Let’s knit a cabled cowl!

There is something about winter that makes me want to hunker down by the fire and knit. Here is a cabled cowl that I finished yesterday: (why I didn’t have a girl-scout-photography-badge-earning daughter take this shot I’ll never know, duh…)

I had never knit cables before but I have always wanted to try so the other day when my studio was freezing I decided to stay upstairs next to the fire and knit…I know, it’s a rough life huh? Here is a look at the cowl flat. I like to think of a cable pattern in columns, you have the two columns that are the cable braid and the 3 columns that are the seed stitch which serve 2 functions, it makes the cable design stand out and it makes the panel of fabric lay flat.

Knitting cables is really quite easy. Once you get through the first couple or rows you probably won’t have to look at the pattern again if you are making something rectangular like this. The way cables are made is by knitting a couple of stitches out-of-order every few rows. Confused? You won’t be after you watch this video:

So now you know what those funny little needles with the dips in the middle are used for LOL! After discovering that I could use my Denise Interchangeable needles as stitch holders for cabling I don’t think I will want those traditional cable needles anymore. The pattern I used to make this cowl can be found for free here. I shared some cabling tips with you in the above video, one tip was to use a cable cast on so your bottom edge of your fabric will be firm and sturdy. Here is how to do it as well as a demonstration of an easy cast on and an explanation of when to use which:

So, do you feel up to the challenge of knitting some cables? Cables are a bit like ribbing and can add curves and fit to a garment (perfect for us gals who have a little extra padding LOL!) as well as interest and detail. You can add cables to hats, gloves, scarves, sweaters and more. I think there is a pair of cabled leg warmers in my future! Have fun with it! Thanks for stopping by and til next time happy crafting!