Odd stitches on cable?

General Knitting
1

Help!! I am new. I have a pattern that calls for a cable with directions:

 K 1 (c5b, p 4.) 4 times then c5b K1   I only have 43 stitches on my row ( it is an afghan square).

I thought cables only had even numbers of stitches…as in C6b would mean to slip 3 off to the cable needle knit 3 and kit the other 3 off the cable needle.

But how do you split 5?? Surely it cant mean to slip 5 whole stitches onto the cable, knit another 5 and then purl 4. I don’t have enough stitches to dop that 5 times.

What am I missing

2

Yes, you can do an odd numbered cable. Look closely at the pattern notes before the Cast on; they should tell you how to c5b, or the first time it’s done it may be spelled out. It could be slip 2 sts to a cable needle, hold in back, p1, k2, then k2 from the cable needle. Or some other combination.