Friday, January 15, 2010

Counting Rows in Cables

Had a great time in KW on Tuesday - the gang was very welcoming, and there was some good discussion.

I'd taken a few of my samples and patterns, and I heard a knitter comment that she'd made a shawl that looked a bit like the one on the table... and then she realized that it was the one on the table she'd made. She'd bought my pattern online, and hadn't realized I was the designer.

I love to see other knitters working and enjoying my designs.

One of the tips I shared in my presentation was how to count rows in a cable...

Specifically, how to figure out how many rows you've worked since you've turned the cable.



Easy!

If you're working flat, start by figuring out what row is facing. If the cable is facing, that means you've worked at least one WS row after you turned it, so you've worked an odd number of rows. That's a start.

And to be absolutely precise - whether working flat or round - use a spare needle:

Insert the needle in the "hole" that's created by the crossing over of the cable. And just count up the rows from that! Don't count the one that the red needle is under, and don't count the row that's actually active on the needles - just count the rows in between.

Three!

See? Easy!

6 comments:

northernknitter said...

Thanks for these recent tips - great for those of us who can't get to your classes. Picking up gusset stitches is brillant!

Pirk said...

Thanks for this brilliant tip.
I always counted from the loose stitch that happens when twisting.
This is 250% better.

Pirk

Madelaine said...

BRILLIANT.

V said...

This is an amazing tip. I was just about to rip back what would have been six rounds of a cabled hat. Eep.

Unknown said...

This seems like a great tip, but I'm a bit confused (or dense). What do you mean by "facing"?

katrinakieren said...

She means, are you working a wrong side or right side row. If you're working a right side row, then you have already worked a wrong side row after your cable.