Fun with Cables

Well I did finish the cable band for the first mitten! I think it turned out quite nicely, but I think the darker color makes the intricate cables a little harder to see. Once I got going on it after so many failed attempts, it went pretty quickly and was very enjoyable.

 I feel like I better learned how the cables were constructed, and it's not as complex as it looks! In my mind, I think of it as groups of stitches switching places. The difference between c5b and c5f like I described the other day is really which way the cable leans. I still think the abbreviations are a little misleading. It makes it seem like whether you put the cable needle in the back or front makes it lean a different way. This is NOT the case. It's whether you knit the group of 3 for the cable or purl the group of 2 first. But you always want the group of 3 held in front. The middle layer of cables (not the center twist or border twists) is made up of 3-stitch wide cables. In order for those 3 stitches to move, you switch them with 2 other stitches. How many stitches you switch them with will determine the angle of the slant. I would imagine there's a limit. Cables are always (usually?) knit on the right side. You always want the 3 stitches of the cable in the front. So if you want the cable to lean right, you do c5b, which means you put two stitches on a cable needle held in the back, knit the three stitches of the cable (this pulls the cable towards the right because you're skipping two stitches) and then purl those two stitches from the cable needle. The cable needle is a tool to help groups of stitches trade places, producing a cable!

I got started on the second mitten band, but, alas, I messed up again. I was knitting while tired, and somehow ended up on the wrong row! I have to back out about 2 rows...which with DK weight yarn and intricate cables is a real pain in the ass. But worth it, right? I just haven't worked up the courage to do it yet...tomorrow. I promise.

Last night, I brought my knitting home to show my momma (my biggest fan). She saw me knitting with a bulky cable needle and told me it would probably behoove me to use a smaller cable needle with DK weight...she was right. It's so much easier!!

The snow is still on the ground in STL...a lot of schools have had 3 snow days this week, which means they haven't even gone back to school since Christmas!! I can't complain. Being in college means I don't go back until Monday. But I should mention, I only have classes Tuesdays and Thursdays for my LAST semester of college!!! It's pretty nice--I'm hoping I can get in a lot of knitting.

I hope you're having a great day!!

Ruthie