Decoding and Charting Cables

I'm a chart knitter. I make no apologies for that. If I can't visualize it, I can't knit/embroidery/weave/sew, etc. You get the picture. I'm a visual person and somehow my brain can convert knitting charts into images of what the finished product will look like before I ever make a swatch or cast on the actual piece. This is both a blessing and a curse. If a pattern doesn't have a chart, I have to really love it make it because I will have to chart it myself.

Charting cables is half art and half science. I've read several articles and book excerpts on the subject and quite honestly, everyone has a different approach. Before I post Knitter's Guide to Inkscape: Charting Cables, which will walk you through creating the same chart used in this post, I thought I would discuss my thought process for cable charting.

To begin with, the purpose of a cable chart is to draw a representation of the cable itself. Because of the finished appearance, the same stitch may look different depending on several factors:

relation to nearby cables on the same row, Think of this as stitches between cables.
background stitch,
relation to previous rows, and Think of this as the movement of a cable stitch from one row to the next.
type of cable. Is it a true cable where both stitches are knitted or is it a twist where a portion are purled?

What does this mean for charting? It means that standard fonts will only work in select cases. If you rely on them, you should rely on your own judgment instead of “this symbol means slip two stitches onto your cable needle and hold it at the back of your work. Knit two. Purl two stitches from the cable needle.” I will say the font standards work 95% of the time, but I always find them slightly lacking. This is partially a usage problem as some designers only chart the cable on the row it occurs. This every other row charting method doesn't allow you to fully visualize your cables. After spending some time with my old pattern books and magazines (all circa 1970 or earlier), I believe this more modern approach is incorrect. (Although, I have used it on occasion for single cables when there is only one cable row in the chart.)

In a more modern context, the pretty lines that show how your cable traveled on the wrong side row may or may not exist in American patterns. However, these lines are standard in Japanese charts (Thanks, Mai!), and I find them almost indispensable.

For this inside look into charting, I'm using a Celtic Plait, which is a traditional cable I've seen in many books, including one fragile Victorian publication the library was afraid would be damaged if I photocopied it. This version was pulled from Reader's Digest Ultimate Sourcebook of Knitting and Crochet Stitches (2003) and edited to correct an error on row 4 and add a few stitches to the sides. We will step through this pattern two rows at a time.

Celtic Plait

Sample courtesy of beedragon. Image copyrighted by beedragon 2009 and used with permission.

Knitterese Abbreviations

p = purl
k = knit
c4b = Slip two stitches onto a cable needle and hold at the back of the work. Knit two stitches from the working needle. Knit the two stitches from the cable needle.
c4f = Slip two stitches onto a cable needle and hold at the front of the work. Knit two stitches from the working needle. Knit the two stitches from the cable needle.
t4b = Slip two stitches onto cable needle and hold at the back of the work. Knit two stitches from the working needle. Purl two stitches from the cable needle.
t4f = Slip two stitches onto cable needle and hold at the front of the work. Purl two stitches from the working needle. Knit two stitches from the cable needle.
t3b = Slip one stitch onto the cable needle and hold at the back of the work. Knit two stitches from the working needle. Purl the stitch from the cable needle.
t3f = Slip two stitches onto the cable needle and hold at the front of the work. Purl one stitch from the working needle. Knit the two stitches from the cable needle.

Rows 1-2

In Knitterese

Row 1: P4, c4b, [p4, c4b] twice, p4

Row 2: k4, p4, [k4, p4] twice, k4

In Real English

On row 1, purl four stitches. Slip next two stitches onto a cable needle and hold at the back of the work. Knit two stitches from the working needle. Knit the two stitches from the cable needle. (This places the two stitches from the working needle in front of the two stitches from the cable needle.) Purl four stitches. Knit two stitches from the working needle. Knit the two stitches from the cable needle. Purl four stitches. Knit two stitches from the working needle. Knit the two stitches from the cable needle. Purl four stitches. (Trivia: Some of the 1800's stitch libraries wrote things out like this. Cumbersome, but accurate.)

Row two is the wrong side of the work. On this row, knit four stitches. Purl four stitches. Knit four stitches. Purl four stitches. Knit four stitches. Purl four stitches. Knit four stitches.

Charting

Break up the stitches. Whenever you put stitches onto a cable needle, place a dot at the top of the row. Place a dot between the stitches that are on the needle and the ones on the cable needle and another at the end of the cable. There should be three dots per cable. This holds true for all cable and twist stitches.

So row 1 translates into, count 4 stitches (p4) and place a dot. Count 2 and place a dot. Count two and place a dot. Count 4 and place a dot. Count 2 and place a dot. Count two and place a dot. Count 4 and place a dot. Count 2 and place a dot. Count two and place a dot. Count 4 and end.

Now ask yourself which stitches are in front. (Hint: Read through row one in plain English.) Draw a line from the bottom of the stitch to its new position. Line runs from the bottom to the top of the row.

Since this is an actual cable instead of a twist, you will have two side-by-side strands on the next row. (Note: There are some cable patterns that have cables on wrong-side rows. They do not exhibit this trait.) This means you will see both sets of stitches clearly defined. At this point, you will draw the legs and tops. (Now, you are using all the dots!)

Add your purl background stitches to the rows. Since row 1 only uses cables, the four stitches in between the cables and the ones on the sides are the purl background.

