A Twist On Crocheted Cables

The designers of this issue have found a number of ways to create the classic look of a cable—two or more elements that travel across a piece of fabric or twist around each other. Whether it’s the traditional method using post stitches, some fancy yarnover maneuvers, or even moving pieces of crocheted fabric around each other, these designs show off the range of cable possibilities. Which one is your favorite?

Wheat Cables

A combination of front post treble back cross and front cross stitches form the columns of these wheat cables. Each column consists of an opposing pair of cable stitches, and the repeated twists help the cable stitches pop out dramatically. The lower edge features a Celtic weave pattern, which some crocheters consider to be a form of cable.

Diamond Cables

In the diamond cable, the combination of extended single crochets and post stitches avoids the holes that can form around cable crossings. The center diamond is an example of traveling cables, while the straight cables at the edges twist in simple columns.

Lacy Cables

This lacy cable is created using front and back double-treble stitches, an open combination that leaves decorative holes in the design. The crossing post stitches are worked over standard double-treble stitches.

Braided Cables

The wandering braids of this pillow use a contrasting color only for the cable portion; the unused color is stranded across the back of the work when not in use. The front-post treble stitches are worked against a background of denser half-double crochet stitches, creating a solid fabric that hides the unused yarn (and the pillow’s stuffing).

Bold Cables

The bold cables in this pattern stand out in sharp relief from the background. You may notice that the stitches are smooth Vs, like knit stitches, instead of the textured look of post stitches. The design is created by picking up and holding four loops at a time and manipulating the loops as directed. The loop sets cross and travel throughout, creating an unusual and striking design.

Twisted Cables

You might ask whether this really counts as a cable at all! Instead of crossing individual stitches over one another, this tunic gets its twist from pieces of fabric from the front and back that are twisted around each other and sewn to opposite sides of the tunic.

Shadow Stitches & Sideways Cables

There are many more creative ways to get the twisting look of cables. Try these:

• Brioche-Inspired Cables by Juliette Bezold and Free-Post Sideways Cables by Brenda K.B. Anderson, Interweave Crochet Fall 2016
  Both of these methods are worked perpendicular to the direction of the cables using multiple yarn sources.
• Shadow-Stitch Cables by Shannon and Jason Mullett-Bowlsby
  By working an additional stitch behind the post stitch, this cable method avoids a hole in the work and helps pop the cable stitches forward.

Best of Luck!
Bonnie Barker

BONNIE BARKER is a crochet designer and author who has published more than 100 patterns. She is best known for her Aran Isle crochet techniques. Bonnie is hopelessly in love with crocheted cables and discovering new ways to crochet them! She is a happy wife to her physicist husband and a retired homeschool mom of five.

This article originally appeared in Interweave Crochet Fall 2019.

All Photos by Harper Point Photography.

Let’s do the twist: more crocheted cables!