How do I add cabling to a sleeve?
 

I am knitting this beautiful sweater - one color. I want to add some "variety" to it with some cables on the sleeves. I know how to do the cables but I don't know how to offset the standard sleeve width to accommodate them. Do I ADD stitches so that I can have the sleeve continue to be the original width? I don't want to knit the sleeve with the two rows of cables and then have the sleeve be too skinny/tight because of the thickness/raised area of the cable. Is there a general guideline for putting cabling into a regular sweater sleeve?

Cables pull in the width, how much depends on if it's a simple singe cable, a double or what. You'd best make a sample - CO enough for the cable repeat, or 2 if there's 2 side by sid and add several sts to each side for the background. Work a couple of repeats of it, should have at least 2 or 3 crossings, then switch to stockinette stitch and work to the same length as the cable part. Wet it and lay flat to dry, check the stitches over 4" or even 5 if it's wide enough and see what the difference is. Say 5 sts per inch in the stockinette vs 5½ in the cable maybe.

I've worked sweaters with cables thrown in the middle after a period of stockinette and generally had to add 2-3 stitches per cable.

Since a sleeve changes diameter as you work it, you could try it on and change the amount of increases/decreases you would normally make.

(Suzie's idea is, of course, the most rational, but I'm less methodical!)

I probably wouldn't actually do it that way myself, but just plunge in and start the thing...

Wow--both of you sound like me! I hate to do gauges (but they ARE necessary) and I hate to do "practice" knitting--because I'm the "jump into the deep end of the pool" type of gal--but I will definitely try to improve my habits and make those "test" sleeves. Thanks for your reply! I really appreciate it! I LOVE this yarn--it is Caron Super Soft--and I am also not inclined to knit with super expensive yarn either--but I'm getting back into the habit of knitting to relieve stress and I have decided that I'm going to "mend my youth" and do what is recommended (much to my chagrin!)

Thanks so much! I really love this forum. Now I can get questions answered without searching all over town (or the web) to find GREAT answers!