Rows 3-4

In Knitterese

Row 3: p3, t3b, [t4f, t4b] twice, t3f, p3

Row 4: k3, p2, k3, p4, k4, p4, k3, p2, k3

In Real English

For row 3, purl three stitches. Slip one stitch onto the cable needle and hold it at the back of the work. Knit two stitches from the working needle. Purl the stitch from the cable needle. Slip two stitches onto cable needle and hold at the front of the work. Purl two stitches from the working needle. Knit two stitches from the cable needle. Slip two stitches onto cable needle and hold at the back of the work. Knit two stitches from the working needle. Purl two stitches from the cable needle. Slip two stitches onto cable needle and hold at the front of the work. Purl two stitches from the working needle. Knit two stitches from the cable needle. Slip two stitches onto cable needle and hold at the back of the work. Knit two stitches from the working needle. Purl two stitches from the cable needle. Slip two stitches onto cable needle and hold at the front of the work. Purl one stitch from the working needle. Knit the two stitches on the cable needle. Purl three stitches.

Turn the work over for row 4. Knit three stitches. Purl two stitches. Knit three stitches. Purl four stitches. Knit four stitches. Purl four stitches. Knit three stitches. Purl two stitches. Knit three stitches.

Charting

The dots are a little different here because of the t3b and t3f. As you can see in the plain English section, t3b means slip one stitch onto cable needle and hold at the back of the work, knit two stitches, and purl the stitch from the cable needle. This is worked over three stitches, so place your dot at the beginning of the fourth stitch and another dot at the end of the sixth. Now, think about the end result. The two knit stitches will be on the front, which means they are each moving over one stitch so that the first knit stitch is in the same position as the original cable needle stitch and the second knit stitch is now where the first knit stitch was. Keep your two knit stitches together and place the dot between at the end of the fifth stitch. The logic for the t3f is the same. Figure out which stitches will be on the front. (Hint: The two slipped stitches on your cable needle.)

Now draw your lines. Be careful with the t3b and t3f. They only move over one stitch. The diagonal crosses one stitch, not two. All others stitches move over two stitches, which means the diagonal crosses two stitches.

Now, draw your legs and the tops. Since this portion only uses twisted stitches, there aren't any additional legs. This is because the purled stitches from the twists should disappear into the background.

Add your purls. If you look down, you will notice that there are two small dots, indicating two purl stitches on both the top side of the twists. As a general rule of thumb, the number of small dots in one section should match up with a section of purls. For example, stitches 21-23 show three small dots on row 3 followed by three purls on row 4. I like to think of this as the small purl dots lining up with the gap.

Rows 5-6

In Knitterese

Row 5: p2, t3b, p3, c4f, p4, c4f, p3, t3f, p2

Row 6: k2,p2, k4, [p4, k4] twice, p2, k2

In Real English

Row 5 begins with two purl stitches. Then slip one stitch onto the cable needle and hold it at the back of your work. Knit two stitches from working needle. Purl the stitch on the cable needle. Purl three. Slip two stitches onto the cable needle and hold it at the front of the work. Knit two stitches from working needle. Knit the two stitches on the cable needle. Purl four stitches. Slip two stitches onto cable needle and hold it at the front of the work. Knit two stitches from working needle. Knit the two stitches on the cable needle. Purl three stitches. Slip two stitches onto cable needle and hold it at the front of your work. Purl one stitch from the working needle. Knit the two stitches on the cable needle. Purl two.

For row 6, purl four stitches. Knit four stitches. Purl four stitches. Knit four stitches. Purl four stitches. Knit four stitches. Purl four stitches.

Charting

Once again, place your dots.

Draw your lines . Note how the far right and far left twist in opposite directions.

Draw your tops and bottoms.

Fill in the purls. (Otherwise known as fill in the dots.)

Rows 7-8

At this point, the written chart instructions will become a little sparse, but I will continue writing the Real English instructions. Just remember all you have to do is identify what comes to the front of your cables and twists. If you have difficulty, please contact me either by comment or as kcyarn on Ravelry.

In Knitterese

Row 7: p2, k2, p3, t3b, t4f, t4b, t3f p3, k2, p2

Row 8: k2, [p2, k3] twice, p4, [k3, p2] twice, k2

In Real English

On row 7, purl two stitches. Knit two stitches. Purl three stitches. Slip one stitch onto your cable needle and hold it at the back of your work. Knit two stitches and purl the stitch from the cable needle. Slip two stitches onto the cable needle and hold them at the front of the work. Purl two stitches from the working needle. Knit the two stitches on the cable needle. Slip two stitches onto the cable needle and hold them at the back of the work. Knit two stitches from the working needle. Purl the two stitches from the cable needle. Slip two stitches onto the cable needle. Purl one stitch from the working needle. Knit the two stitches on the cable needle. Purl three stitches. Knit two stitches. Purl two stitches.

Turn the work over to the wrong side. On row 8, knit two stitches. Purl two stitches. Knit three stitches. Purl two stitches. Knit three stitches. Purl four stitches. Knit three stitches. Purl two stitches. Knit three stitches. Purl two stitches. Knit two stitches.

Charting

Here you will notice something a little unusual. See those lines marking off stitches 3-4 and 25-26? Those are where the twists from row 5 travel upwards without any horizontal movement. This is one of the things that it is really hard to see without a chart. Later, you will see all the dots and lines put together in one big chart and you'll be able to see where these lines go more clearly. For now, take a look at the purls for a hint as to where they should go.