Introduction: Loom Knitting Cables
Cables are dimensional and striking and with loom knitting can be difficult to keep up with at times. While many times it is a crossing of stitches, the way and most definitely how you cross them is the challenge. Due to the pegs being stationary cables can be quite difficult to achieve particularly the more stitches you are crossing. I have gotten up to 8 stitch cable cross. The trick is knowing what gauges and what yarn and what stitches and techniques to use to create beautiful cables. Once you grasp these things you can start to work cables on many projects and find the intimidation goes away. So lets get started on some basics.
Gauges of Looms
1/2" or smaller
Why? The closeness of the pegs matters, this makes it much easier to cross stitches to do the cables. I find bigger than 1/2" gauge the cable can look muddy and not as clean.
Yarn should have memory
What this means is the yarn has stretch to it. Many of your more popular yarns like red heart super save has stretch to it. Many acrylic yarns and wool yarns have such give. You need the stretch in order to cross your stitches easier. Between gauge and yarn these are very important in helping you to get your cables crossed.
Stitches
I say you EW always, unless you are doing just a 2 stitch cross then that is fine to use U-Knit or True Knit. Why EW? It is the largest of the stitches and has more capability of stretching to cross your stitches. This has been my personal experience, and has been what has worked best for me. Are there other designers who use true knit fort this yes, but usually only as many as a 4 stitch cross. After that a 6 to 8 you absolutely have to use the EW.
Pre Double Wrap Pegs
This technique helps massively on 4 stitch and up cable crossings for the loom. It is wrapping half you cable stitch pegs twice on the previous round to a cable. Then once you reach the cable release the double wrapped pegs and even out the tension. This makes for crossing stitches easier and also makes the cable look cleaner. Some designers on even the tension and I have noticed the cable doesn't look crisp and even.
Also when working from Left to Right or Right to Left the cable will change. You will see in the instructions that you will simple flip the process to when working from either direction and doing your left cable cross or right cable cross. This note might help if you run into someone working a pattern in a direction you do not.
So lets go through some basic cables and how these are done.
Step 1: 2 Stitch Cable Cross
There is the 2 stitch cable cross, the only one that works with all gauges, and most yarns, and is your easiest to keep up with, no extra techniques or equipment needed a lot of times.
2 Stitch Left Cable Cross
Left to Right
Skip peg 1 and knit peg 2, take stitch 2 off peg and hold to cent of loom. Move stitch 1 to peg 2, and place stitch 2 on peg one. Knit what was stitch one on peg 2 and this completes the cross.
Right to left
Lift stitch 1 and hold to center of the loom, take working yarn and knit stitch 2. Move stitch 2 to peg 1 and place stitch 1 on peg 2. Then knit stitch 1 that was just placed on peg 2 and tighten the stitches.
How it is generally written and the rows usually done before the cable crossing.
Row 1-3: P1, K2, P1
Row 4: P1, 2LCC, P1
2 Stitch Right Cable Cross
Left to Right
Lift stitch 1 and hold to center of the loom, take working yarn and
knit stitch 2. Move stitch 2 to peg 1 and place stitch 1 on peg 2. Then knit stitch 1 that was just placed on peg 2 and tighten the stitches.
Right to Left
Skip peg 1 and knit peg 2, take stitch 2 off peg and hold to cent of
loom. Move stitch 1 to peg 2, and place stitch 2 on peg one. Knit what was stitch one on peg 2 and this completes the cross.
Written
Row 1-3: P1, K2, P1
Row 4: P1, 2RCC, P1
There are also other ways of doing a 2 peg cable cross over 3 pegs. Here is a video link.
Step 2: 4 Stitch Cable Cross
At this point you will need to know the techniques and gauges for the 4 stitch cable cross. The double peg wrap may not be needed depending on your gauge. You will at this point need a stitch holder to hold your stitches while you work on crossing them.
4 Stitch Left Cable Cross
Left to Right
Skip pegs 1 and 2, EW pegs 3 and 4, place stitch 3 then stitch 4 onto stitch holder. Hold into the middle of the loom. Now EW peg 1 then 2 in that order. Place stitch 2 onto peg 4, and stitch 1 onto peg 3. Then from stitch hold place stitch 4 onto peg 2 and stitch 3 onto peg 1. Snug up your stitches.
Right to Left
Lift stitches 1 and 2 place them onto stitch holders in that order. Hold into center of loom. Then EW pegs 3 and 4. Moves stitch 3 to peg 1 and stitch 4 to peg 2. The place stitch 1 on peg 3 and stitch 2 onto peg 4, EW the 2 stitches.
How it is usually Written
Row 1-4: P1, EW4, P1
Row 5: P1, 4LCC, P1
4 Stitch Right Cable Cross
Left to Right
Lift stitches 1 and 2 place them onto stitch holders in that order. Hold
into center of loom. Then EW pegs 3 and 4. Moves stitch 3 to peg 1 and stitch 4 to peg 2. The place stitch 1 on peg 3 and stitch 2 onto peg 4, EW the 2 stitches.
