Ok, maybe you weren’t, but I was! They look so complicated! Well, if you’re like me, and felt intimidated by cables, I’m here to tell you… don’t be! I’m doing my first cable pattern, the Palindrome Scarf, and I’m blown away by how easy cables are! Who knew?!
Amazing how easy they are, huh Angie! The first “breakaway” aka scary project I tried was a cabled baby sweater - two firsts…a sweater and cables. That project gave me so much confidence! And I love doing cables now! Sometime I’ll branch into doing them without a cable needle, but I tend to drop stitches enough as it is, so for now I’m sticking with 'em!
I was a little bit because they “look” so complicated. After I did one I kind of thought…that’s all it takes to make these? LOL I like that people are soooo impressed with them and they are so easy!
I know! I know how easy they are, yet I can’t help but be impressed with myself whenever I look at them :roflhard:
I’m still scared of cables! 
I’ve done lace and entrelanc and fair isle, but I tried knitting a cabled scarf only once and gave up after about 20 rows. I kept twisting the wrong way…
Ah well, maybe someday. Yours look lovely, though.
This gives me confidence to try cables… thanks!
Mee 2 dont like cables but when seeing others’ works i want to do it…actually i am doing cables for my son’s jacket…n found it ok
I love cables! I, too, was afraid in the beginning, but I did a little project (a cell phone case) that was quick and oh, so easy.
I love the fact that it LOOKS so impressive for very little effort. 
Ha. I agree. Once I was scared of them too…
Yup, cables are just stitches that trade places on the needles!
Very easy, especially with the use of charts!
Color coding the charts helps IMMENSELY!
Each individual ‘symbol’ is colored the same.
No mistakes about what gets crossed, and when!
Color code the KEY first, then translate that color coding to your chart.
It helps to make an enlarged copy of the chart in the first place.
On my partial chart (seen above) you will notice that I also wrote in little numbers that tell me if the cable involves 3, 4, 5, or 6 stitches! This also prevents errors.
Cuz doubling back to fit mis-crossed cables is a PITA.
Here is an (partial) example of a KEY that has been color-coded:
ArtLady, you amaze me! That looks so complicated, seriously! I have no clue how to read a chart. I like it all spelled out for me LOL
I was a little but I did Emanelle - http://gettingpurlywithit.wordpress.com/fingerless-gloves/emanelle/
and found it quite easy!
Thanks, Angie!
The charts are read from right to left on the RS rows (usually odd numbered rows)…and from left to right for the even-numbered WS rows.
Usually, WS “resting” rows are just telling you to purl the purls and knit the knits. (unless it is lacework, in which both sides are usually ‘working’ rows)
I cross-stitch too. Charts for cross-stitch are showing the BIG PICTURE of stitch placement.
Charts for knitting are a line-by-line development. Bottom up…line by line…the boxes correspond to a stitch, and the “DNA” for each stitch is revealed in the KEY!
The good thing about the RS ‘working’ rows from a chart is that your stitches on the needle present themselves from right moving to the left, too, just as the RS chart rows do. And the RS rows from a chart are usually the ‘busy’ rows, or ‘working rows’ as Elsebeth Lavold calls them. WS rows are usually ‘resting rows’…nothin’ going on except to knit the knits and purl the purls as they present themselves.
holy cow, those charts and color coding makes me scared of cables again, LOL!!!
Well, those cables were part of the charts for THIS COAT:
(this is the BACK)
Most cable work is more like this:
Or this:
Or this:
But even for the most complicated charts, by the time you have studied the characters from your KEY, and color coded them…and then color coded the corresponding characters within the chart…you really KNOW YOUR CHART well. Then it’s just the matter of working it, line by line by line.
It isn’t as hard as you think!
The ‘homework’ makes the chart much clearer to you, and in the end, easier to work with no mistakes!
Be of good courage my fellow knitter! :happydance:
I’ll try – you sure do beautiful work I hope to get working with cables soon. I’ll take is slow and simple and work my way up. 
That scarf is beautiful. I am about to try and make Star Crossed Slouchy Beret. It will be my first cable project.
A million thanks to you – patterns are kind of a nightmare for me, and your color coding method will help me immensely!
That is so good to hear because I am about to start my first cable project.
I’m not so good with charts yet either. But the Palindrome scarf was my first cable project and I, too, was amazed at how easy it was!!! You’ll love it! ArtLady your projects always amaze me. I think I’ve said before that I wanna be you when I grow up. LOL Wow!!!