Knitting basic cables; cable variations and the honeycomb stitch

Today I will be discussing the very basics of cables.

What are cables in knitwear?

The traditional Aran sweater uses this cable technique to create designs.

Although it does seem like a common technique of hand-knitting, it can be done on a machine with very fine gauges.

Cables are made by crossing stitches. By choosing which side comes forward, you can get very different cable styles.

2 x 2 cables

Here are two exact same cables with alternate stitches coming forward.

If we remove the distance between the two cables, we can get this impression. This design seems like the cables are going in than upward direction.

2 x 2 x 2 cables

This cable we added another section. Three different crossover happens, similar to braiding hair.

This cable the crossover seems slightly sharp. By adding more distance(rows) between each crossover, you can get a smoother effect,

Variations

In Aran knitting, each family have their own design. The design is passed down for each family.

Here is a honeycomb stitch. Honeycomb stitch is a variation of 2x2x2x2 cable design that the stitches in the back continue at the back throughout the design.

The honeycomb stitch can represent

• Bee （hardworking, large earnings)
• The net used in fishing

There are infinite possibilities in knitting. I am sure there is a design for you!