Very Easy Guide to Cable Knitting

Lynne Watterson has been knitting and designing for as long as she can remember. At the age of five she designed her first outfit – a sweater, hat and scarf ensemble for her Sindy doll. With knitting in her blood, her grandfather was a machine knitter and her grandmother a pattern checker for a knitting publication, it came as no surprise to her family when on leaving school she worked as a knitting sub-editor at IPC Magazines. Lynne has edited many craft magazines in her career including Fashioncraft, Hand Knitting News, Machine Knitting News, Cross Stitch, Needlecraft Magic, Cross Stitch Magic, as well as contributing to many others including Prima and Ideal Home. Lynne lives and works in the Cotswolds, UK.

First published in 2010, Watterson's "very easy guide" follows a logical approach to cable knitting, dividing the instructions into 21 lessons and 13 projects. Both front- and back-end lessons establish the basics, from yarns and chart reading to blocking/pressing and aftercare essentials. In between are the three grouped cabling guides—mock cables, cable panels, and cable patterns. Each includes a quick overview, then launches into patterns (some with variations), filled with colour photographs of finished examples, charts, and written details. Plus the projects: scarf, storage basket, baby blanket, knitting bag, cushion, and more. Tips are scattered throughout (e.g., keep one label from the yarn as well as a snippet) as are designer tips (how to fringe, for example). No level of difficulty is indicated, though readers can assume that projects progress from easy to more difficult. Knitters will need to flip to the appendices for abbreviation definitions. A good second step after consulting references like the Vogue Knitting series.

• Introduction 6Lesson 1: Yarns 8, Lesson 2: Knitting kit 10, Lesson 3: Cable needles 12Knitting basics 14Lesson 4: Casting on 16, Lesson 5: Knit and purl 18, Lesson 6: Reversible fabrics 20, Lesson 7: Casting off 21, Lesson 8: Tension 22, Lesson 9: Charts 24THE CABLES 26Lesson 10: Mock cables 28Technique: Binding stitches 30, The stitch collection 32, Project 1: Mug and tea cosies 50, Project 2: Placemat and napkin ring 54, Project 3: Scarf 56, Project 4: Storage basket 58Lesson 11: Cable panels 60Technique: Working a simple cable 62, The stitch collection 64, Project 5: Hot water bottle cover 82, Project 6: Hand muff 84, Project 7: Cushion and bolster 86, Project 8: Throw and cushion 88Lesson 12: Cable patterns 92Technique: Twisting stitches 94, The stitch collection 96, Project 9: Oblong cushion 116, Project 10: Knitting bag 118, Project 11: Baby blanket 120, Project 12: Handbag 122, Project 13: Floor cushion 124FINISHING TECHNIQUES 126Lesson 13: Blocking and pressing 128, Lesson 14: Perfect seams 130, Lesson 15: Tassels 132, Lesson 16: Pompoms 133, Lesson 17: Twisted cord 134, Lesson 18: Fringing 135, Lesson 19: Adding buttons 136, Lesson 20: Decorative thongs 138, Lesson 21: Aftercare essentials 139Abbreviations and chart symbols 140Index 142