I’m playing around with some basic 6 st cables with an 8 row repeat. I started with seed stitch for a border across the bottom. Surprise! surprise! when I started the cables the bottom border no longer lies flat. Actually I was expecting this. Right now I’m interested in getting my technique worked out so that I like the way the cables look, not loosey goosey or too tight, etc.
I’m thinking that if I start with fewer stitches and then increase in the areas where the cables will be I can get a nicer bottom edge. I’ve seen the use of increases in patterns, I didn’t think of it. Before I start my next practice swatch could somebody give me a clue as to how many stitches I should increase, and where should they go? I’m thinking that I’ll need to make the increases within the 10 st section of the cable itself, whether they should be in a specific spot within those 10 sts I don’t know. Help, please!
If there are other ways to get a nicer bottom edge I’m interested in learning about them too. Feel free to offer any cabling knowledge you’d like to share.
Your on the right track. It’s called cable flare and you get it at both the cast on and cast off edges. It’s because your gauge changed when you went from seed stitch to cables. So you will need to figure out what the gauge if each stitch is then you will know how many to decrease or increase. The best place to hide the increases is right under where the cable crosses before the first row of the cable. That’s all I can remember from my class on this subject.
So, to see if I understand: When I’m done with the border at the bottom and begin setting up for the cables, that’s the row where I want to put the increases? After I figure out the gauge difference and decide how many stitches I need to increase, of course.
Thank you for letting me know how to get to the number of increases rather than just telling me a certain number. See? I didn’t even know how to ask the right question. :mrgreen:
I think I’ve got it!:woohoo: My cable section measures 2". In seed stitch I got 7 sts/2". I took out 2 sts per cable section before going back to seed stitch then 1 more on the first row of the border and my top border lies flat. Onward!
On my next piece I will try increasing after the border at the bottom, so I’ll subtract 3 sts per cable section for my cast on. This time I will try adding something vertical but I’m not sure what. I could slip a knit stitch every other row but I’m not really sure that’s what I want. Back to looking at how cables are used and stitches that are used with them. There are so many pictures to consider.
I have some really nice cashmere merino yarn that I want to make up in a sweater for my daughter. She wants some really basic cables. I’m going to work out the cable pattern she likes then use it to make a bag. By then I’ll either be sick of it and tell her never mind or I should be getting good enough that the sweater will turn out well.
Bless you ever so much for your help. You explained it so well. I knew it was cable flare because I’ve encountered the term but didn’t even think about it having a name, I was so caught up in trying to figure out how to figure it out. So now remembering which stitches to wrap backwards and then to untwist them when I come to them again are my main challenges for now. I’m having problems with loose stitches in places I can’t explain, and that’s besides my inherent inability to maintain even tension.
The attachment is to show the difference in the top and bottom sections.
stockinette tension - purling looser than knitting is usually the cause of ladders. it helps to give the purl stitches a firm tug after each (a la the space between needles when using 2 circs or magic loop for tubes)
oversized cables - use a cable needle or DPN several sizes smaller than what you’re using for the rest of the piece. this prevents them stretching out and changing tension/gauge.
gauge/cable flare - increase stitches in the last row before the cables, but do them in the general area where the cables will be, not spaced out evenly in the row…
yarn position - when working cables, position yarn firmly in front when changing from knit to purl.
and other advice there… the FOs are pillows, but the general principles should apply.
How thoughtful of you. I’ve had a quick look at your link but I’m too tired tonight to really get much out of reading it. Tomorrow I’ll really take a good look and do some reading. I do use a skinny cable needle, just big enough to hold the stitches well is all I care about.
I’m trying to remember what a thread was titled. Somebody asked about an odd stitch, putting the needle through the first stitch pw then knitting the second stitch. I found a video for a bind off that uses that technique. Icelandic Bind Off I’m looking at oftroy’s site to see if I can find a bind off that will go well with her long tail open and closed cast on. Long Tail and Variations @ about 4:30. It is a nice one IMO and works well for hats and things. IF I did cuff down socks I’d use it there.
The cables look very pretty, GG and the idea of a cabled cashmere sweater sounds wonderful.
It doesn’t look like you’re having loose sts when you transition from knits to purls but should that come up:
Thank you. I was sure I’d read all about loose stitches at TK but I’d missed that page somehow. On something like this I wrap the last knit before a purl backwards and that’s generally enough adjustment but on this it wasn’t so I started wrapping the purls backwards. What’s been baffling me is why are my first knits after the purls loose? It doesn’t really show in the photo and I’d already messed around with redistributing the excess yarn into the other knits. I’ve started wrapping the knit after the purls backwards.
I can find all kinds of complicated cabled sweater patterns but a simple V neck with a couple of simple cables I’ve not found.
Actually I was expecting this. Right now I’m interested in getting my technique worked out so that I like the way the cables look, not loosey goosey or too tight, etc.