Dashing Cable Help Needed

#1

Ok, I’m working on the Dashing pattern and I’m on the cable and I’m having a bit of trouble. It could be I’m tired or a bonehead, but I cant seem to get this cable right. What is throwing me off is the P1 in between the cables. Dashing is worked in a K4 P1 rib with a cable row which calls for this [CB, p1, k4, p1, k4, p1] twice and CB=Slip next 4 sts to cable needle (or spare DPN) and hold to back of work; k4, p1, then k4 from cable needle.
So what becomes of my P1 stitch? If I slip 4 back in a K4 P1 rib pattern, my next stitch would be a P1 wouldnt it? Wouldnt that throw off the pattern and send the whole world spinning into oblivion?
Please help.

#2

I think it will all be ok - have you tried it yet? I often get more confused re-reading patterns than i do just following them.

So, here’s my thoughts, you have
vvvvnvvvv[COLOR=“Red”]n[/COLOR][COLOR=“Blue”]v[/COLOR]vvvnvvvv
when you do the cable, you “lose” the purl in the middle (the one in red, it will become a knit), but put an extra back in (I’ll make it blue), so you
vvvvn[COLOR=“Red”]/[/COLOR]///[COLOR=“Blue”]n[/COLOR]\
vvvv
vvvvnvvvvnvvvvnvvvv

#3

It doesn’t throw the pattern off at all as far as I can see.

The cable pattern takes 4 stitches and slips them to the back (or front.) Then you knit the next 4 stitches, p1, then knit the 4 stitches from the cable needle and then p1 – the k4 p1 continues around your work even on the cable rows.

Have you tried the cable yet?

I think you are just overthinking it a little and you need to follow Ingrid’s advice and “trust the pattern!”

#4

I have been working some similar patterns with a purl in the middle of the cable, and I know this doesn’t follow their instructions, but it looks like this would work:

slip 5 stitches onto the cable and hold at the front or the back the purl in the middle is the last one, the one nearest the left. Now knit the next 4 stitches, slip the purl stitch back to your working left needle and purl it, then you can knit the 4 stitches from the cable needle.

Give it a try if the directions don’t work. I think they might have made a mistake in the directions.

#5

I admit, I did panic, but it just seems wrong some how to make a knit stitch a purl stitch in a cable.
So I tried both suggestions above. The cables end up looking pretty much the same. But, the problem is that these needles are huge, with such a tight circle there is a lot of pulling going on.
Oh well. Thanks again to all who replied.

#6

You aren’t making a knit stitch a purl stitch - because the pattern is k4 p1 you are always going to be knitting the knit stitch and purling the purls. When you cable, you are changing the order in which you knit. You slip the 4 stitches onto the cable needle and hold it in front of or behind your work. Then you knit the next 4 stitches, purl 1 and knit the 4 stitches from the cable needle and purl the next stitch. This isn’t going to change the k4 p1 pattern – just change the order of the stitches that you knit for the cable rows.

#7

Just bringing this thread back up because I’m having the same problem.

If the pattern is vvvv[COLOR=“Blue”]n[/COLOR]vvvv[COLOR=“Blue”]n[/COLOR]vvvv[COLOR=“Blue”]n[/COLOR]vvvv

Then you cable back 4 knit stitches, no matter how you slice it you end up with 2 purls together (cable stitches are red, purls are blue)

vvvv[COLOR=“Blue”]n [/COLOR][COLOR=“Red”]vvvv[/COLOR] [COLOR=“Blue”]n[/COLOR]vvvv[COLOR=“Blue”]n[/COLOR]

then it ends up like this:
vvvv[COLOR=“Blue”]nn[/COLOR][COLOR=“Red”]vvvv[/COLOR]vvvv[COLOR=“Blue”]n[/COLOR]

I changed a purl to a knit and a knit to a purl, but that seems like a work around. What am I missing?

#8

You shouldn’t have 2 purls together. When you follow the cable, you are re-arranging a total of 9 stitches - to clarify - the directions have you slip 4 to the cable needle (4 knits) then k4, p1 - the first stitch on the left needle WAS a purl on the previous row, now you’re going to knit it in the cable pattern, like wise, the 5th stitch on the left needle WAS a knit, but in pattern you now purl it - then you knit the four that were on the cable needle.

You start with
vvvvn[COLOR=“Red”]vvvv[/COLOR][COLOR=“Blue”]n[/COLOR][COLOR=“SeaGreen”]vvvv[/COLOR]

now, when you are holding the 4 knits in back, yes you SEE 2 purls, but you are not purling the first one you come to.

So, you are going to start with holding them in back, and now you have
vvvvn[COLOR=“Blue”]v[/COLOR][COLOR=“SeaGreen”]vvvn[/COLOR][COLOR=“Red”]vvvv[/COLOR]
still 4x1.

#9

Thanks WildMountainHoney,
My mind was so stuck in knit the knits and purl the purls that I was ignoring what the cable instructions ACTUALLY say. That makes perfect sense now. (sometimes I need a little kick to go back and really read the instructions in a new light!:aww:)

#10

:yay: Happy to help (and to kick a little :teehee: )