How to Cable without a Cable Needle

I’ve been working on a lot of cable knitting projects lately, which is not something I normally do. I don’t know why, but I don’t typically use a lot of cables in my designs or choose to knit things that have cables. They’re actually pretty fun.

Especially when you can perform the magic trick of making cables without having to pull out a cable needle or spare double pointed knitting needle to use as a cable needle.

Once you understand how cables work and which way the stitches need to go to make the cable turn the way you need it to go, it’s actually really easy to do. It does involve temporarily having some stitches hanging loose from a needle, so if your yarn is really slippery, you might not want to use this technique.

But if you’re working with wool or another fiber that is relatively grabby this is a great technique that feels really clever and like it saves you time having to pick up, use, and put down your cable needle as you work across the row. (In the video I’m using Lion Brand Wool-Ease Chunky, which has long since been discontinued, but like the other Wool-Ease products its a blend of wool and acrylic, and it worked just fine with this technique).

I like doing it this way when you’re only slipping one or two stitches to make your cables. If they are much wider than that it’s easy to get your stitches twisted or out of order when you pick them back up.

Have you ever worked cables without a cable needle? Do you have other cable knitting tricks to share? I’d love to hear about it! (And hopefully I can share with you why I’ve been making so many cable knitting projects soon!)

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDcDn3StOuA]

I rarely understand why something becomes a trend in crafting. Gnomes and geese are both cute I guess, but I never thought we’d be making them for all seasons. (See, for example, this collection of gnome knitting patterns, or these knit geese.)

Another one I don’t totally understand is sardines or little fish more generally. Sure, they’re cute, and the shape is fun, but I had no idea when I was sharing this pattern for a fish-shaped pouch last year that it would become a hugely popular pattern that people are still searching for on the site. It is pretty cute, though, so if you weren’t around then or don’t remember you should got check it out.

Recently another fishy knitting pattern crossed my monitor: the little knit fish from Classical Songbird Designs.

Just as the name suggests, these fish are little, about 4.5 inches or 11 cm from end to end. They look like little sardines and take about 12 yards of sock yarn to make.

You can even make a two-tone fish and use just 6 yards of each color.

This sounds to me like just about the perfect use for the yarn that’s left over after knitting a pair of socks, or a mini skein or several that have been sitting around unused in your stash.

The fish are knit flat in one piece, which makes it easy to stitch on the eyes with more yarn or embroidery floss before stuffing, and you can stitch up the sides while you stuff (though it’s not a very big piece so you could probably stitch and then stuff, finishing with the end of the tail).

Because I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one wondering, I measured an Altoids box and as the pattern is written the fish are a little too big to fit in it (the box is about 4 inches/10 cm long). But you could make the fish a little smaller if you want to make a box of them. Or just make a fishy bag to put them in!

You can grab the free pattern for the little knit fish at Classical Songbird Designs.

[Photo: Classical Songbird Designs.]

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