At the movies, Part I

Get a comfy chair, grab a yummy treat...take out that chocolate you have hidden on top of cupboard, your knitting loom, a cable needle and some yarn and let's get ready to try out something new on our looms.

Today, we are going to go over a two cables: 3-stitch Right Cross Cable, 3-stitch Left Cross Cable, These cables are typically used to make traveling lines like the ones shown on the blanket on the left. (The blanket shown is the Aran Afghan from Learn to Knit Cables on Looms booklet.)

Before we get started, I want to talk a little bit about the yarn for this type of project: try to choose one that has some elasticity to it, such as wool. This is one time where I would say not to choose a chenille type yarn, it would break too easily. Choose a yarn that will allow the cables to show too, something smooth, non-frilly, and a light color will allow the cables to pop a little more. On cable needles: I like the curved shaped cable needles as the curve prevents the stitches from accidentally popping off.

We are going to look at the 3-stitch Right Cross Cable (3-st RC) first.

For the cabling demonstrations, I am using the red Knifty Knitter loom, the yarn is Lion Brand 's Thick & Quick, the cable needle is a U shape plastic/nylon cable needle.

The instructions for the 3-stitch RC cable are as follows:

1. Place loop from peg 1 on cable needle. Take cable needle to center of loom.
2. Knit pegs 2 and 3. Move them as follows: Loop from peg 2 to peg 1. Loop from peg 3 to peg 2.
3. Take loop from cable needle and place it on peg 3. Knit peg 3.

Next, we are going to look at the 3-stitch Left Cross Cable (3-st RC) first. The instructions for this cable are as follows:

1. Skip peg 1 and peg 2 (take yarn behind pegs to peg 3).
2. Knit peg 3. Place loop from peg 3 onto cable needle. Hold cable needle to center of loom.
3. Knit peg 1 and peg 2. Move them as follows: loop from peg 2 to peg 3; loop from peg 1 to peg 2. Place loop from cable needle on peg 1.

Come back tomorrow for a second installment on cables. We will be looking at the 3-stitch Right Purl Cross and the 3-stitch Left Purl Cross cables. In the meantime, if you have any questions about the cables we saw today, drop your comment and I'll try to address the question(s) tomorrow before introducing the other two cables.

Comments

Comments

[Melissa]

I am so glad someone is going over this!! Reading the instructions is not as easy as viewing someone doing them!! Thanks so much!!

[Scrapcatb]

Thank you thank you thank you Isela! I've not been able to get the new book yet, but know that I do much better with your videos than I do with written directions so thank you for sharing this with us! Can't wait to get the book and get cabling!!!

[Bethany]

Thanks, Isela, for the great videos! :)
Question: When knitting what you have just demonstrated in a project, do you have the tendency (I know I do, and I've been wondering if I should actually be doing this)to take the slack out of the carry over lines in the back, so that they are nearer to the pegs they are going to end up on? Or do you just leave them loose and long?
Thanks! Bethany~

[Stacey]

Must resist getting loom out! :D Evil loom pusher.

I'm trying to wait for the book. I have yarn set aside and I want to follow your instructions.

[martha]

oh thank you... I so want to try cable on the looms.

[Jeannie]

You rock girlfriend! Thanks for the videos. It is much easier to learn something when you actually get to see it being done.

Huggz!

[Christine Durkin]

Thanks so much for posting the videos. I do have a question. I have been using your weekend mock cable sock pattern for many other items besides socks. I have also made a hat using the simple cables. I wanted to try your thicker cable that you have posted that uses 6 pegs for the cable instead of three but my yarn simply would not stretch and in some cases I broke it because I was working it over too hard. Do you have any suggestions for keeping the yarn from breaking? Also on the patterns you show above what is the row repeat...is it every third row to work the actual cable? Thanks again. I also love the cables! Christine

[Kristin]

Thanks Isela!! Are these included in your new book?
Kristin D.

[Lisa]

Ok silly question time. When you are doing a cable. I see you showed a right cross and a left cross cable. When you are knitting, do you use the same cable, like you use the right cross cable the entire time, or do you do the first right cross, then the second one left cross.
I hope that makes sense.

Lisa

[Lori Jones]

Isela
I love the keepsake loom, Id like to have 1 or 5 or 20 of those, I already own two of the bigger ones that yall make and enjoy them so much. If you do decide to sell them, please keep me in mind.
Lori
P.S. Thank you for all you do for the looming community, id be lost without your tutorial and your books ;-)

[sandy]

thank you for your videos...some of us (me) read the word but it does not really click until we see the video at lease one time!