CABLE CROSSING

THE CABLE HAT
Lesson 1 - practice

LESSON 1: PRACTICE CABLE.

TO BEGIN YOU WILL CAST ON A FEW STITCHES AND JUST PRACTICE KNITTING A SIMPLE 6 STITCH CABLE.
WITH SOME BASIC WORSTED WEIGHT YARN, OR WHAT EVER IS HANDY, CAST ON 14 STITCHES.
(YOU WILL NEED A SET OF NEEDLES ABOUT 7-9. MAKE SURE YOU USE A SMOOTH YARN WITH A LIGHTER, SOLID COLOR -- NOTHING BUMPY OR VARIEGATED.)

ROW 1: (WRONG SIDE) KNIT 2 {YOU WILL HAVE A 2-STITCH GARTER BORDER ON EACH SIDE}.

KNIT 2  MORE {WHEN YOU KNIT ON THE WRONG SIDE AND IT IS A PURL ON THE RIGHT SIDE – AS A SORT OF “BUFFER” IN BETWEEN PATTERNS -- THE ARAN LINGO IS “REVERSE STOCKINETTE STITCH”}. PURL 6 {THE BACK SIDE OF YOUR CABLE}. KNIT 2 {REV. ST.ST.}, KNIT 2 {GARTER BORDER}.

YOUR ROW WILL APPEAR LIKE THIS:

GARTER BORDER (2)  .   REV. ST. ST. (2)  .   CABLE (6)  .  REV. ST. ST. (2)  . GARTER BORDER (2)

                 EVERY WRONG SIDE ROW WILL BE KNIT LIKE ROW 1 !!!!!!!!

NOW YOU WILL BEGIN YOUR FIRST RIGHT SIDE ROW:

ROW 2:   KNIT 2 (BORDER), PURL 2 (REV. ST. ST.), KNIT 6 (CABLE), PURL 2 (REV. ST. ST.), KNIT 2.
ROW 3:  REPEAT ROW 1.
ROW 4:   KNIT 2 (BORDER), PURL 2 (REV. ST. ST.), KNIT 6 (CABLE), PURL 2 (REV. ST. ST.), KNIT 2.
ROW 5:  REPEAT ROW 1.
ROW 6:   (TWIST ROW)   KNIT 2 (BORDER), PURL 2 (REV. ST.ST),

NOW SLIDE THE NEXT THREE STITCHES ONTO YOUR CABLE NEEDLE.

NOW KNIT THE THREE STITCHES FROM YOUR CABLE NEEDLE – OR – SLIDE THEM BACK ONTO YOUR LEFT HAND NEEDLE AND THEN KNIT THEM.  DO NOT ROTATE THE THREE STITCHES ON THE CABLE NEEDLE!! 

NOW PURL THE NEXT 2 REV. ST ST., AND THEN KNIT YOUR LAST 2 GARTER STITCHES

ROW 7:  REPEAT ROW 1.

ROW 8:  REPEAT ROW 2.

CONTINUE KNITTING ON YOUR SAMPLE STRIP.  REPEAT ROW 1 AND ROW 2 AND MAKE SURE THAT YOU KEEP THE FIRST AND LAST 2 STITCHES IN GARTER STITCH!  YOU WILL WORK A TWIST ROW, LIKE ROW 6, EVERY 8^TH ROW!   IF YOU AREN’T SURE WHEN YOU HAVE DONE 8 ROWS, SEE THE ARTICLE: SO,WHERE AM I?

FOR A CABLE THAT TWISTS TO THE LEFT:  WHEN YOU INSERT YOUR CABLE NEEDLE INTO THE FIRST THREE STITCHES OF YOUR 6 CABLE STITCHES, HOLD THE CABLE NEEDLE TO THE FRONT OF YOUR WORK, THEN KNIT THE NEXT THREE STITCHES ON YOUR LEFT NEEDLE.

FOR PRACTICE:  KNIT A LONG STRIP, PRACTICING YOUR CABLE.  DO A FEW CABLES THAT TWIST TO THE RIGHT, THEN A FEW THAT TWIST TO THE LEFT.  ALTERNATE A LEFT, RIGHT, LEFT, RIGHT, THEN SEE WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE!

WHEN YOU ARE CONFIDENT IN YOUR CABLES -- GO ON TO LESSON 2!