There are many, many ways to knit a cable. There are probably more ways to represent a specific cable in a pattern. A designer could use one of many abbreviations to indicate what type of cable to make. There are many abbreviations commonly used to indicate the same cable. The designer could also use a chart to show visually what should be done. Even with a chart there are many ways to visually show the same cable.
Here are some common cables, and common ways they are represented in abbreviations:
C2F
Slip 1 stitch purlwise to a cable needle, and hold to the front of the work. Knit 1 stitch from the left needle. Knit 1 stitch from the cable needle.
C2B
Slip 1 stitch purlwise to a cable needle, and hold to the back of the work. Knit 1 stitch from the left needle. Knit 1 stitch from the cable needle.
T2F
Slip 1 stitch purlwise to a cable needle, and hold to the front of the work. Purl 1 stitch from the left needle. Knit 1 stitch from the cable needle.
T2B
Slip 1 stitch purlwise to a cable needle, and hold to the back of the work. Knit 1 stitch from the left needle. Purl 1 stitch from the cable needle.
C3F *
Slip 2 stitches purlwise to a cable needle, and hold to the front of the work. Knit 1 stitch from the left needle. Knit 2 stitches from the cable needle.
C3B *
Slip 1 stitch purlwise to a cable needle, and hold to the back of the work. Knit 2 stitches from the left needle. Knit 1 stitch from the cable needle.
T3F
Slip 2 stitches purlwise to a cable needle, and hold to the front of the work. Purl 1 stitches from the left needle. Knit 2 stitches from the cable needle.
T3B
Slip 1 stitch purlwise to a cable needle, and hold to the back of the work. Knit 2 stitches from the left needle. Purl 1 stitch from the cable needle.
C3L
Slip 1 stitch purlwise to a cable needle, and hold to the front of the work. Knit 2 stitches from the left needle. Knit 1 stitch from the cable needle.
C3R
Slip 2 stitches purlwise to a cable needle, and hold to the back of the work. Knit 1 stitch from the left needle. Knit 2 stitches from the cable needle.
T3L
Slip 1 stitch purlwise to a cable needle, and hold to the front of the work. Purl 2 stitches from the left needle. Knit 1 stitch from the cable needle.
T3R
Slip 2 stitches purlwise to a cable needle, and hold to the back of the work. Knit 1 stitch from the left needle. Purl 2 stitches from the cable needle.
C4F, Cross 2 Left
Slip 2 stitches purlwise to a cable needle, and hold to the front of the work. Knit 2 stitches from the left needle. Knit 2 stitches from the cable needle.
C4B, Cross 2 Right
Slip 2 stitches purlwise to a cable needle, and hold to the back of the work. Knit 2 stitches from the left needle. Knit 2 stitches from the cable needle.
T4F
Slip 2 stitches purlwise to a cable needle, and hold to the front of the work. Purl 2 stitches from the left needle. Knit 2 stitches from the cable needle.
T4B
Slip 2 stitches purlwise to a cable needle, and hold to the back of the work. Knit 2 stitches from the left needle. Purl 2 stitches from the cable needle.
C4L
Slip 3 stitches purlwise to a cable needle, and hold to the front of the work. Knit 1 stitch from the left needle. Knit 3 stitches from the cable needle.
C4R
Slip 1 stitch purlwise to a cable needle, and hold to the back of the work. Knit 3 stitches from the left needle. Knit 1 stitch from the cable needle.
T4L
Slip 3 stitches purlwise to a cable needle, and hold to the front of the work. Purl 1 stitch from the left needle. Knit 3 stitches from the cable needle.
T4R
Slip 1 stitch purlwise to a cable needle, and hold to the back of the work. Knit 3 stitches from the left needle. Purl 1 stitch from the cable needle.
C5F
Slip 2 stitches purlwise to a cable needle, and hold to the front of the work. Knit 3 stitches from the left needle. Knit 2 stitches from the cable needle.
C5B
Slip 3 stitches purlwise to a cable needle, and hold to the back of the work. Knit 2 stitches from the left needle. Knit 3 stitches from the cable needle.
T5F
Slip 3 stitches purlwise to a cable needle, and hold to the front of the work. Purl 2 stitches from the left needle. Knit 3 stitches from the cable needle.
T5B
Slip 2 stitches purlwise to a cable needle, and hold to the back of the work. Knit 3 stitches from the left needle. Purl 2 stitches from the cable needle.
C5L
Slip 3 stitches purlwise to a cable needle, and hold to the front of the work. Knit 2 stitches from the left needle. Knit 3 stitches from the cable needle.
