Cable Crochet - ANY advice, sites etc.?

On Sat, 11 Feb 2006 15:05:54 -0500, spampot wrote:

I have done some searching for my sister whose Aran crochet book failed
her, but haven't found much -- one pattern that looked really good
turned out to be available only as a kit. Does anyone out there do
cables in crochet?

Sorry, I just noticed this thread, takes me a while to get to all the
posts!

I have an old issue of Crochet Fantasy that I used when designing a
scarf for my DH years back. It shows a knit look cable in a sweater
that's done in crochet.

IIRC, the cable is done in a modified afghan stitch, in that after so
many rows, you took the front half of the stitches at the beginning of
the row and put them on the BACK of your hook before working the row,
so the cable got crossed that way, just like knitters do. I didn't
have an afghan hook in that size, so I was careful not to drop
stitches and just used a regular crochet hook to crochet and hold and
my knitting cable needle to transfer stitches. It's thicker than knit
since it's crochet, but looks just like knit from the front, so you
get the look of knit and the thicker warmth of crochet all in one.

I'll look for the mag, but warning in advance, I've got a couple years
of CF to look through when I subscribed, and odd issues I picked up
after I stopped subscribing, so it will take me a while to find it.
I'll let you know the issue number and year, because even if it's all
sold out, you might find it at the library on microfiche and be able
to see the pics and diagrams if you need more help in making this
cable.

Leah

On Sat, 11 Feb 2006 15:05:54 -0500, spampot wrote:

I have done some searching for my sister whose Aran crochet book failed
her, but haven't found much -- one pattern that looked really good
turned out to be available only as a kit. Does anyone out there do
cables in crochet?

Holy cow, how often does this happen? The FIRST CF I picked up is the
issue I was looking for!!!!

It's Crochet Fantasy number 67, May 1991. The sweater is on page 8,
project #3, rated 3 stars, which for them means they recommend you
consider yourself an advanced crocheter before trying it. The cable
is done in afghan stitch (AKA tunisian) and the instructions more
complicated than I remember it being, so maybe I changed the way I
made it? It's so long ago, I don't remember, only positive I didn't
use an afghan hook to do it. Maybe since I didn't have the afghan
hook it was easier to make, though, since I just slipped the stitches
onto a knitting cable needle and crossed them all at once. I'll have
to start a crochet cable and see if I remember exactly how i did this!

Leah

Leah wrote:
On Sat, 11 Feb 2006 15:05:54 -0500, spampot wrote:

I have done some searching for my sister whose Aran crochet book failed
her, but haven't found much -- one pattern that looked really good
turned out to be available only as a kit. Does anyone out there do
cables in crochet?

Holy cow, how often does this happen? The FIRST CF I picked up is the
issue I was looking for!!!!

It's Crochet Fantasy number 67, May 1991. The sweater is on page 8,
project #3, rated 3 stars, which for them means they recommend you
consider yourself an advanced crocheter before trying it. The cable
is done in afghan stitch (AKA tunisian) and the instructions more
complicated than I remember it being, so maybe I changed the way I
made it? It's so long ago, I don't remember, only positive I didn't
use an afghan hook to do it. Maybe since I didn't have the afghan
hook it was easier to make, though, since I just slipped the stitches
onto a knitting cable needle and crossed them all at once. I'll have
to start a crochet cable and see if I remember exactly how i did this!

Leah

Hi Leah

This sounds *nothing* like how I made crocheted cables...I wonder if
there's two techniques to this. My method, which I learned from 'From
Needles to Hook' uses a standard crochet hook, not a double-ended
tunisian hook. And all mine involves is careful counting and post
stitches.

Yours sounds interesting, I'll make a note to check at my library for
those back issues. Thanks!

Michelle

On Sat, 11 Feb 2006 15:05:54 -0500, spampot wrote:

I have done some searching for my sister whose Aran crochet book failed
her, but haven't found much -- one pattern that looked really good
turned out to be available only as a kit. Does anyone out there do
cables in crochet?

Done some reading on the tunisian cable I made, and it's performed
while using tunisian knit stitch, which is different from regular
afghan stitch, and is formed by where you place your hook through the
fabric.

First you work your chain and foundation row just like afghan stitch.
On the next loop gathering row, you insert your hook from front to
back through the loops (I think they are called by some the vertical
bar) on the previous row, but not like you put a knitting needle into
a stitch going from left to right with the needle, you just go
straight back and to the left through the loop like you do in crochet,
pull up the loop, and continue on down the row. This creates the
tunisian knit stitch, which looks like stockinette on the front when
done over many rows. Then, after you've done 4-6 rows, you start
crossing your stitches using a cable needle or even a second crochet
hook, so you are pretty much knitting using only a crochet hook, and
when cabling, you are using a cable needle or second hook.

I didn't watch the videos, but this site has free video tutorials
describing how to do some of these knit look techniques. Not sure if
they show the cable.
http://www.nexstitch.com/Tutorials.html

There's also a book available about tunisian crochet from Chez
Crochet, don't know if I'd use it myself, but others really interested
in a knit look without using 2 needles might find it helpful.
http://www.chezcrochet.com/page0093.html

Leah

Leah wrote:
On Sat, 11 Feb 2006 15:05:54 -0500, spampot wrote:


I have done some searching for my sister whose Aran crochet book failed
her, but haven't found much -- one pattern that looked really good
turned out to be available only as a kit. Does anyone out there do
cables in crochet?


Done some reading on the tunisian cable I made, and it's performed
while using tunisian knit stitch, which is different from regular
afghan stitch, and is formed by where you place your hook through the
fabric.

First you work your chain and foundation row just like afghan stitch.
On the next loop gathering row, you insert your hook from front to
back through the loops (I think they are called by some the vertical
bar) on the previous row, but not like you put a knitting needle into
a stitch going from left to right with the needle, you just go
straight back and to the left through the loop like you do in crochet,
pull up the loop, and continue on down the row. This creates the
tunisian knit stitch, which looks like stockinette on the front when
done over many rows. Then, after you've done 4-6 rows, you start
crossing your stitches using a cable needle or even a second crochet
hook, so you are pretty much knitting using only a crochet hook, and
when cabling, you are using a cable needle or second hook.

I didn't watch the videos, but this site has free video tutorials
describing how to do some of these knit look techniques. Not sure if
they show the cable.
http://www.nexstitch.com/Tutorials.html

There's also a book available about tunisian crochet from Chez
Crochet, don't know if I'd use it myself, but others really interested
in a knit look without using 2 needles might find it helpful.
http://www.chezcrochet.com/page0093.html

Leah

Leah and Michelle,

I keep forgetting to thank you for this information; I've copied it into
an e-mail for my sister. I'll be interested to see how she's managed
next time we get together.