Working Cables without a Cable Needle

Here’s a short video about working cables without a cable needle, my preferred method. I love working cables, but don’t like fiddling with the cable needle. I’m able to work most cable crosses as long as they are a 4 stitch by 4 stitch cross or smaller. For some of the more complicated cable crossings I need to bring out the needle, but for most projects no needle works just fine. Here’s the video followed by some written instructions. Hope you enjoy!

If instruction says “slip to cable needle and hold in BACK”

• Guide your right needle in FRONT of the stitches on your left needle

• Skip over the number of stitches for the cable needle and pick up the next number of stitches to be knit

• Let the two “cable” stitches drop off the right needle to the back and quickly pick them up with your left needle

• Put the stitches you moved to right needle back on the left needle

• Work all the stitches

If instruction says “slip to cable needle and hold in FRONT”

• Guide your right needle BEHIND the stitches on your left needle

• Skip over the number of stitches for the cable needle and pick up the next number of stitches to be knit

• Let the two “cable” stitches drop off the right needle to the front and quickly pick them up with your left needle

• Put the stitches you moved to right needle back on the left needle

• Work all the stitches

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Sammal Cardigan: Measuring and Calculating Gauge

Here is a video showing how to measure and calculate gauge on a swatch for the Sammal Cardigan, by Joji Locatelli.  The swatch is worked in Sand Stitch that is describe in a video shown here: https://www.chaiknucklesknitting.com/blog/2018/7/15/sammal-cardigan-understanding-sand-stitch

Sammal Cardigan: Understanding Sand Stitch

I'm teaching another section of the Sammal Cardigan by Joji Locatelli at the Hillsborough Yarn Shop in Hillsborough, NC. This video describes the Sand Stitch that makes up most of the sweater. It shows how to view the knitting to keep the sand stitch in pattern. 

Sammal Cardigan - Cables without a needle (video)

I'm currently teaching a class at Hillsborough Yarn Shop working on Sammal by Joji Locatelli. The cardigan has two cable bands that run down the front of the sweater. 

One of my students suggested that I create a video showing how to work cables without using a cable needle. Here it is. Please let me know if it's helpful or provide any suggestions in the comments section of this blog. 

Sammal Cardigan blocking

Yesterday I finished up the Sammal Cardigan by Joji Locatelli, and since it was knit from the top down, it was so easy to just weave in a few ends and be finished. I sewed on the buttons when I finished the front because I was so eager to see how they would look. 

Here are some photos and a description of the process I followed to block the sweater. When I refer to "left" and "right," it is as you would be standing in front of someone wearing the garment 

Before blocking, I submerged the sweater in the bathroom sink with cold water and Eucalan. I let it soak for about 1/2 an hour. I gently lifted the sweater out of the sink and carefully and gently squeezed out the water. I moved the sweater to a bath towel on the floor, rolled it up and squeezed out the water. I got another bath towel and did that again.

Then I moved the sweater to another room with a plan to block on the carpet. (My lovely husband vacuumed it for me especially.) I had two transparent rulers, my pattern showing the schematic, and stainless steel blocking pins on hand. 

The following photo shows me lining up the bottom of the sweater against the ruler. My garment is supposed to be 40 inches circumference. Folded in half is 20 inches. I knew that I wanted the ribbing on each side to draw in an inch, so I measured the bottom of the ribbing at 18 inches and the body at 20 inches. The red pin sits at the bottom middle of the sweater. 

Next I pinned the right side of the sweater in a straight line up to the arm pit.

Then I measured 8 inches from the right edge of the sweater to the right edge of the cable. I pinned up the cable until I was parallel to the arm pit. 

Next I pinned the button band up to the arm pit in a straight line and across from the right cable pins. 

Then I measured 8 inches from the left edge of the left cable band and pinned the left side of the garment up to the arm pit. 

I spread out the sleeves and measured the neck band at about 7 1/2 inches, then pinned the neck band. 

I pinned the sleeves from the neck to the cuff. I only pinned the top of the sleeves. The sleeves were laying nicely and I didn't see a need to pin them down. 

This is how it looks all pinned out. I'll let it dry for a couple of days with the ceiling fan on.  

I hope this information helped you out. Let me know in the comments!