Build Your First Knitted Cables

Ever admired those beautiful twisting patterns in sweaters and scarves and wondered how they’re made? Those are called cables, and they look much more complex than they actually are! This guide will walk you, step-by-step, through making your very own Knitted Cable Stitch Swatch, just like the lovely beige one pictured. Get ready to add a touch of cozy elegance to your knitting skills! This is a fantastic way for beginners to dip their toes into the wonderful world of cable knitting.

Gathering Your Supplies

Before we begin forming those gorgeous twists, let’s get our tools ready. For this project, you’ll need:

• 🧶 Yarn: One ball of Bulky weight yarn. A light color is great for learning as you can see your stitches clearly.
• 🥢 Knitting Needles: A pair of straight knitting needles suited to your bulky yarn. Check the yarn label for recommendations – something like a US size 10 (6.0 mm) often works well.
• 📎 Cable Needle: This special little needle holds stitches temporarily while you work the cable twist. They come in different shapes (straight, U-shaped); any type will do!
• ✂️ Scissors: For trimming the yarn.
• 🧵 Tapestry Needle: To weave in the ends neatly when you’re finished.

Understanding the Basics

Before we jump into the pattern, let’s quickly define the essential stitches you’ll use. Don’t worry, we’ll keep it simple!

• Knit Stitch (k): The most fundamental stitch. Think “in through the front door, around the back, peek through the window, and off jumps Jack!”
• Purl Stitch (p): The second fundamental stitch, essentially the reverse of knit. Bring the yarn to the front, needle goes through the loop from right to left (back to front), wrap yarn, push through, slide off.
• Cast On: This is how you get your first row of stitches onto the needle to begin knitting. We’ll use a simple method like the long-tail cast on.
• Bind Off (or Cast Off): Finishing your work by securing the stitches so they don’t unravel.
• Garter Stitch: The simplest fabric – just knit every single row! It lies flat and has bumpy ridges on both sides. You see this forming the border of the swatch in the image.
• Reverse Stockinette Stitch: This fabric has the bumpy side (purl bumps) facing outwards as the ‘right side’. You purl the stitches on the Right Side (RS) rows and knit the stitches on the Wrong Side (WS) rows. This is the textured background behind the cables in the swatch.
• Cable Needle: Your magical tool for holding stitches out of the way momentarily.

Let’s Make the Cable Swatch!

This swatch features four identical cables separated by panels of reverse stockinette stitch, framed by a garter stitch border. The cables are 4-stitch right-twisting cables.

Swatch Structure: The pattern is worked over 32 stitches.

• Border: 3 stitches in garter stitch on each side.
• Inside Panel: [2 purl stitches, 4 knit stitches (for the cable)] repeated 4 times, followed by 2 purl stitches.

Abbreviations:

• k: knit
• p: purl
• st(s): stitch(es)
• RS: Right Side (the side facing you that shows the main pattern)
• WS: Wrong Side (the back side of the work)
• C4F (Cable 4 Front): This is our cable instruction! It means: Slip the next 2 sts onto your cable needle and hold it at the FRONT of your work. Knit the next 2 sts from your left-hand needle. Then, knit the 2 sts from your cable needle. This makes the cable twist to the right.

Instructions:

1. Cast On: Using your chosen cast-on method, get 32 stitches onto one of your knitting needles.
2. Bottom Border: Work 4 rows in Garter Stitch.
   • Row 1 (RS): Knit all 32 sts.
   • Row 2 (WS): Knit all 32 sts.
   • Row 3 (RS): Knit all 32 sts.
   • Row 4 (WS): Knit all 32 sts.
3. Begin Pattern Section: Now we establish the main pattern, incorporating the border stitches.
   • Row 1 (RS – Cable Row!): k3 (border), p2, C4F, p2, C4F, p2, C4F, p2, C4F, p2, k3 (border). Tip: When working the C4F, keep your tension even. Don’t pull the stitches too tight when knitting from the cable needle. It might feel awkward at first, but you’ll get the hang of it! You’ve just formed your first set of twists!
   • Row 2 (WS): k3 (border), k2 (these correspond to the p2 on RS), p4 (these are the back of the cable sts), *k2, p4; repeat from * two more times, k2, p4, k2, k3 (border). Important: Notice how on the Wrong Side rows, you knit the stitches that were purled on the Right Side, and purl the stitches that were knit (or cabled) on the Right Side. This establishes the Reverse Stockinette background and keeps the cables smooth on the front. The border stitches are always knit.
   • Row 3 (RS): k3, p2, k4, p2, k4, p2, k4, p2, k4, p2, k3. (This is a ‘plain’ row – setting up for the next twist).
   • Row 4 (WS): Repeat Row 2.
   • Row 5 (RS): Repeat Row 3.
   • Row 6 (WS): Repeat Row 2.
4. Continue Pattern: Repeat Rows 1-6 until your swatch reaches the desired length. The image shows about 6-7 cable twists vertically. Repeating Rows 1-6 will build the pattern shown, with the cable twists happening every 6th row on the Right Side. Seeing those cables emerge row by row is incredibly satisfying!
5. Top Border: Once your swatch is long enough, work 4 rows in Garter Stitch to match the bottom border.
   • Row 1 (RS): Knit all 32 sts.
   • Row 2 (WS): Knit all 32 sts.
   • Row 3 (RS): Knit all 32 sts.
   • Row 4 (WS): Knit all 32 sts.
6. Bind Off: Secure your stitches. Cut the yarn, leaving a tail about 6 inches long.
7. Finishing: Using your tapestry needle, weave in the beginning and end yarn tails neatly on the wrong side of the swatch.

You’ve Done It!

Look at that beautiful piece of knitting! You’ve successfully navigated the twists and turns of cable knitting to produce this lovely swatch. Notice the clear definition of the four right-twisting cables standing proudly against the purl background, all neatly framed by the garter stitch border. Feel the texture – cables add such a wonderful dimension to knitted fabric.

Don’t be discouraged if your first attempt isn’t perfect. Knitting is a journey of practice. Each stitch you make builds your skill and confidence. Now that you understand the basics of a simple cable, imagine the possibilities!

Feel proud of the wonderful piece you’ve made. We’d love to see your cable swatches! Share a photo of your finished work – it’s always inspiring to see what fellow makers are working on. Happy Knitting!