Cables on single bed machine knitting



Cables on single bed fabric

Cables are formed by crossing adjacent groups of stitches behind and infront of each other. This is called the ‘crossover’.
Cables worked on a machine by hand can vary in width from 2 needles (a 1x1 crossover), to a maximum that is governed by the elasticity of the yarn and the tools available to manipulate the stitches, however a classic machine knitted cable is worked over 6 stitches, (2 groups of 3), and is therefore called a 6 needle cable with a 3x3 crossover. A 1x1 crossover may also be called ‘twisted’ stitches – especially in hand knitting.

Yarns for working cables

The most successful yarns for cables should have natural stretch and return, therefore wool is ideal. The higher the percentage of wool, the more 3D your cables will be. Cotton is not ideal for cables as it lacks stretch and often has to be knitted looser to achieve successful crossovers.
Tip:
It can help to draw a chart for complicated cables (see example later on)
Marking the stitches to cross can help prevent mistakes. Add a small dot of permanent marker on the bed at the back of the needle, or even a pencil mark will work. Please do not deface the machine unnecessarily or excessively.

Instructions for working a 3x3 machine knit cable on single bed.

Stitch picture of a 3x3 cable worked on single bed fabric (stocking stitch)

Materials and tools: Two 3x2 or 3x1 transfer tools.
  • 1.       Knit to the row of the crossover
  • 2.       **Pick the left hand (LH) group of 3 stitches onto the first transfer tool
  • 3.       Pick the right hand (RH) group of 3 stitches onto the second transfer tool
  • 4.       Cross the tools and set the LH sts onto the RH needles, and then the RH sts onto the LH needles).
  • 5.       Work 6-8 rows before the next crossover**
  • 6.       Repeat the crossover and in between rows from ** to **
These instructions will produce a cable crossing as shown, on the front of the fabric. To have the crossover winding the other way, reverse the order in which you replace the stitches on the needles. To make a cable that snakes on top of the other, work the crossover in a different direction each time.
Depending on the cable design, vary the number of rows between crossovers, and the stitches that are crossed.
Hand knit pattern books can be useful for starting points of ideas for cable designs.
Charted cables may look like this: The crossover is worked, and the row after is counted as the first of the ‘in between’ rows.

Cable chart on single bed fabric (stocking stitch)



If there are dots in the chart, this is usually interpreted as a purl stitch, and would mean that the cable would have to be knitted on a double bed machine, or have the purl stitches knitted up by hand between the knit stitch cables. (see example chart and stitch view below)

Cable chart on double-bed fabric

Stich picture of cable worked on double bed fabric

Tip:
If the cross over is tight and difficult to work, there is a technique called ‘Relief cables’ which can help the stretch across to the other set of needles.

To work a relief cable (see 5 step diagram below)

Step 1. Knit to 2 rows before crossover
Step 2. Unravel the LH side 3 stitches of the 6 needle cable from the needles.
Knit one row.
Step 3. Unravel the RH side 3 stitches of the 6 needle cable from the needles.
Steps 4&5. Work the crossover by picking up the LH group of 3 stitches of the cable on first transfer took and the RH group on the second.
Cross the stitches over, keeping the LH stitches nearest to the needle bed.
Set the original LH stitches onto the RH empty needles first, and then original RH stitches onto empty LH needles.


The 5 steps of working a relief cable crossover.