I’m dying to start cable knitting and thought I’d start with a simple chunky scarf with 1 big cable in the middle.
The videos here I’ve viewed and the friends I’ve watched have all shown me to to continue cabling from cables already in place.
Sorry to sound kinda dumb, but how do I start a cable?
Simple explanation please? Also, if you can suggest a simple pattern, that’d be great, otherwise I’ll try to figure out one myself – I feel that comfortable.
Thanks so much!
Tawny
Hm, makes me think of the irish hiking scarf, though it might be a little difficult to begin cables with.
It’s kinda difficult to explain how to begin it, even though it’s very easy…
Here’s a few scarfs with just one cable: http://www.lionbrand.com/patterns/60053.html?r=1http://straw.com/cpy/patterns/scarves/kaya-cabled-scarf.html
http://knittingdragonflies.blogspot.com/2007/10/my-chunky-cable-simple-scarf-pattern.html
The Irish Hiking Scarf is also a good choice. it’s not really more difficult, it just has 3 cables instead of 1.
http://www.helloyarn.com/irishhikingscarf.htm Afterall, if you can do 1 cable, 3 isn’t any more difficult, it’s just 2 more.
Another good choice, that looks very impressive but is not at all more complicated is http://www.cometosilver.com/patterns/palindrome.htm The 3 cables on this are reversible, it’ll look the same front as back.
Setting up for a cable is not magical, it’s really quite simple. Cables are usually 4 or 6 (or 8 and sometimes even more) stockinette stitches surrounded by something else, usually reverse stockinette, sometimes garter or even something else that will make the column of st. stitches 'pop.'
So your first few rows are just a combination of knit or purl across the row to set the st. stitch column(s) bordered on each side the the background stitches. Then about row 4-5-6(whatever the pattern specifies, you’ll knit the cable crossing row. You’ll have a set number of rows, thereafter you’ll do the cable crossing row every ‘whatever’ number of rows.
You don’t cable on the first row of knitting, it’s usually at least 4 rows in. The set up rows are like wide ribs, 2 or more stitches that are purled and 4 or 6 or 8 sts that are knit. Do them for the 4 or 6 rows a pattern specifies, then do the crossover row. Then knit another 6 or 8 rows in the knit/purl pattern and you do another crossover row. That’s all there is to making cables.
Thanks so much for the patterns…I’ll definitely review and pick one – maybe I’ll even post it when I’m done 
Appreciate everyone’s responses…between them all, I’ll figure it out.
I know I’m kinda late… but I wanted to post this cable ‘practice’ pattern that a friend of mine gave me. You could probably double it up or change is to the size you’d like for a scarf.
CO 12 sts
R1 - P3, K6, P3
R2 - K3, P6, K3
R3&4 - Repeat 1 & 2
R5 (Cable Row) - P3, slip 3 onto cable needle as if purling (hold cable in front of work for left twist, behind for right) K3, K3 from cable needle, P3
R6 - Repeat row 2
R7&8- Repeat 1 & 2
Repeat 1-8 for desired length.
I’m actually goint to try my first cable soon… using a modified version of this… hopefully that helps!