# cabled scarf question



## au natural (Mar 8, 2004)

I would like to make a scarf for my daughter for Christmas. I think that I understand the basic idea of cables, but I haven't, until now, found a pattern that I really liked. I found this pattern on you tube that I really liked but I don't know what stitch is used other that the cable. 
Could anyone help me identify this stitch or point me towards a pattern similar to this? It is about 1:20 into the clip. It would be greatly appreciated! Thanks.
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bn3I_JD7Ek4[/ame]


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## MDKatie (Dec 13, 2010)

You mean the borders? I think it's seed stitch. Maybe?


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## hercsmama (Jan 15, 2004)

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOzqzJ7LSIM[/ame]
<iframe width="640" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/pOzqzJ7LSIM?feature=player_detailpage" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>


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## frazzlehead (Aug 23, 2005)

Yep, they look like seed stitch to me. Or possibly moss, which is just a minor variation on seed: instead of k1p1, as in seed, moss is k2, p2 but as in seed stitch, on the next row you always do the "opposite" so you don't get piled up rows of stockinette.


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## chickenista (Mar 24, 2007)

The 'norm' is usually a K1P1 or a K2P2, always ending with a purl before you take the 2 stitches off your needle (or peg if you are a loomer like me)
And there is a purl when you come out the other side of the cabled stitch.
So.. K1P1 (repeat 4 times) Cable 2, then knit them, then a purl, then K1P1(4 times)
or something like that. That gives you that nice flat work to each side of the cable that really makes the cable stitch pop.
And you can change the look of teh cable by either doing 3 or 5 rows between cables too..a short fat cable or a longer leaner cable respectively. Or mix it up for a twining viney look.


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## Chaty (Apr 4, 2008)

Chickenista said just about what I was going to say.


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## Wind in Her Hair (Jul 18, 2002)

just throwing this out there - we did a KAL a couple of years ago  to learn cables with the Irish Hiking Scarf and it was a big hit. 

You might want to look at that one.


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## chickenista (Mar 24, 2007)

I cannot tell you how thrilled I was to learn how easy, easy, easy a cable stitch is.
It looks so elegant and complex, I always just assumed it was near on impossible to do.
And to know that I can do it on the loom just made my day.
It makes a nice border for a hooded scarf too. Looks all fancy. Woot!!


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## Wind in Her Hair (Jul 18, 2002)

chickenista said:


> And to know that I can do it on the loom just made my day.
> It makes a nice border for a hooded scarf too. Looks all fancy. Woot!!


 what is this loom cabling you speak of!?!?!?


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## chickenista (Mar 24, 2007)

As we all know I cannot kit with sticks. Ain't gonna happen. Not my thing.
So I went with the knitting looms.
I ahve a teeny sock loom that I can make socks with and round looms and square looms, all with different or adjustable 'stitch sizes'.
You can knit any regular knitting pattern with the loom, you just have to translate it.

So to knit a cable stitch on the loom, I make my seed stitch border with knitting and purling, then I take 2 of the stitches off, place them on my cable hook, take the next two stitches adn pull them to the 2 empty pegs. Then take the stitches off of my cable hook and put them on the now empty pegs and knit over. Ta Da. The only thing I haven't figured out, or really tried, is the stuff like PSSO or SSK or whatever. Not even sure what those are, much less how to translate them.
But I can do a lot of other fancy stitches and drop stitches etc..
To translate patterns, you just realize that Row1 will be going from left to right down the loom and Row2 is right to left.
I am working on a lovely delicate linen washcloth on my sock loom now. Tedious. Whew boy. Tiny, tiny wee stitches and it seems like there are a million of them. I don't use it very often for that reason.


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## Wind in Her Hair (Jul 18, 2002)

wow - that's amazing. I just started playing with my peg loom and now peope tell me I can use the pegs to knit with OFF of the loom?!?!!? what kind of madness is this!?!?!


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## chickenista (Mar 24, 2007)

???? 'Use the pegs to knit with off the loom"?
I am not sure what you mean on that one.

And if you have any looming questions, or about stitches etc.. I can probably answer. I am a looming fool. And, as always, Youtube is your friend.


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## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

There was once a knitting machine shop in Port Huron. The woman who owned the store took a class for knitting a cable sweater on a machine. She said by the time one moved stitches back and forth on the machine, one could have just knit the sweater by hand. But, if one prefers to knit by machine for whatever reason, yes it can be done.


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## gone-a-milkin (Mar 4, 2007)

Wind in Her Hair said:


> wow - that's amazing. I just started playing with my peg loom and now peope tell me I can use the pegs to knit with OFF of the loom?!?!!? what kind of madness is this!?!?!


You are using the pegs to weave between, right?
You COULD wrap the pegs with yarn and knit off of them istead.
Have you seen how a knitting loom works? 
You use a hook to pull the loops off (either purlwise or knitwise).
You could totally do that with your biggo loom.


