Baby Blanket Cable stitch dilemma!

How-to Questions
1

Hi,
i’m in a real bind & don’t know where to get an answer…please help!
I am making a baby blanket for my 3rd grandbaby & have run into a problem!!! It is a basic cable to the left pattern…started with 138 cast on stitches in garter row, knitted 12 rows then started cable pattern. Worked 38" of pattern and the first 12 rows have “puckered” or “rippled”!! I am up to finishing the last 12 rows in garter and am trying to come up with a solution.

Questions are:

1 - Will this go away with blocking?
2 - Should i use a smaller needle for the last 12 rows? will this eliminate puckering?
3 - Can i go back to original 12 rows and re-knit them to fix problem?

Any help will be greatly appreciated as baby is due any day!!! Thanks, Ann :hair: :help: :shrug:

2

Cables naturally “pull in” so they do often create that ripple. A wider border may help, but it may still do that some. Depending on your yarn you might get some benefit from blocking, but I’m not sure how much. A smaller needle shouldn’t make any difference.

Can you give us a pattern name and/or link?

3

i made the pattern up so it’s pretty basic! i just garter stitched 10 rows, then started cable pattern for the next 38 inches!!!
k9,p2, [(k6,p2,k6) x22], p2, k9
k9,k2, [(p6,k2,p6) x22], k2, k9
k9,p2, [(k6,p2,k6) x22], p2, k9
k9,k2, [(p6,k2,p6) x22], k2, k9
k9,p2, [(sl 3 to front, ,k3, k3 from front, p2) x22], p2, k9
k9,k2, [(p6,p2,p6) x22], k2, k9

repeat till you want to stop!

4

Some of the ripple may diminish with blocking but it’s expected with cables as Jan said. i don’t think it’s going to take away from the beauty of this gift at all.

5

The FIRST 12 rows have puckered. You’re referring to the garter stitch rows?

Re: the pattern your wrote. Are those RS and WS rows or only the RS rows? I ask because I’m trrying to determine if you have a stockinette background or garter stitch background to your cables.

If the border (1st twelve rows) was garter st and the body of the sweater is stockinette with cables, then yes, the garter rows will “pucker.” Garter st is a tigther fabric than stockinette (tighter gauge).

Using a smaller needle for the final 12 rows will only make your gauge tighter and therefore, your “pucker” worse. You need to use a larger needle or CO additional sts to get the garter section to be as wide as your stckinette/cable middle.