Fun with Cables

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June 21, 2010

Fun with Cables The Hudson Cabled Cardigan I came across a wonderful summer pattern the other day in our pattern store, called the Hudson Cabled Cardigan by Teva Durham. It's an ingenious vest that's not much harder to knit than a scarf! Here's what the designer has to say about her vest: "The Tao of cables—this vest is made up of simple cabled strips that are pieced together to create a garment that's not much harder to knit than a scarf. With deep pockets, ribbed accents and a self-tie this style manages to be nautical and Zen-like all at once."                Kathleen's seed stitch cable swatch              Here's a closeup of the cable, note how it becomes a sort of stacked, almost lacy looking, design. Here's how this vest works: The apron is knit in one strip and placed sideways. Back stitches are picked up along the center of one long edge and worked up to neck and the fronts begin with the pocket linings and then are continued in cable patterns up to shoulder and then over to form back shoulder and neck edge. At a 4.5 stitch-to-the-inch gauge, this is a fast knit, too. Seed Stitch Cable How-To You know I love cables, and this cable is really fun. It's a half seed-stitch, half stockinette stitch cable that has a really neat, textured look and it's really easy to do. I did a swatch so I could tell you exactly how to do this cable. My swatch is knit on 26 stitches, with 8 stitches in stockinette and 1 purl stitch on either side of the 8-stitch cable. What I did is knit eight stitches in stockinette, and then purl 1. Then I knit the four stitches of stockinette and then four stitches of seed stitch. And finally, finish the row by purling 1, and knitting eight stitches in stockinette. I did this for four rows and then crossed the cable to the left by holding four stitches to the back, knitting the 4-stitch seed stitch section, and then knitting the stitches from the cable needle. What this pattern does that's so neat is cross four stitches of stockinette over four stitches of seed stitch, then four stitches of seed stitch over four stitches of stockinette. When you get several crosses done you can see how the texture starts to develop. It's a really pretty sort of stacked look. The stockinette crosses are a little wider than the seed stitch crosses, which makes an interesting pattern. Here are the cable directions and the chart so you can try it, too. 4/4 LC: Slip next 4 sts to cn and hold in front, [k1, p1] twice, k4 from cn. Left Cable (worked over 8 sts) Rows 1 and 3: (RS) K4, [k1, p1] twice. Rows 2 and 4: [P1, k1] twice, p4. Row 5: 4/4 LC. Rows 6, 8, 10 and 12: P4, [k1, p1] twice. Rows 7, 9 and 11: [K1, p1] twice, k4. Row 13: 4/4 Seed st LC. Row 14: [K1, p1] twice, p4. Row 15: K4, [k1, p1] twice. Row 16: [K1, p1] twice, p4. Repeat Rows 1-16 for Left Cable. The combination of clever construction and the textural pattern make this quick-to-knit vest a winner. I hope you'll knit it and share photos in the photo gallery. Cheers,		Kathleen Cubley is the editor of Knitting Daily. Kathleen's Knit-Along We're knitting the Sleeveless Tuxedo Shirt. Come knit with us! More Knitting Daily •  Blogs •  Galleries •  Knitting Daily TV •  Free Patterns •  Join Knitting Daily •  Share Your Comments

Shop Patterns by Designer Teva Durham, Recently Added to the Pattern Store! Babydoll Tunic by Teva Durham Here's a fun knit, in a timely silhouette to wear over leggings. Stripe patterns of different fibers and a variety of gauges provide textural and graphic interest. Learn more. Dolman Wrap Shirt by Teva Durham This Art Deco, Asian-inspired top knits up quickly on big needles, with 2 strands of different yarns held together. The drawstring casings are formed with an interesting double-knit technique. Learn more. Vintage Smock by Teva Durham This smock is sophisticated in its rustic styling: a pleated-look striped pattern is achieved with slip stitches and a folkloric color combination of poppy red and ecru. A knitter's treat, the clever borders are picked up from the yoke and the piece is worked directionally. Learn more. Striped Shrug by Teva Durham This simple-to-knit striped shrug is designed to be worn with Teva's Babydoll Tunic (sold separately), but it makes a versatile extra layering piece on its own. The different fibers and gauges in the stripe patterns give a textural effect. Learn more. Arabesque Cabled Cardigan by Teva Durham Vaulted cables form the architecture of this cardigan. Seed stitch borders and fill-ins and pewter-buckled closures hint at Celtic and Nordic traditions. Learn more. Mesh-and-Rib Short Sleeve Pullover by Teva Durham This nautical top was inspired by vintage European beachwear. Nubby silk yarn enhances the textured stitches while the silhouette is clean and breezy. Add the matching cap (sold separately) for French Riviera flair. Learn more. Mesh-and-Rib Skullcap by Teva Durham This simple mesh-and-rib textured cap has jaunty French Riviera flair. It coordinates with the Mesh-and-Rib Pullover, sold separately. Learn more. Calypso Lace Jacket by Teva Durham Lace pineapples are popular in crocheted and knit doilies. Here Teva has transformed this large-scale lacy stitch into a modern knit jacket that can be worn year-round in cool merino wool. Learn more. Shop More Great Knitting Patterns by Top-Notch Designers!