More cable help required!

#1

I thought I’d got the hang of cable so found a pattern which I think looks smashing, but quickly got stuck! The instructions are:
K 2nd st on LH needle tbl, then k 1st 2 sts tog tbl.

I’m happy with the knitting of the 2nd stitch on LH needle tbl but this twist appears at different positions in the row throughout the pattern so when it says to knit the 1st 2 stitches together, which 2 is it talking about? The next stitches on the left needle? Or do I slip the thread that has come through from the knit back onto the left needle and then knit 2 tog? Hmmm!

#2

K 2nd st on LH needle tbl, then k 1st 2 sts tog tbl.
When you knitted the 2nd stitch on the left hand needle through the back loop, you skipped a stitch. When it says, “then k 1st 2 sts tog tbl” it means knit the one you skipped and the one you already worked through the back loop together, also through the back loop. Be sure after you knit that first st tbl that you didn’t let anything slip off the LH needle, then do the second part and slip the whole works off the needle at once.

This is my take on it anyway and I think it is right. I’ve never used that in anything I made. There is always something new to learn. :slight_smile:

#3

That’s great, thanks for the quick reply - I’ll give that a go tonight!!

#4

It’s always meaning the first 2 on your left needle at the time.

#5

We must be working on the same project because the same directions are stumping me. If you knit into the back of the 2nd st w/o slipping off, then knit the first two (the skipped stitch and the 2nd stitch together) this creates an extra stitch. Is this supposed to be an increase?

#6

This should not increase the # of stitches, when you knit the 2nd stitch, there’s one, then k2tog ,there’s one.

You started with those 2 stitches & you still have 2 stitches.

Wonky directions though- what are you making?

#7

you are creating two stitches out of two stitches. no increase.

#8

Hi SilverOak,
It shouldn’t create an extra st since you are knitting those 2sts together.

Ktbl of 2nd sts~ 1 stitch
K 1st and 2nd st together~1 stitch
:thumbsup:

#9

Somebody else just started a post recently about this same direction. This wouldn’t happen to be from the Trellis sweater from Knitty. It is the direction given in that pattern to explain one of the things they are doing on a chart.

If it is that sweater I went and looked at it and actually worked a part of the pattern repeat for the whole chart. What it is making is a fake cable on each side of a different kind of cable. The direction that is giving everyone fits is in the fake cable. A regular 4 stitch cable would work in its place if someone wanted to substitute what they give. I’m not sure how many rows you would do before each twist row though.

All the help given on this post is correct. It is not an increase.

#10

You are correct, if you add a st (K 2nd st on LH needle tbl) and reduce a stitch (then K 1st 2 sts tog tbl) +1-1=0. Sorry I didn’t explain very well.

The increase I was seeing was on the RH needle, leaving the available cast on sts on the LH needle deficit (not enough sts on LH needle to finish the row).

The problem I am seeing is this adds 2 sts on the RH needle and decreases the LH needle by 2 sts. This technique (K 2nd st on LH needle tbl, then K 1st 2 sts tog tbl) occurs 4 times on the 1st row. When I reach the end of my cast on sts, there are not enough sts to finish the row.

If you look at the symbol legend, the next stitch symbol is different but shares the same instructions. Maybe the next st should be done differently and I am doing them the same which is causing the problem.

http://knitty.com/ISSUEspring05/PATTtrellis.html

#11

No, it only occurs 2 times on the first row (and every row, one on the right and one on the left). The symbol takes up 2 boxes and has two slanted lines like \ \ with little lines coming out from them in the middle, one going up and one down. If you look at the explanation of the chart it has both of the little \ \ lines in the picture and under it it says, “Left Twist” and right under the words ‘Left Twist’ it has the explanation of how to do the left twist, which is the " K 2nd st on LH needle tbl, then k first 2 sts tog tbl." What you are interpreting as 4 executions of the left twist, is just 2 executions of the left twist that each involve 2 stitches. The boxes on the chart each represent one stitch.

Does that make sense now?

#12

Absolutely! Thank you. I was treating it as 4 executions of the left twist instead of 2 and realized I was doing something wrong, but would not have worked thru this w/o help. What you are saying makes total sense. This is the first time I have used a chart w/legend for instructions. Thank all of you so much.

#13

Glad to help. :slight_smile: