Oh, cables, gorgeous cables. Even non-knitters are often mesmerized after admiring a good cable sweater. We love admiring, knitting, and wearing cables. As a maker — whether you knit, spin, or even prep fibre — you may be wondering what characteristics make the best yarns for cable knitting.
TL;DR: You can knit cables with any yarn, but some yarns will show off the cables more. In general, smooth yarns with three or more plies will show the cables better. Solid colours will also show knitted cables more clearly than variegated yarns. When knitting cables, stitches stretch and twist, so a yarn with a high percentage of wool, with its resilience and elasticity, makes for a better cable-knitting yarn. As a textile with knitted cables uses up more yarn compared to plain knitting, it is important to consider garment construction when making a large or heavy garment. Also, when knitting cables, using a needle one or two sizes smaller than what you would use for stockinette will help the cables pop out more on the fabric surface.
Start by Choosing
Choose a Smooth Yarn
Cables create a prominent pattern on the surface of your knitting. A smooth yarn will showcase the cables in their full glory. It’s also easier to see the cables and read your knitting with a smooth yarn.
Choose a Yarn Weight You Love to Work With
While you can certainly knit cables with any weight of yarn, starting with a weight you like to work with will make your cable-knitting experience more enjoyable — especially if you haven’t knitted cables in a while or if it’s your first time.
Choose Wool, If Possible
Whether you are trying your first cable-knitting project or not, knitting with a yarn with at least 50% wool will make your experience very enjoyable. The resilience and natural crimp of wool help the yarn bounce back after manipulating the stitches to make cables. Wool’s elasticity makes knitting cables a wonderful experience, easier on the knitter’s hands. I personally find that when knitting non-wool yarns, I need to take breaks more often.
While you can certainly use a non-wool yarn to knit cables, such as SweetGeorgia Flaxen Silk Fine, the process may be a bit slower, and the cables won’t pop as much as they would in a wool-rich yarn. There is no knitting police out there, and if you are planning a summer shirt with cables, just take the time to swatch. We find that our wool-free yarns knit lace and stockinette stitch patterns beautifully.
More is Better
The More Plies in the Yarn, the More the Cables Will Pop
Of course, there is variability between yarns, but in general, the more plies added to a yarn, the rounder it will be, and the better it will show the cables. So if you are considering two equivalent yarns — one 2-ply and the other 3-ply — the 2-ply will be flatter. Then again, you may like the flatter cables for your project, so it’s always a good idea to make a small swatch to check which fabric you like best for your intended project.
The More Solid the Colour, the More the Cable Pattern Will Show
When knitting cables, they show more clearly with a solid or lightly variegated colour. Sometimes, we want a more subtle effect of the cables, and as knitters choosing the yarn for a project, we have that choice to make. In general, lighter and medium value colours will also show the cables better, as well as being easier to read your knitting while knitting the cables, compared to darker shades.
While most of the time we follow this rule when choosing colours for cable patterns, sometimes you want to change things up for a different effect. We did that with Sanderstead, a wonderful cable hat and cowl set. This pattern uses a fuzzy and a smooth yarn combined to create a marling effect, pairing two colours similar in value with luscious cables.
Yarn Vs. Yarn
Superwash Vs. Non-Superwash, Both Work
Wool is made of keratin, a protein fibre. Wool fibres have tiny scales on their surface. When these scales go through sudden changes of temperature in a humid environment, with agitation, they felt. You may have seen this in action when throwing in a washer a wool item by mistake.
Some wools felt more easily than others, and some resist felting. Superwash or Easy-care yarns have had a chemical treatment to either remove or coat the surface scales of wool. This treatment affects some of the wool characteristics besides felting. In general, superwash yarns will dye in more vibrant colours.
When knitting with non-superwash yarns, the tiny scales stick together, making the stitches more cohesive. Once you wash your garment, the textile blooms into a beautiful fabric. The tiny scales also produce a warmer garment. Cables knit with wool yarns, such as SweetGeorgia Trifecta DK, produce accessories and sweaters with wonderful body.
Superwash yarns have a smoother, sleek surface, and are lovely to work with, too. I find them my yarn of choice when knitting gifts and accessories, as not everyone knows how to wash wool garments, and easy-care yarns will survive an accidental trip through the washer and dryer without felting. Compared to a similar non-treated yarn, even when knit at a similar gauge, the fabric will be drapier.
When choosing gauge for a larger, heavier garment with cables, I prefer to knit superwash yarns at a slightly tighter gauge compared to a non-treated wool yarn, to account for the loss of scales that helped to keep the structure of the fabric. So whether you like to knit with non-superwash or superwash yarns, you can use either for knitting cables for beautiful results.
Worsted-Spun Vs. Woollen-Spun, Both Work
You may be wondering which works better: worsted-spun or woollen-spun yarns? If you want to learn more about their differences, check out Worsted vs. Woollen Spun Yarns: The Yarn-Making Process. Not only will the visual effect be different in a woollen-spun vs. a worsted-spun yarn, but the drape and warmth of the fabric will differ, too. At this time, all the yarn bases that SweetGeorgia Yarns offers are worsted-spun.
One thing to consider when planning a large garment full of cables is choosing a garment construction that will help maintain the structure of your fabric. As convenient as top-down, seamless garments are to knit, seams provide structure to a sweater to keep it looking its best for many years. You may also opt for a woollen-spun yarn if planning a large garment without seams, as this type of yarn tends to be lighter for the same thickness.
If in Doubt, Swatch
It is always worth your time to make a swatch of your intended yarn and pattern. If you already have that sweater or blanket yarn quantity in your stash, set aside time for swatching before you commit tens or hundreds of hours to a knitting project. Doing so will help your final knit accessory or garment to look and feel as you envisioned.
If you are considering knitting your next large cabled project with a particular yarn, and swatching for the sake of swatching is not your jam, consider knitting an accessory to check how the cables look in the yarn you are planning to use, and whether you would like that drape and coziness in a larger project.
Please share with us your wins or challenges matching yarns and your next cable knitting project. We would love to see what you are knitting next in the SweetGeorgia + Co Community!
The post Make Your Cables Stand Out with the Right Yarn appeared first on SweetGeorgia Yarns.
