I have done some searching for my sister whose Aran crochet book failed her, but haven't found much -- one pattern that looked really good turned out to be available only as a kit. Does anyone out there do cables in crochet?
Here is a site that gives tips and pictures of cable crochet go to this site
Stella
Me!! I love them! I've just finished three (maybe four) hats this week with cables and use them all the time. Plus a cellphone case too, I think....
The book I found best is 'From Needles to Hook'. Nice and clear.
As for advice, keep cables either 4 or 6 stitches or the crossing stitches need to be double triple stitches to reach across. I use dc crossing stitches for a 4-stitch cable and tc for 6-stitch crossing stitches. I usually cross mine every 5 or 6 rows, regardless of the gauge. A pretty little toddler girl's hat I made today I crossed them every 3 rows, since it was so pretty and pastel and I wanted some extra 'fussiness'. I use hdc for the rest of the stitches for hats and scarves usually, with the post stitches dc and the crossing stitches as I said above. For a sweater I've planned, I have yet to work out the math to get an even spacing of the crossings.
Also, on the first return row after a crossing, there will be a mess in the middle of the cable...ignore it and just do the stitches on the posts in the order they should be; you'll have to manipulate the 'back' stitches to reach them but then they fall neatly into place.
One final note...they pull the project narrower and the more cables you have the more it's pulled in. Swatches help greatly here! I sized the foundation row of a hat to fit myself the other day, decided to add a cable and ended up with one that fits my 5yo DS. Oops. As well, they use up lots more yarn; you're making dc and tc but only gaining hdc in height.
Cables make a very thick layer due to the three-strand thickness of the post stitch, then the top of the stitch lying behind the post. DH finds his cabled hat nice and warm when he's out in the cold, warmer than the one out of the same yarn that's not cabled.
I can get into much more detail as to actually how to crochet cables if you want...just shoot me an email.
Michelle
Wow! Thanks a million, Stella. I wonder why I couldn't find that. YOu're just a better searcher than I am!
THANK you! I'll pass your e-mail to my sis if I may...and now I know what book to get her for her birthday.
' snipped
Go ahead and pass on my email. Ask her to put 'crochet cable' or something similar in the subject so I know not to trash it.
I had a look at the link Stella posted and it does a lot more work to a cable than I do. From the photos there isn't any discernible difference in the final cable. They add stitches to fill in behind the cable, which I don't, as I find they stand out enough on their own.
Michelle
Thanks so much, Michelle. I passed all this on to her and she's very grateful...especially since it's still snowing in northern Virginia right now and it's a good day to practice!
snipped
No snow here today, finally! Got almost 1/2 metre Friday and Friday night, though. I've been crocheting with wire today. I'll watch for her email.
Michelle
I never saw nore used a cable crochet , how does it work ???? mirjam
It works by making post stitches and working some diagonally, crossing them over each other to make a cable, similar to how you knit cables by putting stitches on a holder and working them into a twisted cable pattern.
It takes some concentration but it's pretty easy.
Michelle
Sorry, I just noticed this thread, takes me a while to get to all the posts!
I have an old issue of Crochet Fantasy that I used when designing a scarf for my DH years back. It shows a knit look cable in a sweater that's done in crochet.
IIRC, the cable is done in a modified afghan stitch, in that after so many rows, you took the front half of the stitches at the beginning of the row and put them on the BACK of your hook before working the row, so the cable got crossed that way, just like knitters do. I didn't have an afghan hook in that size, so I was careful not to drop stitches and just used a regular crochet hook to crochet and hold and my knitting cable needle to transfer stitches. It's thicker than knit since it's crochet, but looks just like knit from the front, so you get the look of knit and the thicker warmth of crochet all in one.
I'll look for the mag, but warning in advance, I've got a couple years of CF to look through when I subscribed, and odd issues I picked up after I stopped subscribing, so it will take me a while to find it. I'll let you know the issue number and year, because even if it's all sold out, you might find it at the library on microfiche and be able to see the pics and diagrams if you need more help in making this cable.
Leah
Holy cow, how often does this happen? The FIRST CF I picked up is the issue I was looking for!!!!
It's Crochet Fantasy number 67, May 1991. The sweater is on page 8, project #3, rated 3 stars, which for them means they recommend you consider yourself an advanced crocheter before trying it. The cable is done in afghan stitch (AKA tunisian) and the instructions more complicated than I remember it being, so maybe I changed the way I made it? It's so long ago, I don't remember, only positive I didn't use an afghan hook to do it. Maybe since I didn't have the afghan hook it was easier to make, though, since I just slipped the stitches onto a knitting cable needle and crossed them all at once. I'll have to start a crochet cable and see if I remember exactly how i did this!
Leah
Hi Leah
This sounds *nothing* like how I made crocheted cables...I wonder if there's two techniques to this. My method, which I learned from 'From Needles to Hook' uses a standard crochet hook, not a double-ended tunisian hook. And all mine involves is careful counting and post stitches.
Yours sounds interesting, I'll make a note to check at my library for those back issues. Thanks!
Michelle
Done some reading on the tunisian cable I made, and it's performed while using tunisian knit stitch, which is different from regular afghan stitch, and is formed by where you place your hook through the fabric.
First you work your chain and foundation row just like afghan stitch. On the next loop gathering row, you insert your hook from front to back through the loops (I think they are called by some the vertical bar) on the previous row, but not like you put a knitting needle into a stitch going from left to right with the needle, you just go straight back and to the left through the loop like you do in crochet, pull up the loop, and continue on down the row. This creates the tunisian knit stitch, which looks like stockinette on the front when done over many rows. Then, after you've done 4-6 rows, you start crossing your stitches using a cable needle or even a second crochet hook, so you are pretty much knitting using only a crochet hook, and when cabling, you are using a cable needle or second hook.
I didn't watch the videos, but this site has free video tutorials describing how to do some of these knit look techniques. Not sure if they show the cable.
Leah and Michelle,
I keep forgetting to thank you for this information; I've copied it into an e-mail for my sister. I'll be interested to see how she's managed next time we get together.
No problem. She can always email me if she'd like a walk-through.
Michelle
InspirePoint website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.