How to Cable Knit without a Cable Needle

There are few things quite so charming as a sock with dainty little cables running along its length or a shawl with cabled stitches placed just so along the edging. Cabled knits are a classic for a reason. If you’re a knitter who loves tackling cabled projects, you've probably discovered that it can be a very slow process. You have to slip stitches to a cable needle, move them around, try not to lose the cable needle when you’re not using it, and so much more.

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But it doesn’t have to be. In fact, I rarely use a cabling needle nowadays. I learned to knit cables without a cable needle back in 2008, and I’ve been a fan ever since. We’re going to explore how to do cable knitting with just your two regular knitting needles. It’s surprisingly easy, and once you get the hang of cabling this way, you’re unlikely to ever go back to using a cable needle.

How to Knit a Left-Leaning Cable Without a Cable Needle

We'll use the example of a 2/2 left-crossing cable. 1. Using your working needle (for most of us, the right-hand needle), slip two stitches purlwise with yarn held in back. 2. Knit two stitches. 3. Using the non-working needle, pass the needle tip over the front of the left two stitches and insert it into the front of the two slipped stitches so that both stitches are caught by the needle tip.

4. With your left hand, pinch the base of the four stitches so that they don’t unravel and slide the tip of the working needle out of all four stitches. The right two stitches will remain caught by the non-working needle, and the left two stitches will be free. 5. After pulling your working needle out of all four stitches, insert the needle tip back into the left two stitches. Those stitches will now remain on your working needle. 6. Knit two stitches from your non-working needle.

How to Knit a Right-Leaning Cable Without a Cable Needle

1. Using your working needle (for most of us, the right hand needle), slip two stitches purlwise with yarn held in front. 2. Knit two stitches. 3. Using your non-working needle, pass the needle tip behind the left two stitches and insert it into the back of the two slipped stitches so that both stitches are caught by the needle tip.

4. With your left hand, pinch the base of the four stitches so that they don’t unravel and slide the tip of the working needle out of all four stitches. The right two stitches will remain caught by the non-working needle, and the left two stitches will be free. 5. After pulling your working needle out of all four stitches, insert the needle tip back into the left two stitches. Those stitches will now remain on your working needle. 6. Knit two stitches from your non-working needle.

One final tip

This method of cabling without a cable needle is best suited to small cables. If you are working cables with 8 or more stitches, especially if there is a lot of movement within those stitches, you may still find a cable needle helpful. It’s easier to pinch the stitches at the bottom of smaller cables, but larger cables can run away from you pretty quickly.

Curious to learn more about knitting or to dig deeper into cable knitting with a cable needle? Click on through for tutorials, free patterns, technique tips, and more.

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