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machineknittingpattern womens cable cardigan   © jessica tromp

Machine knitting lesson, how to make a nice cable on your knitting machine.

I used Peaches and cream, 4 ply, 100 % cotton hand dyed yarn, knitted on my brother bulky machine.
If you want to knit this cable on a standard gauge machine, you have to use thinner cotton yarn.

KNIT A TENSION SWATCH FIRST
After knitting your swatch, leave it settle for several hours of even days.
Check your measurements and write down all the alterations before you start knitting.

For more instructions with illustrations go to my basic machine knitting patterns page

machineknittingpattern womens cable cardigan

Set up for 1 x 1 rib. (Instructions are for Brother )
Rack the ribber 1 space to right to get needles in Zig-Zag position. Brother; (P3).
Important ; the right-and-left most outer stitch is on the Main bed .
 

machineknittingpattern womens cable cardigan

Thread yarn, knit 1 Zig-Zag row. T = 0 on Both dials.
Hang the comb, hang weights on the comb.
Set to circular rows; using the Part button on the K-carriage and the opposite Part button on the Ribber-carriage.
Knit 2 or 3 circular rows. Cancel part buttons on Both carriages, set dials to ribber tension.

machineknittingpattern womens cable cardigan

Rib for required amount.

machineknittingpattern womens cable cardigan

Now we are going to rearrange the needles for cable pattern

machineknittingpattern womens cable cardigan

Repeat,
3 stitches on main bed, 1 stitch on rib bed, 1 stitch on main bed, 1 stitch on rib bed, 1 stitch on main bed, 1 stitch on rib bed,

machineknittingpattern womens cable cardigan

3 stitches on main bed, and so on

machineknittingpattern womens cable cardigan

This is how your needles look like now

machineknittingpattern womens cable cardigan

Knit 5 rows

machineknittingpattern womens cable cardigan

Now we are going to cross the 2 stitches on the main bed for a cable

machineknittingpattern womens cable cardigan

Always cross in the same direction, for all the cables, which way is not important, as long as it is in the same direction

machineknittingpattern womens cable cardigan

These 2 stitches are cabled now

machineknittingpattern womens cable cardigan

Knit 10 rows and start over again with crossing the 2 stitches for the cable, repeat every 10 rows until sufficient length

This is why your tension swatch is so important,
because of the weights, your knitting work is longer than it is supposed to be,
after you have removed the weights, your knitting work will be shorter and smaller,
it will get it's normal form.

machineknittingpattern womens cable cardigan

And this will be your pattern when finished

machineknittingpattern womens cable cardigan

This is my cardigan

machineknittingpattern womens cable cardigan

I have knitted the sleeve with a circular needle, by picking up stitches along the armhole side

machineknittingpattern womens cable cardigan
SLEEVE
And I have crocheted a nice border all around, for the finishing touch

machineknittingpattern womens cable cardigan
V-NECK AND BORDER
Small crochet edging,
crochet; 1 single crochet and 2 chain stitches, skip 1 stitch, repeat all around
go to my basic knitting machine patterns page for a pattern in your own gauge