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By Ann Shayne


Not every cable behaves well. Smooth and tidy isn’t always what happens.

In particular, a left-leaning cable can knit up too loose. It looks all, you know, unattractive.

A Pearl of Great Price - 5A Pearl of Great Price - 1

Well, I finally remembered the tip I read from the Queen Of All Things Cabley, Melissa Leapman.

Her tip for making those left leaners look better is to work the purl stitch to the left of the last knit cable stitch by wrapping the yarn in the opposite direction from the usual way. It twists the stitch, tightening it. On the next row, when it appears as a twisted knit stitch, knit through the back of the stitch to untwist it.


Other Helpful Tidbits


Readers ask how to knit cables without a cable needle. The incomparable Grumperina explains it in her clear, surprisingly ungrumpy way here.


Another reader inquiry: How do you do an increase that is less noticeable than the Make 1?


Here’s a nice, quick instruction from Knotions. These lifted increases don’t create a big hole in your knitting the way a Make 1 can. These are much more subtle, and they blend in well. I love ’em.
A Pearl of Great Price - 4 A Pearl of Great Price - 3

8 Comments

  • Got pattern info for that splendid sweater?

    • On Ravelry:
      https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/pearl

      • Is there a way to print this pattern on Ravelry?

        • It isn’t for sale thru Ravelry, that’s just info on the source of the pattern. But if you click on either of the sources listed there, you will see that other Ravelers have the booklets available for sale – there are bunches of copies of Rowan 32 for sale right now. (On the pattern page, click on “Rowan 32” and then when you get there, click on the tab labeled “For Sale or Trade” to see who has it listed for sale & what the price is.) Good luck!

  • WHAT A BEAUTIFUL SWEATER…..I WANT TO MAKE ONE, MAYBE TWO……

  • Why am I only just now reading this, after 60 inches of a 6 foot, 2×2 ribbed scarf? Works for ribbing, too. I knew I’d seen this somewhere. Should have just looked to MDK. Well, the next 5 scarves will be a snap. ACK!

  • thanks so much, ann! reLly need this tip for wonky left leaning cable for my ‘irish coffee’ by thea. can only undo-redo so many times without feeling like intelligence has passed me by!

  • Dear Ann, I`m trying make this pattern from many years. I gave up! But now, in quarantime times, I decided to start again, but like the other time, I have difficulty interpreting the graph. I managed it until the second row. On the third I couldn`t more. Could you help me? Where the graph shows 3 purl I have 4. On the coumn of 3 K, between them, I got 1 P in the thirth row, however this P arouses just in the sixth row! I’m discouraged. Please, help me.
    Sincerely
    Pricoleta

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