Cable Knitting Patterns

What Is Cable Knitting?

Cable knitting is a term used to describe any knitting technique that involves crossing a group of stitches over another group of stitches.

At its most basic, cable knitting simply involves holding some stitches aside as you knit, then bringing them back into the work later on. Crossing the groups of stitches over each other in this way creates the appearance of raised columns on the fabric that twist around each other.

Here’s an example of what classic knitted cables look like:

In the early 20th Century, cable knit sweaters and cardigans became very popular as smart attire for children. By the 1950s, fishermen sweaters had evolved to become a staple item in many male wardrobes, and soon they became symbolic of the upper classes all over the United States and Europe.

Nowadays, cable knit sweaters and other garments are popular with people in all countries and from all economic backgrounds. Wherever you might go, you won’t find it hard to spot a chunky cable sweater, hat, or top somewhere.

There are lots of different types of cable stitch, all of which create different patterns and designs in the fabric. You can create diamond shapes, braided cables, celtic cables, and more – but they’re all created using variations of this same technique.

If you’re going to attempt any of the patterns in this list, it’s worth noting that cables tend to “pull in” the stitches around them. Put more simply, cables tend to make things smaller.

The cabling technique concentrates the number of stitches in any given inch of fabric, which means the knitting gauge or tension for a cable pattern may be smaller than the gauge you’d get using the same yarn and needles with a different stitch pattern.

To combat this, make sure you always knit your gauge swatch in a cable stitch pattern for the most accurate representation of your knitting tension.

What Are Celtic Cables?

Celtic cables are simply another type of design in cable knitting. They’re made by combining increases and decreases with classic cable crossovers, creating intricate braids that weave over and around each other.

Here’s an example of celtic cables on a piece of knitted fabric:

Do You Need a Cable Needle to Knit Cables?

Cable needles are small, rounded needles with grooves designed to help you hold stitches aside while you knit. This allows you to cross groups of stitches over one another to create twists in a pattern.

As with all knitting needle types, cable needles come in various different diameters and materials. It’s usually best to choose a cable needle that is slightly smaller than the main needles you’re using to knit your project.

Cable needles can be useful, but they’re not essential for every cable knitting pattern. You can use double pointed needles and get the exact same outcome. In fact, you can use any small object that will help you keep your stitch groups apart. That might be a crochet hook, safety pin, or even a paperclip.

It’s also possible to knit cables without a cable needle at all. Instead of separating the stitch groups with a needle or something similar, you can temporarily slip groups of stitches off your needle and then catch them again, creating a similar effect.

This is an advanced technique that can significantly speed up your cable knitting, but it can take a while to get comfortable with.

How Do You Knit a Simple Cable Pattern?

Simple cables are made by crossing a row of vertical knit and purl stitches and then twisting them around each other. The most basic cable patterns use narrow columns of stockinette stitches against a backdrop of reverse stockinette.

To do this, you simply knit groups of stitches out of order to create layers. As you knit, you place a few stitches on hold, work a new group of stitches, then return to knit the previous group.

For example, if you had three stitches on your needle in the order 1234, you could cross the first two over the next two, so those stitches appear in the order 3412 in subsequent rows.

There are lots of different cables in knitting, but even the most ornate cable patterns are formed by iterations on this one simple technique. This can then be combined with other stitch patterns and styles for more advanced designs and textures.