Help with 6/6 RC cable border?

#1

I’ve finally finished all 20 squares :cheering: on the Great American Aran Afghan. Now I’m trying to get started on cable border which has completely frustrated me. Here is the pattern:

Row 1 and all RS rows (except 13): K16

Row 2 and all WS rows: K4, P12

Row 13: 6/6 RC, K4

I cannot wrap my mind around this cable, as every other cable I’ve done has always been in the middle of a row. This one starts at the beginning of the row, so when you slip your 1st 6 stitches, you are also slipping the first stitch which has your working yarn onto your cable needle. Then when you go to knit the other 6 on your LH needle, your working yarn gets really stretched across the back side and the stitches are so tight you can hardly slide them across the needles once you finish the cable.

I also tried doing a 6/6 LC, which actually looks more like the picture on the front of the pattern book and the stitches are not as tight.

Am I missing something here? Do you work cables differently when they’re at the beginning of a row?

I would love any suggestions or advice!

#2

I’ve not come across a cable done at the beginning of a row before but I do have a suggestion nonetheless - have you considered slipping the first stitch and then doing the cable on the next 6/12 stitches?

The stitches will be tight when stretched, no matter what, as it’s the nature of the beast, (cabling).

Other than that, I dunno… :shrug:

#3

I’d suggest you pm Silver–she did this afghan and would be able to tell you what’s supposed to happen. It looks like you may want that yarn to stretch across the back, effectively making the edge of the cable roll under–kind of like an icord.

#4

Thanks for the suggestions. I did a couple more repeats doing the LC cable instead of the right, and it knits and looks much better. Not sure why I can’t get the RC cable to look right.

I’m getting ready to walk out the door right now, but I might PM Silver later and see what she thinks.

Thanks again!

#5

Hi, new member here. As this thread is 17 yrs old now I don’t know if I’ll be able to get any help. I too have finished my squares and am at the sewing up stage. I’ve had several trial runs at the cable border but simply can’t seem to get the

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hang of it either. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Not only is the cabling just so tight because of the number of stitches (they keep falling off the needles mid cable!) but the finished item doesn’t look anything like the pictures. Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks.

#6

Welcome to the forum!
Your squares for the afghan are stunning. They deserve the best finishing.
What kind of needles are you using? Can you use a short, say 16 inch circular or a longer dpn? That would at least keep the sts from falling off the needle.
If the cabling is tight, you might try an extra two rows between cable crosses. It’ll make a softer looking cable but one that’s very pretty.
The cable at the beginning of a row is unusual but just bring the yarn from the right across the held sts. Don’t pull it too tightly because it will fold the cable but experiment with what gives the look you want. I suppose that if all else fails you could add an extra knit stitch before the cable.

#7

Many thanks for your help. I probably didn’t explain very well but the stage where I am having trouble keeping the stitches on the needles is while I’m doing the actual 6/6 cable. It’s all so tight with so many stitches being cabled. Perhaps I should try a bigger sized needle. I’ll have another try bearing in mind your suggestions. Thanks again.

#8

A bigger needle is a good idea. I’m a loose knitter and I’m working a 10/10 cable on a sweater right now. It’s a bit snug but not a struggle.

#9

Hello
This may be no help at all but I have discovered that, for me at least, it is easier to use a stitch holder rather than a cable needle. The stitches are slipped to the stitch holder and the holder closed, no stitches falling off. Then move them in front or behind as needed and work the stitches off the main needle. Then you open the stitch holder and slip the stitches back to the main needle before working them. I find having slipping the stitches back to the main needle before working them makes working them much easier, not so tight and just overall more control.
I did this with a sample wide cable and found it much better. Since then I have also switched to using removable stitch markers for narrow cables rather than the cable needle and find the tension better (with a small number of stitches, say 3 or 4 i dont need to close the stitch marker, it can hang without the stitches falling off). It sounds like an additional faff having to put the stitches back on the main needle but in my experience it is quick and reduces all the other problems of stitches falling off or tricky tension.

I absolutely love your squares, they are beautiful!!
Linking the pattern in case any one wants to find this gorgeous afghan pattern

How big is the finished piece? I couldn’t see a size on ravelry.

#10

Thank you for your comments and suggestions. Using a stitch holder sounds like a good option for me to try.
The size of the finished afghan? …… if you follow the instructions properly each square should be 12 x 12 inches - more about that to come!. There are 24 squares; it’s suggested that 4 squares are used for pillows but I’m not doing that. I picked the squares I liked best, altered some and made up some of my own. I was something of a rookie to this project and had a great deal to learn starting with learning to do the thumb cast on method and then trying to work out what ‘ridges’ meant. My fundamental error was that my first square turned out a rectangle and I used that as my template for all the rest. A bad idea!
I am now sewing the squares together and that’s another steep learning curve. That cable border though is really foxing me. It just looks and feels wrong whatever I do. So I’m still waiting for an ‘aha’ moment when it dawns on me what I’m doing wrong.

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#11

I admire you for taking on this project. It’s quite an achievement and you’ve worked it so professionally. I hope we get to see a photo when you’ve seamed all the squares and finished the border.

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#12

Maybe next time you do a cable test post a pic of it, someone may be able to some tips, or even just to reassurance that it looks OK.
The cable edging is knit separately and sewn on, is that right? The pics I saw were of a separate border. It might not look right until a good amount has been worked and the fabric flattened out a bit, letting the cable roll over the edge. Maybe. Sometimes things I knit don’t look right until I’ve worked enough to get away from the needles and let the fabric relax.

Is the seaming a flat seam on the garter edges? It’s a big project hey. Impressive.

#13

Thanks again for taking the trouble to help. I’m delighted to say I have a solution which works for me which is to knit 1 and then cable 6/5. Thanks to the person whose idea that was. I’m finding that so much easier to do and it looks good. You are so right about knitting enough rows to give the pattern a chance to show itself properly. So with the larger gauge needles, doing enough rows before declaring the practice cable hopeless and knitting one stitch before the cable we have a solution between us.
To answer your questions, yes there is a garter stitch border to the cable edging. The finishing instructions don’t specify how to stitch all squares and the cable edging together but concede that “because all the squares have a different number of rows and stitches , seaming them is an exercise in patience and skill”
Thanks again.

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#14

Great to hear you’ve found something that works!

#15

Good going. I’m glad the extra knit stitch worked! Please do show us a photo when you complete this project. It is a remarkable achievement.

#16

As requested, here is the finished item. Thanks again for all the help and messsges of encouragement. IMG_3647

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#17

Wow! This is absolutely fabulous!
All those stitch patterns look so great and you made the cable edge work too.
I’m glad you posted a pic, it’s stunning.
Enjoy your blanket.

#18

What a gorgeous blanket! The cable border is beautifully worked even to the corners. It’s an heirloom to be admired and loved.

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#19

Stunning!!!