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## Wind in Her Hair (Jul 18, 2002)

I am familiar with those plastic looms with fixed teeth only in passing. 

My 24" peg loom has removeable pegs that have a hole drilled through the bottom of each one - and the fiber you run through the holes becomes the warp for the weaving. 

BUT - I have also been told that you can simply remove 2 pegs (or more), warp them and then KNIT with them- sorta. The tips aren't tapered like knitting needles or "weaving sticks" but you could still "weave" with them and I am thinking you could also KNIT with them- kinda sorta - maybe - we'll see. :teehee:

Rabbitgeek made a nice black and gray scarf using these "weaving sticks" a while back. (has it really been 2 years?!!??) 


Right now I am weaving on my peg loom and I have removed every other peg for a wider, looser weaving. These things are pretty dadgum fun, easy, versatile, and habit forming. (I have rabbitgeek and Annie in MN to thank for this addiction. )

Every time I walk past mine, I have to weave a couple of rows. I have my various yarns for this project in a colander on the table next to it and they just BEG me to come over and weave a few rows! Hopefully, I will get around to pictures this weekend.

This is rabbitgeek's scarf done on weaving sticks. See how the warp runs through the bottom of the peg/weaving stick? For something totally mind-blowing, look up "straw weaving" to see this done with drinking straws. It's CRAZY!


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## hercsmama (Jan 15, 2004)

WIHH, I remember learning to do that , with drinking straws, back in grade school, I want to say second or third grade. To much fun!
As I recall, I made belts for everyone in my house that Christmas, I don't think my dad or brother ever wore theirs..Lol.


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## Wind in Her Hair (Jul 18, 2002)

hercsmama said:


> As I recall, I made belts for everyone in my house that Christmas, I don't think my dad or brother ever wore theirs..Lol.


what!?!??! maybe your folks just weren't hippies!


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## hotzcatz (Oct 16, 2007)

Where do you get the looms with adjustable stitch sizes, Chickenista? A friend of mine uses looms to knit because of arthritis in her fingers and she's pretty limited on what she can make because her loom only has one size of stitch. She has several different sizes of round looms, but the stitches are all pretty much the same size. Is there an online source? We are kinda stuck out in the middle of the ocean without a lot of LYS.


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## chickenista (Mar 24, 2007)

The sock loom I bought all on it's own, but if she has arthritis, then it is not for her. Very tiny stitches and very tiring on the fingers.

You can get different kinds with different gauges, but the best way to do it is...
and I am almost embarrassed to admit it, but it is a great product and totally versatile and you can configure it into a million different things..
the Martha Stewart loom..http://www.amazon.com/Stewart-Lion-Brand-Yarn-5000-100/dp/B004W8W2V6 :ashamed:

You can get them at Wal-Mart, Michaels, Hobby Lobby etc.. too.
It has big pegs for bulkier yarns, the smaller pegs for thinner yarns.
It can be a circle, an oval, a square, a straight rod, a rectangle.
You can knit or you can weave. I am a big fan of continuous strand weaving, no warp or weft, no knots to tie, no weird edges. Continuous strand gives a finished smooth edge etc.. very nifty thing.
And there are several colors of pegs so that you can mark your stitches easily. When you get to a gray one, Sl1K2tog..that sort of thing.

For the price, it just cannot be beat. You can make anything! on the silly set.
Very well made, durable. The tool is not the best, but I use my good wooden one anyway.
I keep all of the pegs in ziplock baggies and the whole set up in a handled Tupperware thing for ease of use. I bought two when they had a BOGO sale.

So there. You all know my shame. :ashamed:
But it really is an amazing thing to have and use.


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## hotzcatz (Oct 16, 2007)

Thanks, Chickenista! That would make a great holiday present for her. She's currently using a Knifty Knitter and has pretty much explored most of it's possibilities. Do you think a wooden frame with sets of nails set close together would work? Or possibly using cotter pins as pegs? Might be easy enough to make her some different looms.


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## chickenista (Mar 24, 2007)

The MS Loom is really the way to go.
It can be turned into about 12 different looms of varying sizes and with varying gauges and then the whole weaving thing too.
The Knifty Knitter is the lamest thing in the world next to the sportscar of looms.
But take a look at it.
If you think configuring it or placing all of the pegs would cause her problems, then yes.. go with the cotter pins.
I would just make some smaller and closer together and some wider etc..so that she can use varying yarn thicknesses. That is the major drawback with teh Knifty Knitter things. Everything has to be thick and bulky. It is impossible to make something delicate with a nice sock weight yarn that doesn't look like a mesh grocery bag.
With the MS Loom or a handmade loom with closer pegs/pins she can use a thinner yarn and get really slick looking projects done.


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