Right to Left
Skip pegs 1 and 2, EW pegs 3 and 4, place stitch 3 then stitch 4 onto
stitch holder. Hold into the middle of the loom. Now EW peg 1 then 2 in that order. Place stitch 2 onto peg 4, and stitch 1 onto peg 3. Then from stitch hold place stitch 4 onto peg 2 and stitch 3 onto peg 1. Snug up your stitches.
Written
Row 1-4: P1, EW4, P1
Row 5: P1, 4RCC, P1
The video link shows a 6 stitch braid but shows how to do a 4 stitch cable cross left and right.
Step 3: 6 Stitch Cable Cross
Here is where you start including a double wrap on the previous row to prep for the cable cross. You can see what I mean in the image above.
6 Stitch Left Cable Cross
Left to Right
Release 3 of the double wrapped pegs and even the tension out among the 6 pegs that will be used. Skip pegs 1, 2, and 3. EW pegs 4, 5, and 6, then place stitch 4, 5 and 6 in the order onto the stitch holder and hold to the center of the loom. Now EW pegs 1, 2, and 3 in that order. Place stitch 3 onto peg 6 and stitch 2 onto peg 5, and stitch 1 onto peg 4. The place from stitch holder stitch 6 onto peg 3, and stitch 5 onto peg 2, and stitch 4 onto peg 1. Snug up your stitches.
Right to Left
Release 3 of the double wrapped pegs and event he tension out among the 6 pegs that will be used. Lift stitches 1, 2, and 3 in that order onto the stitch holder and hold to the middle of the loom. EW pegs 4, 5, and 6. Place stitch 4 onto peg 1, and stitch 5 onto peg 2, and stitch 6 onto peg 3. Then place stitch 3 onto peg 1 and stitch 2 onto peg 5 and stitch 3 onto peg 6, EW pegs 4, 5, and 6. Snug up stitches.
Written
Row 1-4: P1, EW6, P1
Row 5: P1, DEW 3, EW3, P1
Row 6: P1, 6LCC, P1
6 Stitch Right Cable Cross
Left to Right
Release 3 of the double wrapped pegs and event he tension out among the 6
pegs that will be used. Lift stitches 1, 2, and 3 in that order onto the stitch holder and hold to the middle of the loom. EW pegs 4, 5, and 6. Place stitch 4 onto peg 1, and stitch 5 onto peg 2, and stitch 6 onto peg 3. Then place stitch 3 onto peg 1 and stitch 2 onto peg 5 and stitch 3 onto peg 6, EW pegs 4, 5, and 6. Snug up stitches.
Right to Left
Release 3 of the double wrapped pegs and even the tension out among the 6
pegs that will be used. Skip pegs 1, 2, and 3. EW pegs 4, 5, and 6, then place stitch 4, 5 and 6 in the order onto the stitch holder and hold to the center of the loom. Now EW pegs 1, 2, and 3 in that order. Place stitch 3 onto peg 6 and stitch 2 onto peg 5, and stitch 1 onto peg 4. The place from stitch holder stitch 6 onto peg 3, and stitch 5 onto peg 2, and stitch 4 onto peg 1. Snug up your stitches.
Written
Row 1-4: P1, EW6, P1
Row 5: P1, DEW 3, EW3, P1
Row 6: P1, 6RCC, P1
Step 4: 8 Stitch Cable Cross
8 Stitch cable cross is starting to max out the amount you can cross your stitches and I find the crossing on the left with left to right and doing a right cable from right to left if what you can do. This might not be too bad if you are doing this on a 1/4 or 1/16" gauge looms it might be just fine to do in both directions.
8 Stitch Left Cable Cross
Left to Right
Undo the 4 pegs with the double wraps and even up the tension over the 8 stitches that will be used. Skip pegs 1, 2, 3, and 4. EW pegs 5,6, 7, and 8. Place stitch 5, 6, 7, and 8 in that order onto you stitch holder. Then EW pegs 1, 2, 3, and 4 in that order. Move stitch 4 to peg 8, and stitch 3 to peg 7, stitch 2 to peg 6, and stitch 1 to peg 5. Then place stitch 8 to peg 4, and stitch 7 to peg 3, and stitch 6 to peg 2, and stitch 5 to peg 1. Snug up your stitches.
8 Stitch Right Cable Cross
Right to Left
Repeat above instructions.
Written
Row 1-7: P1, EW8, P1
Row 8: P1, DEW4, EW4, P1
Row 9: P1, 8LCC or 8RCC, P1
Step 5: Faux Cable Braid
This is a fun step that I call a faux cable braid that uses EW chain, decrease, bring original loop up, ever few rows. Then when you get done you weave the chains together.
EWCH D-> BOLB: E-Wrap Chain Decrease Right
Bring Original Loop Back: E-Wrap Chain by E-Wrapping the same peg however many times. Then decrease by moving that last chain right, to the next peg, and toss the bottom loop over. Then bring the original loop back, on the empty peg you just made by decreasing.
Step 6: Playing With Cables
Now taking those basic cables you can start to begin to create other patterns using cables. Such as bunnies, owls, hearts, and braids. Along with many other ways to cable. These are just some basics to get you started on the looms.
Links for Patterns in this Instructable
Braided Cable Socks:Braided Cable Socks:Cabled Heart Hat:Cabled Heart Hat:
