Cable Stitch - Crochet Tutorials

Week 4 - Out-There Textures

Day 5 - Cable Stitch

We've been working hard the past two weeks with some really complicated and interesting stitches. Today's stitch, the Cable Stitch, brings a fantastic texture of stacked twisted columns, but it's a really simple stitch to master. Time to breathe a little while we learn this easy and quick technique!

Cable stitch, unlike what you might think from the name, doesn't include cables made from post stitches. Instead, simply changing the placement of double crochet stitches creates a cool twist-look that resembles a cable. If you can single crochet, double crochet, and skip stitches, you'll get the hang of this one right away! 

You can work this stitch in rows or in the round, and it's reversible so it works great with scarves, blankets, and washcloths where you might want both sides to look the same.
 

What it's good for:

• Scarves/cowls
• Hats
• Blankets/afghans
• Pillow Covers 
• Bags/totes 
• Washcloths

 

Alternate Names: 

• None that I could find

 

Remember to upload your projects to Instagram. Tag me @theivykillerscrochet and use hashtag #newcrochetstitchperday for a feature on my feed!

Supplies Used for this Swatch:

• Yarn: Lion Brand Wool-Ease, color 115 (Blue Mist)

• Hook: USH8/5.00mm 

 

Techniques Used and Abbreviations:

(All instructions are given in US terms. UK terms are given here for reference) 
Stitch (st)
Stitches (sts)
Skip (sk)
Chain (ch)
Single Crochet / UK Double Crochet) (sc)
Double Crochet / UK Treble Crochet (dc) 
Cable Stitch (cs)

Stitch Instructions:

For each tutorial I'll include instructions written out long-form for intro-level crocheters and short-form for more advanced crocheters. The instructions are the same but include different levels of detail. Use whichever you prefer!

Cable Stitch (cs): A cs is a dc made by crossing back over the stitches already made into a skipped stitch. Yarn over. Crossing over the front of the last 3 stitches made, insert your hook into the skipped stitch. Yarn over and pull through. You should have 3 loops on your hook. Keep your tension loose and pull/wiggle your hook upwards to make sure all 3 loops are at the same height. Complete the dc by yarning over and pulling through 2 loops, then yarn over and pull through the last 2 loops.

Intro-Level

Chain a multiple of 4, then chain 3. Each cable uses 4 sts, and the additional 3 chains leave 1 turning chain to start and a dc on each end of the rows to create a nice straight edge.
  
Row 1: sc in the 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across.


Row 2: Turn and ch3. This counts as the first dc st.

*sk the next sc, dc in the next 3 sc sts. Crossing over the front of the 3 dc sts you just made, sc into the skipped sc.*

Repeat from * to * until the end of the row. dc in the last sc.


Row 3: Turn and ch 1 (does not count as a st). sc in the 1st st and in each st across. Finish with a sc in the 3rd ch of the turning chain.

Repeat Rows 2-3 until desired size is reached.

Advanced

Chain a multiple of 4 + 3. 

Row 1: sc in 2nd ch from hook and across.

Row 2: Turn and ch3, *sk1, 3dc, cs in skipped st* Repeat from * to * across. dc in final st.

Row 3: Turn and ch1, sc across, sc in top of turning ch. 

Repeat Rows 2-3 until desired size is reached.

Tips and Modifications:

• Remember that when you ch1 on a sc row, that is a turning chain to get the sc up to the correct height, but it DOES NOT count as a stitch. That means you need to sc into the first space available.  This differs from the ch3 that begins dc rows. The ch3 DOES count as a stitch, so you do not dc into that first space. When the instructions tell you to skip the next stitch, you are skipping both the 1st and 2nd spaces, because that ch3 is substituting for the dc that creates the 1st st of the row.
• When making your cable stitches, keep your tension loose and take your time wiggling and pulling the long loop up to the same height as the other loops on the hook. That will ensure that your fabric lays flat and doesn't pucker at the cables.
• Alternate foundation row: If you're like me and you prefer to start with foundation stitches instead of chains, you can easily begin this pattern with foundation single crochet (fsc). Instead of starting with a multiple of 4 + 3, make a foundation row with a multiple of 4 + 2 fsc stitches. You won't need that extra one, because that functioned as a turning ch for the initial sc. If you go this route, you've completed Row 1 at the same time as your foundation row, and you can continue directly to Row 2.

 

Helpful Links:

• Photo tutorial and chart by Look at What I Made (but keep in mind that her instructions initially say to ch a multiple of 4 + 2, but then later she adds the 3rd additional ch when starting with a row of sc as we are here.