heya,
I’m copying the top from a game character for a friend and it’s got a pattern I can’t work out, it may not be physically possible but if anyone could suggest how to get something similar that would be great 
I’ve attached pictures of the character, sorry for the bad quality, the pattern is the one that kind of looks like a wheat ear cable stitch but with gaps
Thankyou!
Interesting project!! I’m not sure which stitch in particular you are tackling with your question. Right now I’m looking at the stitch that looks like it is worked over 1 1/4- 1 1/2 inches with the slanted lines running from a center rib, offset from each other. Is that the one you were saying seemed related to a wheat ear cable? I don’t know what a wheat ear cable is. I couldn’t find it in any of my books. I have one of Barbara Walkers books and 3 Harmony guides and 3 others that I looked in. I tried looking in Knitting Fool’s on-line stitch dictionary but the site was down.
The drawing doesn’t reflect the way knitting works entirely, but you should be able to make a good replica anyway.
With that stitch I mentioned above that seems to have been worked in two columns on each side (or maybe this is a wrap sort of deal and it is only right at the edge of the part that overlaps) separated by a row or 2 of purl. It looks like smooth work, which we would normally think of as St st and then something sticks up above that in relief. There are ways to accomplish that; the first being a simple purl stitch thrown in in the appropriate places. Another would be some sort of slipped stitch and I have also discovered that twisted stitches worked over the background of St st can be made to make slanted lines like that and they show up pretty well. I’ve been experimenting with trying to create a pattern stitch like they have here in this picture. I got something going with the slipped stitch idea, but I’m not overly fond of it, but it sort of works. Then I tried something based on a stitch in one of my books called broken rib. They worked what they are calling a rib, I guess, over a k5, p2 set up. On the k5 part they put a raised slanted line going off to the left always using two stitches worked out of order (a Cross 2 left). I thought if you did something like that with a Cross 2 right on the first side starting from a center point and slanting off to the right over 5 stitches (or however many you want) and then purl one in the middle and a slanted line made with Cross 2 left going off on the other side offset a couple of rows you could get that result. I am going to make up a sample of that and try to get a picture, and also write down what I did.
I found another stitch that I thought might work for the little columns of vee like stitches that are just to the right of her armpit in the picture with her face in it. It is called Spine st and they worked it as an overall sort of thing, but you could work it in just a column for the effect there. It is 2 rows repeated and worked over only 4 stitches. Row 1: Cross 2 R, cross 2 left. You would probably want at least one purl stitch on each side of that. Row 2: Purl. That’s it. Try it and see if it works for you at all.
Have you started knitting this yet? The sleeves look pretty easy a purl 2 or 3X k1 rib and then you would need to decrease some to keep the flared sleeve. That just looks like a long lazy regular cable worked over however many stitches seem right for the yarn you are using. At the top where it meets that epaulet sort of thing you need to work the cable open a bit more with some purling in the center.
For the epaulet thing itself maybe ridges of St st and rev St st would work. I can’t really see the overall design of the “jacket”, but it looks pretty interesting and I’ll bet on the game you see it in enough different angles that you can see what you want to do pretty well. Have fun with this. Your friend will love it. Some of my family members are big into WOW is that the one this is from? (They used to do EverQuest) So I know what you are talking about, but don’t play myself.
Here is a picture of the stitch I worked out. I put a purl row between the (
/) lines that go off like offset vees, but it recedes and doesn’t show up.
If this looks like anything that you would like to play around with let me know and I’ll post how I did it, if not I won’t take the time.
Assuming you’re after the cable on the body of her sweater, at her waist (not the sleeve cabling):
http://cache.lionbrand.com/faq/301.html?www=1&language=En
Maybe something like this, but with the 2 sides offset by a few rows, and maybe a few more rows between the cable rows.
Or maybe not even a real cable, but something like this pattern, using increases/decreases to give it a cable look. Again, offset the 2 sides so they are not even.
http://knitty.com/ISSUEwinter07/PATTazure.html
interesting project! And a sketched sample 
well, I would use knits and purls and decrease / increase to make the sides run out
Purl on RS with knit on WS will make the ribbs. the decreas/increase for the sides of the pattern I would do by knitting through the back loops of the picked up string and by knitting 2 tog or slip knit pass to make them look identical.
If you want to go a little easier (and come out a little less smooth) you can just sketch the pattern with knits and purls and “step” them sideways. Kind of what Merigold did, but with knitting all your WS knits into the back loop - then the knitts should popp out more.
Anyways: Cabeling all those will be a lot of work, so any other method would be quicker, I guess.
wow thanks for all the replies, it is the one you’re all referring too, sorry for the confusion. I’m kinda teaching myself techniques using some old technique cards my granny had and wheat ear cable is on one of the cards, I guess it’s too old for people to know what it is XD
I have started it but only the back because its just plain knit, the character is hope’s mum from final fantasy 13 and theres just enough views of her to get the general jist of what it looks like
merigold - that looks brilliant, if you could post how you did it that would be great :D, how long did it take you to make that piece?
I looked at mirl’s links and i think its probably more of the knit purl thing hyper and marigold have said about, also any way that makes it quicker is really helpful because I’m really slow at knitting so thanks hyper i’ll try your suggestion too
Hi, it’s a good thing I didn’t throw these directions away. It had been so long I thought you weren’t coming back.
It didn’t take long to do the little sample and it was fun trying to make a stitch to match a picture. My first attempts with the slipped stitches took longer, but I liked this one best.
Here is what I did. In the picture I did 3 stitches on each side of the pattern stitch in garter stitch (knit every row), I will not mention those here.
Pattern worked over 11 stitches.
Row 1 (RS): K3, C2R, P1, K5.
Row 2 and all even rows: P5, k1, P5.
Row 3: K2, C2R, K1, P1, K5.
Row 5: K1, C2R, K2, P1, C2L, K3.
Row 7: C2R, K3, P1, K1, C2L, K2.
Row 9: K3, C2R, P1, K2, C2L, K1.
Row 11: K2, C2R, K1, P1, K3, C2L.
Row 12: Same as row 2, but I’m including it here for clarification on the repeat.
Now repeat rows 5 through 12 for the rest of the time.
The book I got part of this stitch from was originally from France. But for whatever reason the glossary here at KH has the C2R and C2L totally different (I think KH’s really isn’t correct terminology what they have for it is a simple cable 4 left or right. This is a cross 2 right or left.) Anyway here is how to do these stitches.
C2R=cross 2 right: Skip the first stitch at the tip of the LHN (left hand needle) and insert your RHN (right hand needle) into the 2nd stitch in the normal way and knit that stitch normally but don’t take anything off the LHN yet. Now go back and knit the stitch you skipped in the normal way. Now slip the 2 stitch loops off the LHN.
This next one was new to me, but not real hard and kind of interesting.
C2L=cross 2 left: With the RHN go behind the LHN and insert the RHN from back to front between the first 2 stitches just under the needle. Now twist the RHN so that you can insert it knitwise into the 2nd stitch, knit that stitch normally (although it doesn’t feel very normal and has kind of a small hole you have to draw the stitch loop up through) but don’t take anything off the LHN yet. Now knit the stitch loop that is closest to the tip of the LHN in the normal way. Now slip the 2 stitch loops off the LHN.
Good luck with your project.