How to fix a cable mistake

#1

Hi -

Do you have any recommendations about good videos for fixing cable mistakes. I would rather not rip out the work. My mistake is on a small cable using 4 stitches and is 20 rows down (yes, I know…ughhh). I have seen suggestions of isolating stitches and cutthing the yarn, but I am not confident enough in myself to do that and would rather just start over even thought I have done about 80 rows…(which is why I would prefer a fix). Anyway - are there alternative methodologies and any videos that you might recommend?

Many thanks in advance -

Gretchen

#2

Have you tried looking up videos on YouTube? I typed in “fix cable mistake” and this one popped up. There are probably some other videos as well, but I’ll let you search for them.

Good luck!

#3

thank you… I googled this subject and didn’t find anything hugely useful. I have seen the video you recommended…but it cuts off after a minute…

Do appreciate you taking the time to reach out.

Thank you -

#4

Glad you saw this video even if it is short. This is probably the best way I know to fix a problem several rows down (without cutting your yarn, too). I did see a recommendation somewhere to secure a few stitches on either side of where you’ll be unraveling by using safety pins. It looks like in the video that she’s holding her stitches on DPNs.

Is this mistake something you could do a duplicate stitch over (like it should be a purl, but it’s a knit)?

The other options is to just leave it, call it a design feature, and realize that handmade things are not always perfect like something that’s made by a machine.

Just came across this, which is step-by-step instructions with pictures of what was in the video: http://www.yarnharlot.ca/blog/archives/2006/06/20/all_is_not_lost.html

#5

You can ladder down the cable and correct the mistake by re-working the sts on dpns. The tutorial that Antares linked to looks good for that. Remember to look for the next ladder rung up and don’t be confused by later rungs. The order for these may be easier to see on the wrong side.
Don’t worry too much about sts that are too loose or too tight as you work up the ladder. Those will even out either by themselves, with a little gentle pulling and tugging or in blocking.

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#6

HI - thanks…

I just found another video - though I would share in

http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=fixing+a+cable+mistake+in+knitting&view=detail&mid=21BE6B9E22F113FB47FE21BE6B9E22F113FB47FE&first=0&FORM=NVPFVR&qpvt=fixing+a+cable+mistake+in+knitting

Thank you so much for your help! I am going to try this later and fingers crossed!

Happy Spring!

#7

Great video, thanks, gcp! I can see how this method could apply to most any stitch pattern. I now understand how to fix mistakes in the pattern I’m working. Good luck on getting your cables in order, I betcha can and will do it.

#8

This happened to me, too. I had my entire cabled pullover all seamed and everything…and then noticed a mis-crossed cable a few inches up from the cast on edge…yeah, very very visible.

Bah! Fixing that cable would amount to hours of work.

So this is what I did:

Using the lazy daisy embroidery stitch, I re-crossed the cable (it was a 2x2 cable…two crossing over two) using the lazy daisy stitch to redirect the lean of the two stitches. The lazy daisy stitches were essentially ‘duplicate stitches’ over top.

Here is a photo of the ‘re-crossed’ cable:


Where my pencil is pointing indicates the two rows of lazy daisy, each row being two lazy daisy stitches.

Here is what exactly what I wrote in my notes for this sweater (re: the mis-crossed cable):

“The 4th photo shows my remedy for a mis-crossed cable discovered after the sweater was all seamed…it was supposed to lean left (as shown by the pencil) but I mistakenly leaned it to the right. I corrected the mis-crossed cable by “masking it” with “lazy-daisy” duplicate stitches over the top, in essence, making a bridge over the mis-crossed stitches. As you know, lazy-daisy stitches, if done right, greatly resemble the shape and look of stocking stitches. Anyway, it worked. Saved the day! The mis-cross is (was) in the cuff, and looked hideous.”

Click hereto see the sweater and my notes.

[B]It wouldn’t hurt a thing to try my remedy. [/B] The worst case scenario is: you won’t like the results…and you still have 3 choices open to you: living with the mistake, or fixing it the way the videos show, or frogging down to the mistake and re-knitting.

I have used this little lazy daisy “fix” a couple other times, too. Just can’t remember. I took photos for the fix on the red sweater cuz I was so horrified at my error…the thought of fixing it was so horrifying…and I felt wonderful that my little fix actually worked! And I’m very pleased with the results. [B]And it just took minutes! [/B]

Tip: when working the lazy daisy, don’t pull the loops too tight.
Here is a photo showing the conformation of the lazy daisy stitch, even though the lazy daisy is usually used to create the petals of a daisy:

The lady calls it ‘CHAIN STITCH’:

//youtu.be/KP3q3H5bnf8

And this is exactly what I did to fix my mis-crossed cable, using
two rows of chain stitch, two stitches each…total of 4 stitches.

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#9

Thanks, ArtLady. :thumbsup: It’s so good to see a fix that doesn’t show since w/o the pencil I’d never have found it, but it’s also good to know that on rare occasion you also make a mistake! :slight_smile:

#10

That pullover was the very first time I’d knit such a complicated cable stitch. It was like a can of worms. But I started color coding all the symbols in my cable charts after that, and mistakes went down considerably. No mistaking a left leaning cable for a right leaning cable!

I knit faster and with more accuracy with charts, and color coded specially by myself. The color triggers my brain more so than symbols and the sometimes odd sketchings within each box on the chart.

Now I’m super-paranoid about mis-crossed cables, and EYEBALL my work after each repeat is concluded. If I have to frog, at least not far if the lazy daisy chain stitch trick (fix) isn’t undetectable to the naked eye. Depends on the yarn and how forgiving it is.

#11

Hi from 2025!

I just want to say that I needed help correcting a cable repeat mistake on a cabled cardigan. I didn’t want to ladder back because I was so far ahead so I did a quick Google search for duplicate stitch methods to correct cable mistakes. And let me tell you, the daisy stitch worked wonders! Almost 12 years later this post helped me immensely and I will store this in my knowledge base forever. Thank you!

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