Cable Abbreviation Tutorial
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.
April 18th, 2009 at 8:34 am
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.
April 19th, 2009 at 9:03 pm
Thank you SOOOO much. Just what I was looking for!!
April 25th, 2009 at 8:17 am
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
December 28th, 2009 at 3:41 am
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!
January 24th, 2010 at 4:02 pm
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
January 25th, 2010 at 7:12 pm
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.
January 25th, 2010 at 7:14 pm
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?
January 26th, 2010 at 11:27 am
thanks jim i will try what you said and let you know joyce