To the left, to the left, to the right

So for those of you follow me on Instagram you know that I shared a cable trick last week and said I would share more about how I do cables here on the blog with more pictures this week.  That is this week's focus, cables.

For those who missed it on IG I posted this picture.

I have highlighted the slant in each cable on the chart in yellow.  The blue lights are for purl stitches.  When I first learned to cable the directions referred to cable front or cable back,  There was also a chart.  I couldn't get anything to work to help me to remember which was front and which was back...  So I put it down and moved on to something else.  Later on there was something I really wanted to make, but now I can't remember what it was, that had cables.  I read the key and these cables were cable right and cable left.  Wow that made such a huge difference.  Now I don't worry so much about "do I hold the stitches in front or the back?"  Now I just start a cable with a guess and look at which direction the stitches are going to lean.

DISCLAIMER!  I AM A TRUE LEFT HAND KNITTER!

Please remember the above as you read what is below.  The directions below work for me, you will probably have to reverse the directions if you are a right hand knitter.

If a cable is going to lean left then for me the stitches on the cable needle are held in the back.

If a cable is going to lean right then for me the stitches on the cable needle are held in the front.

As you can see in the first picture, with the first stitch of the cable worked you can already start to tell which way it is going to lean.  If I was needing a left cable, I would undo this one stitch and bring the cable needle to the front of my work.

Yes I now know and understand that a direction to "cable front" means that you hold the stitches in the front of your work.  My problem...  I am a left hand knitter.  Because I am a true left hand knitter, I take the stitches off of the right needle and the new ones are formed on the left needle, if I follow directions as written, I get opposite results.  So cable left or right with a chart, even one I make, is much clearer for me.

I have included a swatch chart here so that you can play with it on your own and see if this is something that is helpful to you in your cabling adventure.

The cable on row 3 is 2 over 2 right.  The cable on row 7 is 2 over 2 left.

The project that prompted me to share about cabling is a test knit that I am doing for Wendelika.  It is called the Bonfire Poncho.  It is worked in DK weight yarn on US size 8 needles.  I am working from unmarked stash.  I am using black for the cable section and rainbow for the rest of the body.  The black cable section was a gamble but I am pleased with it.

While it doesn't photograph well it looks great in person.  She did some great work with these cables and now I can't wait to try doing some designing of my own with cables.

I have also started another test knit with cables.  I will get to the cable section tonight.  This one has moss stitch in it, a first for me.  It is a sweater worked in worsted weight yarn on size 7 needles.  The yarn I am using is a 50/50 alpaca, merino blend from elsebeth lavold, their Classic AL yarn.  I didn't put a link because I can't decide where to link to.  There is a yarn designer blog with the same name but no where to order and then shops to order from so you choose.  The sweater design is from Annie Lupton of Boho Chic Fiber Co.

Here is my moss stitch swatch.  Making this swatch helped me to learn how to count moss stitch repeats and know which row I am on, as well as check to make sure I have the correct needle size.

I have finished 2 other test knits since my last post; my Scrappy knit pillow by DanaRaeKnits and a cowl from Gina Baglia.

Next time I will share my new toy with you...


Until then, keep making!