Fiddly Knitting

For the longest time I didn't even want to attempt cables. They looked so fiddly and really kind of hard. Eek?! A cable needle? I can barely handle working with DPNs! What the heck am I going to do with a (gasp) cable needle?  Sounded like a sure way to lose an eye!
I guess  I was pretty content to just knit and purl and maybe ocasionally throw in a fussy sort of stitch (ugh bobbles...) but I wasn't willing to make something with cables. Nope. Didn't want to..until I saw someone creating with them.  That someone just happened to be my backhoe buddy AND I had  taught her (pretty much forced her) to knit!  Um. Yeah. Nothing like a little healthy competition to spurn me into action! Sometimes that's all it takes and I'm off and running! Or in this case..... cable~ing!
Well BB (Backhoe Buddy) told me cables were easy and not intimidating and of course I could do it. Whatever.  I resisted. Quite a bit at first, but once I saw where she was going with these (read.. not wanting to be shown up...) I tried.
 Well.... she's right. Yeah.... that hurts to say it out loud, but she was right in this one and only  instance.
Cables are fussy and fiddly, but once you get the hang of it you won't even need a cable needle!
Which may be a bummer for Royal D & Princess' Momma.... but I think even they will like cables!
I'm working on my second block #2 in the portable projects with a cause.... you should almost be there I think and this means CABLES! Woo hoo! C'mon! I can do it so that means you can too!

My second version of block #2 is in solid red. I like how it looks in a solid rather than the variegated blue I used for the first time around.  Solid colors will make your cable work POP out!

The cable stitches in the pattern read like this:  AND I can hear you saying.... WHAT? REALLY? WHOA....

*Special Sts*

 6-st RC (3 over 3 right cross) Slip 3 sts to cable needle and hold in back, k3 then k3 from cable needle

6-st LC (3 over 3 left cross) Slip 3 sts to cable needle and hold in front, k3 then k3 from cable needle. It's pretty simple; honest. Just ask BB she'll tell you.... but to help you along the way I'm showing you how I did it. *sorry but Boy is using the video camera so I got stuck with the regular one!



For this pattern... purl the first 6 stitches... slip the next three onto a cable needle (the darker needle) and hold it in back (Right cross), knit the next 3 stitches off of your left needle. Slip the stitches on the cable needle back onto your left needle and knit them.


Next you will do the next 3 in the cable section... the 6-st LC (3 over 3 left cross).  It's easy.. you just did the RC right?! Slip the next 3 stitches onto the cable needle (purlwise is easier) and hold them in FRONT... then knit the next 3 stitches off of your left needle...

Now you slip the slipped stitches (those on the cable needle?) back onto your left needle and knit them! Just like you did before... only difference is where you held the slipped stitches! Back or front! That's what makes the cable twist this way or that way! It really means more fiddly farting around... but it will work out !  That's how we get the 'twist' into the cable!

 Now you purl the next 6 stitches (that center portion) and repeat the cable process for the left side! Just follow the pattern for the remaining rows and repeat the cable section as directed! You only have to do it six (?) times for this block?

It's kind of cool how it looks like you put a whole lot of effort into your knitting fabric, but really you don't. Just twist 3 stitches this way, 3 that way... a couple of times this way, a couple that way and with the purl stitches helping it all pop out.... you made some amazing knitting!

Go you!!

Seriously......... go you! Get some blocks done!!