Emily Explains: Cabling Without A Cable Needle

With the holidays fast approaching, time is of the essence. One trick for saving time while working anything with cables is to work the project without a cable needle. This works on narrow cables wonderfully. You’ll rarely use a cable needle again!

For right leaning cables (where you would normally slip the first sts onto a cable needle and hold in back) without a cable needle,  you can skip the first stitches and slip your right needle into the stitches that will be on the top of your twist.

Then slip all stitches in the cable off your left needle. The stitches that are held in back will hang free, but only for a moment.

Pick up the stitches that are hanging free, the stitches at the bottom of your twist, with your left needle.

Then slip the stitches that are on top of the twist, the stitches on your right needle, to your left needle.

Now you can knit across your cable stitches on your left needle.

For left leaning cables (where you would normally slip the first sts onto a cable needle and hold in front) without a cable needle,  you can skip the first stitches and slip your right needle from the back into the stitches that will be on the back of your twist.

Then slip all stitches in the cable off your left needle. The stitches that are held in front will hang free, but only for a moment.

Pick up the stitches that are hanging free, the stitches at the top of your twist, with your left needle.

Then slip the stitches that are on bottom of the twist, the stitches on your right needle, to your left needle.

Now you can knit across your cable stitches on your left needle.

And that’s all there is to it!

If you’d like to follow along, take a look at my how-to video as I demonstrate.

Happy Making,

Emily