C5R
Slip 2 stitches purlwise to a cable needle, and hold to the back of the work. Knit 3 stitches from the left needle. Knit 2 stitches from the cable needle.
T5L
Slip 3 stitches purlwise to a cable needle, and hold to the front of the work. Purl 2 stitches from the left needle. Knit 3 stitches from the cable needle.
T5R
Slip 2 stitches purlwise to a cable needle, and hold to the back of the work. Knit 3 stitches from the left needle. Purl 2 stitches from the cable needle.
C6F
Slip 3 stitches purlwise to a cable needle, and hold to the front of the work. Knit 3 stitches from the left needle. Knit 3 stitches from the cable needle.
C6B
Slip 3 stitches purlwise to a cable needle, and hold to the back of the work. Knit 3 stitches from the left needle. Knit 3 stitches from the cable needle.
T6F
Slip 3 stitches purlwise to a cable needle, and hold to the front of the work. Purl 3 stitches from the left needle. Knit 3 stitches from the cable needle.
T6B
Slip 3 stitches purlwise to a cable needle, and hold to the back of the work. Knit 3 stitches from the left needle. Purl 3 stitches from the cable needle.
* I’ve seen designers use C3F and C3B to represent T3F and T3B. Always check your pattern for specific instructions.
Thank You! Thank You! Thank you thousand times!! I just found a mistake in magazine while I was knitting a handbag and I got stuck with it and your great list of abbrevations helped me a lot.
Thank you SOOOO much. Just what I was looking for!!
I just sent you a PM on Ravelry but you do not seem to be too active there these days.
Can you please post or send me a stitch key definition for your Triquetra pattern.
I know others on Ravelry have requested the same thing but could not find where it was posted.
Thank You.
Diane
wow, thanks! question for you: i have a cable pattern where i am to purl 3, slip one purl wise, then knit 2. that is, my yarn is in front, then i am to slip one purl wise, then i am to knit one. when do i move the yarn from the front to the back? before or after the slip one purl wise? thanks!
1have an abbreviation in a pattern book that makes no sense to me at all its a cable stitch W6–WRAP 6—-SLIP NEXT ST ONTO CABLE NEEDLE AND PLACE IN FRONT OF WORK WRAP THE YARN CLOCKWISE 6 TIMES ROUND STS ON CABLE NEEDLE ENDING WITH YARN AT BACK OF WORK THEN KNIT 6STS FROM CABLE NEEDLE i just cant do or understand it please help if you can
Batya, I suspect this is too late to help you, but I think you should leave the yarn in front when you slip the stitch purlwise, then move it to the back to knit. Without seeing the rest of the pattern, it is difficult to tell.
Joyce, This is an interesting one. I’ve never worked a pattern quite like this. I did a little searching, and the best I can figure, is that you are supposed to slip the next 6 stitches to the cable needle, wrap, then knot those 6 sts from the cable needle.
Does that make sense for your pattern?
thanks jim i will try what you said and let you know joyce
I am making a sweater with cables. One row begins as …. T6B.P2. K2. P3. The Cable pattern for T6B states …. slip 4 stitches onto cable needle and leave at back of work. K2, then P2. K2 from cable needle. Please advise if I knit 2 stitches from the left needle then purl 2 and knit 2 from the cable needle.
Charlene,
I do believe that you are correct, you should K2 from the left needle, P2 from the cable needle, then K2 from the cable needle. The 6 in T6B indicates there are 6 stitches involved in the cable. If you were to take the P2 from the left needle, instead of the cable needle, there would be 8 stitches involved.
If you are still unsure, or if you are nervous about having to rip it out, grab some scrap yarn, and cast on 10 stitches and try your cable out. You might need to start something like this:
P2, K2, P2, K2, P2
K2, P2, K2, P2, K2
P2, T6B, P2
K2, P2, K2, P2, K2
P2, K2, P2, K2, P2
K2, P2, K2, P2, K2
P2, T6B, P2
etc…
I’m not sure how often the cable repeats, but I would guess by the width of the cable that it is not less than 4 rows. If it is more rows, than add a few more between the T6B.
I hope this helps!
can’t thank you enough for this – incredibly clarifying!
Part of my cable tell me to Tw2R.p2 I am not sure how to do this. can you tell me what this means or where I can find pictures that show you this.
Your ammazing, fantstic, just started cable work, Your abbreviations have saved my knitting career.Thank youuuuuuuuuuuu sooooooooooooo much .
Good morning – I starting knitting last summer and have enjoyed working with the cable stitch . I am stumped on one pattern and can’t seem to find it’s abbreviations and instructions.
It is asking for cross cable right (CCR), and yet the pattern doesn’t ask for a cable needle.
Please help