Cable help?

[AmyV]

I hope someone can help me. I'm trying to knit a pretty simple cable, but it's not turning out like the picture and I'm not sure why.

I'm thinking it could be because of the yarn or gauge OR because for the wrong side rows it simply says "work sts as they lie" which to me means purl across, but I'm not sure because my sts are seated differently because I'm using the Combination (Eastern uncrossed) method.

Below is the chart and sample picture (the red one). Next to it is my swatch (in gray).

The symbol explanation says:

--\_ cross 3 left: place 2 st in front with cable needle, k1, then knit sts on cable needle.

_/-- cross 3 right: place 1 st in back with cable needle, k2, then knit st on cable needle.

Hope to be back on track soon with your help!
Thanks!!

[Jan in CA]

Work stitches as they lie means to knit the knit stitches and purl the purl stitches. That way the front side remains a serious of knits and purls. If you always purl you will be getting some garter stitches in there and the look will change.

One reason cables "pop" like they do is because they are usually done in knit stitches and the stitches on the sides of them are usually purls. So knit the knits and purl the purls just like you would ribbing. Learning what the stitches look like is important in knitting. Here's a sample of what they look like.

[AmyV]

Work stitches as they lie means to knit the knit stitches and purl the purl stitches. That way the front side remains a serious of knits and purls. If you always purl you will be getting some garter stitches in there and the look will change.

One reason cables "pop" like they do is because they are usually done in knit stitches and the stitches on the sides of them are usually purls. So knit the knits and purl the purls just like you would ribbing. Learning what the stitches look like is important in knitting. Here's a sample of what they look like.

Oops! Sorry. I was afraid it might be copyright infringement if I did that, but I didn't know how to describe everything without showing the chart and picture from the book. It's p.217 from Katharina Buss' "Big Book of Knitting".

So the problem is what I'm doing on the wrong side rows. I'm going to start my swatch over. Thanks for the tip!

[Jan in CA]

Oops! Sorry. I was afraid it might be copyright infringement if I did that, but I didn't know how to describe everything without showing the chart and picture from the book. It's p.217 from Katharina Buss' "Big Book of Knitting".

So the problem is what I'm doing on the wrong side rows. I'm going to start my swatch over. Thanks for the tip!

That is my own sample I knit so no worries about copyright with that. It's okay to post a few lines of a pattern or a small picture if necessary, but never post an entire pattern unless it's one you created yourself and you want to share it.

Glad to help.

[AmyV]

That is my own sample I knit so no worries about copyright with that. It's okay to post a few lines of a pattern or a small picture if necessary, but never post an entire pattern unless it's one you created yourself and you want to share it.

Glad to help.

I went back and played with this and now I understand it. In case anyone else is having the same problem, hopefully this explanation will help:

If you knit the st on the RS, you will purl it on the WS and vice versa. You are working stockinette for the cables and reverse stockinette for the side stitches.

Jan's comment "So knit the knits and purl the purls just like you would ribbing" helped me get it. If the stitch below on the side you're working is a knit, then knit it. I was thinking if the stitch was knitted in the last row (on the other side of the work) it meant to knit it again, which would create garter st.

In combination knitting, this is actually even easier to get, especially for the first few rows until you can see more clearly. The purl sts have the leading leg in front and the knit sts will have the leading leg in back. So can literally follow the "as seated on the needle" instruction. For Western style ("normal") knitting, you will have to watch your stitches the first few rows because all leading legs are in the front.

I've been happily experimenting with different cables and they're turning out well.
Thanks again!