There’s nothing better than to throw on a cozy cabled sweater when the cooler temps hit. So you’ve been feverishly knitting along, trying to beat the shortening days. But while you were dreaming of fall and watching the next episode of Outlander, disaster struck, and now in the daylight, you realize those cables are crossed the wrong way!

Obviously you could rip all of it out or go back stitch by stitch, or throw the sweater into timeout in a far corner, but who has time for that? In this class, learn two other ways to deal with the situation! One to fix the cable, the other to help you cope with cables that are way, waaaaay down there in your project.

The main focus is on fixing the cable, if you catch your mistake a few rows later, but before you have added more cable crosses overtop. Learn how to judiciously drop down, undo the wrong cable, pop it into its proper place, and re-cross it the right way without having to ladder down unnecessary stitches or undo that whole cable.

Then we’ll also look at those cables that are too far gone for a classic fix, and we’ll learn how to cleverly duplicate stitch the correct cable in place.

Technique Requirements: Knit/purl, cast on/bind off, be comfortable knitting cables

Bring the following swatch to class, still on the needle!

Using a light-colored, smooth yarn (nothing with a halo—no mohair or alpaca—and don’t use a dark color or it will be too hard to see!), knit the swatch on the handout (will be available in the hub the week of the event) or use the instructions below. Click here to download the chart. Worsted-weight on US 7 or US 8 would work well.
Cast on 32 stitches
Row 1: K3, [p3, k4, p1] 3 times, p2, k3.
Row 2: K6, [p4, k4] 3 times, k2.
Rows 3–4: Repeat rows 1–2.
Row 5: K3, p3, 2/2 RC, p4, 2/2 LC, p4, 2/2 RC, p3, k3.
Row 6: K6, [p4, k4] 3 times, k2.
Rows 7–12: Repeat rows 1–6.
Row 13: K3, [p3, k4, p1] 3 times, p2, k3.
Row 14: K6, [p4, k4] 3 times, k2.
Rows 15–16: Repeat rows 13–14.
Row 17: K3, [p3, 2/2 LC, p1] twice, p3, 2/2 RC, p3, k3.
Row 18: K6, [p4, k4] 3 times, k2.
Row 19: K3, [p3, k4, p1] 3 times, p2, k3.
Rows 20–21: Repeat rows 18–19.
Row 22: K6, [p4, k4] 3 times, k2.
Row 23: K3, [p3, 2/2 RC, p1] twice, p3, 2/2 LC, p3, k3.
Row 24: K6, [p4, k4] 3 times, k2.
Row 25: K3, [p3, k4, p1] 3 times, p2, k3.
 
2/2 RC: slip 2 sts onto cable needle and hold to back, k2, k2 from cable needle
2/2 LC : slip 2 sts onto cable needle and hold to front, k2, k2 from cable needle

Homework swatch still on the needle; cable needle or DPN in appropriate size for your yarn; darning needle and some of the yarn from your swatch (you can use a piece from the other end of the ball); a crochet hook  or fix-it tool; general knitting tools.