Cables make any project beautiful. Colour cables make it exquisite.
There are several ways to make two-colour cables. In this tutorial, we’ll discuss one of the easiest of them – the one that does not involve multiple balls of yarn and twisting the strands every time we change colours.
I learned this method from a wonderful book “Color Knitting” by Melissa Leapman, and I saw this method used to make gorgeous hats, scarves and even sweaters, where designers skillfully combined two-colour cables with narrow stripes on reverse stockinette background.
Here’s how you, too, can add colourful cables to your projects.
If you prefer to learn from a video tutorial:
Before we dive into the steps required to make two-colour cables, let’s discuss the general idea behind this technique.
The method is based on stranded colourwork. That’s why we are going to deal with two strands in every row or round. You can work in a classic colourwork method and change colours after every few stitches, or you can use a simplified version described in this tutorial.
The process is the same, just remember that when we use the simplified version, we need to work each row or round twice – first with the yarn in one colour and then with the yarn in the other colour.
As you design you own two-colour cables, keep in mind that each group of stitches that we plan to cross should have a full repeat of the colour pattern used in the cable.
For example, when we make a 2 x 2 cable we cross 1 stitch in colour A + 1 stitch in colour B over the same group of 1 stitch in colour A + 1 stitch in colour B.
When we make a two-colour 4 x 4 cable, we cross 2 stitches in colour A + 2 stitches in colour B over 2 stitches in colour A + 2 stitches in colour B. In this case, the result will look like this:
Another way to make a two-colour 4 x 4 cable is to cross 1 stitch in colour A + 1 in colour B + 1 in color A + 1 in colour B over the same ABAB group of stitches.
We can get even more creative and make cables with uneven distribution of colours. For example, we can cross 1 stitch in colour A + 2 stitches in colour B over the other group of 1 stitch in colour A + 2 stitches in colour B making a two-colour 3 x 3 cable.
As you see, when it comes to designing colourful cables, the sky is the limit.
No matter how you decide to arrange the colours, there is one simple rule to remember – we always work stitches with the yarn in the same colour as the stitch.
For example, whenever we are about to knit a stitch in colour A, we pick up a strand in colour A, and we use a strand in colour B every time we work a stitch in colour B.
Now, that we understand the ins and outs of this interesting method, let’s see how we can make right-slanting and left-slanting two-colour cables step by step.
I’ll show these steps on classic 4 x 4 cables, but the steps are the same for cables of any width.
RIGHT-SLANTING CABLE
STEP 1
Slip 4 stitches purlwise from the left needle to a cable needle and hold them at the back of the work.
If you don’t like to use a cable needle, use one of the ways described in this tutorial to cross cables without a cable needle.
STEP 2
Bring both strands to the front of the cable needle but keep them at the back of the work.
Knit the next 4 stitches in the established colour pattern, working each stitch with the yarn in the same colour as the stitch. In my case, I knit 2 stitches with blue yarn and 2 stitches with the yarn in a golden colour.
STEP 3
Finally, work 4 stitches from the cable needle in the established colour pattern.
You can work these stitches directly from the cable needle, or you can slip them purlwise from the cable needle to the left needle before you knit them.
LEFT-SLANTING CABLE
STEP 1
Slip 4 stitches to a cable needle and hold them at the front of the work.
STEP 2
Knit the next 4 stitches with the yarn in the same colour as the stitch.
STEP 3
Finally, knit 4 stitches from the cable needle in the established colour pattern.
Repeat these steps every few rows or rounds and you’ll make beautiful vertical lines of two-colour cables.
You can nestle cables close to each other, or you can make a two-colour cable the centerpiece of your project placing it on a background worked in reverse stockinette stitch with colours alternating between stitches.
SAVE IT FOR LATER:
This and 41 other in-depth tutorials are part of Knitting Collection #6.