How do you keep track of your cables?

Marion_Kal_Cables

Reading cables can be hard. When I was a newer knitter, I liked to keep track of which row I was on when I was working a cabled stitch pattern by keeping notes on a pad near me. I’d make a slash after every stitch pattern rows. It was an okay system, but I’d have occasional moments of doubt where I’d wonder if I forgot to make a slash. I didn’t feel like I could entirely trust myself to keep accurate notes.
When I discovered using chains of stitch markers as row counters, it made things so much easier for me. I’d use half as many markers as there were rows in my stitch pattern, and I’d move down a marker every right-side row. It was so much simpler than the slash system because there was no way to forget to slip the marker. All I had to remember was which end was “one,” so I could be sure that I was moving down my markers in the right direction.
These days I can read the simple cables on Marion without any difficulty, so I don’t need to use anything other than my eyes to keep track of cables, but it took me a long time to get to this point! How do you keep track of your cables?


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7 responses to “How do you keep track of your cables?”

  1. I just look at them, to be honest. I find that i can visually track them, but counting the stitches in between one twist to the next. This is pretty helfpul, and is exactly what I do: http://wisehilda.blogspot.ca/2010/01/counting-rows-in-cables.html

  2. Great tip! I use a row counter that I have attached to one needle and I turn it two times every time I reach it. It works for me. I do have to make sure that if I’m done for the night then I finish on a row that doesn’t need me to change the count on the counter or I’ll be faced with the dilemma of “did I turn it yesterday or didn’t I?” every time I pick it up again.

  3. Siri

    I don’t know if I get it.. do you hang your chain on your knitting?

    1. Yes, you use it in place of a regular stitch marker.

  4. I usually meticulously follow the pattern for the first couple of repeats, and by then, I usually have it memorized (with the occassional check-back). But I’ve been knitting cables since my very first knitting pattern, so they generally become pretty easy to follow for me. I do remember getting tripped up on Marion’s cables at first, but by the end of the second repeat, I had it. It’s a lovely cable, btw – I really love how it seems to anchor the stockinette!

  5. Yep, just did my first cable project, and I’m on the slash-on-the-notepad system. Your way sounds good, though, so I may have to try it on my next project!

  6. Siri

    I think I got it! Have been using this method lately for keeping track of my arm decreases and it’s really clever.

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