

Blog Post: How To Knit Mock Cables

By Liat Gat – Founder / Cables, World Travels / July 15, 2011 / 3 Comments
Mock cables are similar to real cables in that the stitches twist around each other. However, with mock cables you just knit into the second or third stitch on the needle, then the second or first, and so on. It’s a “cheat” cable with an interesting look all its own. Read Post »

Free Pattern: Bulky Cabled Legwarmers with Buttons – Super-Bulky Weight

When I wore these bulky cabled legwarmers in New York City, they were turning heads left and right. You don’t need UGGs to be cool. Just knit these fabulous, cabled, knee-high knitted boot covers. Finish off with oversize buttons and a twisted-cord tie. Pattern includes cable chart.

Cable Abbreviations

Cn – Cable needle
Sl 1 – Slip 1

Cable Chart Symbols

knit symbol cable C3L  C3L: Cable 3 Left – Sl 2 sts to cn and hold to front. K1. K2 from cn.
knit symbol cable C3L  C3L: Cable 3 Left
knit symbol cable C3R  C3R: Cable 3 Right – Sl 1 st to cn and hold to back. K2. K1 from cn.
knit symbol cable C3R  C3R: Cable 3 Right
C4L Cable Symbol 1  C4L: Cable 4 Left – Sl 2 sts onto cn and hold to front. K2. K2 from cn.
C4L Cable Symbol 1  C4L: Cable 4 Left
C4R Cable Symbol 1  C4R: Cable 4 Right – Sl 2 sts to cn and hold to back. K2. K2 from cn.
C4R Cable Symbol 1  C4R: Cable 4 Right
T3L Cable Symbol 2  T3L: Twist 3 Left – Sl next 2 sts onto cn and hold to front. P1. K2 from cn.
T3L Cable Symbol 2  T3L: Twist 3 Left
T3R Cable Symbol 2  T3R: Twist 3 Right – Sl next st onto cn and hold to back. K2. P1 from cn.
T3R Cable Symbol 2  T3R: Twist 3 Right
knit symbol cable T4L  T4L: Twist 4 Left – Sl 2 sts to cn and hold to front. P2. K2 from cn.
knit symbol cable T4L  T4L: Twist 4 Left
knit symbol cable T4R  T4R: Twist 4 Right – Sl 2 sts to cn and hold to back. K2. P2 from cn.
knit symbol cable T4R  T4R: Twist 4 Right

See full list of cable symbols on CraftYarnCouncil.com


Recommended Notion: Cable Needles by Brittany Needles

Brittany cable needles

Cable needles help hold stitches to the front or back of your work while cabling. While you can knit cables without them, and I prefer to, using cable needles when you are just learning to cable makes everything easier.

Buy Cable Needles online

Testimonial: Really Easy to Understand

In regards to: Cabled Legwarmers

I am very glad I got this Cable Knitting e-book. Reading patterns is hard for me but Liat goes step by step and makes it really easy to understand. Anyone that wants to learn cabling this is the e-book to get and the price is great. thank you Liat
  – Memary

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