Creating a knitted cable (part 1 - back facing cable)

create a back facing cable without a cable needle

https://www.cutoutandkeep.net/projects/make-a-back-facing-cable • Posted by bekswhoknits

Feeling a little daunted by those complicated cables that you see? Well this tutorial will show you the trick behind them. I'm demonstrating the technique with a 3 by 3 cable. But if your pattern calls for 2 by 2 cables, or 3 by 1 just change the numbers of slipped stitches and knitted stitches.

You will need

High twist Yarn in any weight. (You want a yarn that if you remove your needle you can easily slip the stitches back on) Your prefferred Knitting Needles in the appropriate size for your yarn

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Description

Feeling a little daunted by those complicated cables that you see? Well this tutorial will show you the trick behind them. I'm demonstrating the technique with a 3 by 3 cable. But if your pattern calls for 2 by 2 cables, or 3 by 1 just change the numbers of slipped stitches and knitted stitches.

Instructions

1. 

   Set up your knitting. The majority of patterns with cables will have the cable surrounded by purl stitches to help the cable 'pop'. In this tutorial the 6 stockinette stitches are in between 5 purl stitches.

2. 

   Follow the pattern until you're at the point where the cable starts. The red needle is in my right hand, and the green needle is in my left hand. (My apologies to any red / green colourblind people out there! They were the only different coloured needles I had.)

3. 

   Bring yarn to front. Slip the next 3 stitches onto the right hand needle. I slip them purl-wise out of habit.

4. 

   Knit the next 3 stiches. You now have 3 slipped stitches and 3 knitted stitches on your right hand needle.

5. 

   Slip the left hand needle into the back of the slipped stiches. If you're having trouble, use your thumb to push down the three slipped stitches to give you more room to put the second needle in.

6. 

   Pinch the base of the 6 stitches (the 3 slipped and 3 knitted). You're about to do the cable part. Pinching the bottom reduces the risk that all the stitches will fall off the needle.

7. 

   Slip the 3 knitted stitches off the red needle and then back onto the red needle. This moves the knitted stitches so you now have them next to the purl stitches.

8. 

   Knit the next 3 stiches (the ones that you slipped). You've now moved the first 3 stitches round the front of the second set of 3 stitches.

9. 

   You've now completed a back facing cable!!! It's sometimes called a right leaning cable and most often goes by the abbreviation C3B (Cable 3 Back)