Knitted Threads Designs - Crochet Tips and Techniques

Crocheted Cable Stitches
by Janet Rehfeldt

Knitted Threads Designs - Tips and Techniques

Most cables in crochet are worked with front post crochet stitches, usually double post and treble post crochets worked over a single or double crochet background. For the cable instructions here I am a single crochet background. The trick to forming the cable is how you work in front and behind the previous post crochet stitches. You have front cable stitches when the last part of the cable is worked in front of the first part of the cable. Then you have back cable stitches, when the last part of the cable is worked in back of or behind the first part of the cable. For this instruction, I am working across 9 stitches. The cables are worked in front and back treble post stitches.

front cable front and back cables

Front Cable Back Cable Front and Back Cables Worked Alternately

Front Cable Stitch

Getting Set Up:
Row 1:  Ch 10, sc in 2nd ch from the hook, sc in each ch. [9 sc]. Ch 1, turn.
Row 2:  Sc in each sc [9 sc] Ch 1, turn.
After working several rows of background stitch (two rows of single crochet), I am working my foundation row of the post double crochet stitches to begin the cable pattern.
Row 3:  Sc in first 2 sc, fpdc around the next 2 sc two rows below, sc in next sc, fpdc around the next 2 sc two rows below, sc in last 2 sc. [5 sc, 4 fpdc]

Front Post Double Crochet Stitch: (Standard Abbreviation fpdc)

Step 1:  YO, insert hook around the post (or stem) of the sc 2 rows below, from front to back then to the front of the work. The post or stem of the stitch is laying across the top your hook. [fig. a] figure a [fig. a]

Step 2:  YO, pull up a loop. You now have 3 loops on your hook the same as a normal double crochet stitch. [fig. b] figure b [fig. b]

Step 3:  [YO, pull through 2 loops on hook] twice. Finishing off your stitch in the same manner as the normal double crochet stitch. [fig. c] figure c [fig. c]

Beginning the Cable:
Row 4:  Sc in each st across. Ch 1, turn. [9 sc]
Row 5:  Sc in first 2 sc, skip the next 3 sts, work fptr (front post treble) around next 2 post sts. Working behind the last two stitches just worked, sc in 3rd skipped stitch. Working in front of the work, work fptr (front post treble) around the 2 previously skipped post sts. Sc in last 2 sc. [5 sc, 4 fptr] See step by step illustrations below.

2 single crochet sts worked, now skip the next 3 sts [fig. d] Work fptr around the next 2 post sts 2 rows below. figure d [fig. d]
             skipping 3 sts

Front Post Treble Crochet: (Standard Abbreviation fptr)

Step 1:  YO, twice insert the hook under the post or stem of the post st 2 rows below. [fig. e] (You are skipping the first 2 post sts located 2 rows below and working with the next 2 post sts) figure e [fig. e]

Step 2:  YO, pull up a loop. You now have 4 loops on your hook the same as a normal treble crochet stitch. [fig. f] [YO, pull through 2 loops on hook] three times. figure f [fig. f]

Finishing off your stitch in the same manner as the normal treble crochet stitch. Repeat this for the second fptr. [fig. g] figure g [fig. g]

Working behind the fptr stitches just worked, make one sc in the 3rd skipped st. [fig. h] (Note that my yarn is behind my hook before I insert the hook into the stitch, so that I am working a regular sc. If the yarn is in front of the hook, I'll get a reverse single crochet stitch. This sc fills in the area behind the cable and helps bring up the cable.) figure h [fig. h]

Complete the sc as a normal sc stitch. [fig. i]  What this sc does, is to separate the two fptr sts. figure i [fig. i]

Working in front of the work, (or in front of the post sts and the sc) work fptr around the 2 previously skipped post sts.
YO, twice insert the hook under the post or stem of the 1st post stitch located 2 rows below. [fig. j] (the ones you skipped in step 1, fig. e)
YO, draw up a loop, [YO, pull through 2 loops] 3 times. Now repeat for the 2nd skipped post st.
figure j [fig. j]

Cable is now done. [fig. k]  The last 2 fptr stitches are laying over the top (or in front) of the previously worked post stitches from fig. e through fig. g.
Sc in the last two stitches of the row.
figure k [fig. k]

This particular cable pattern in [fig. l] is a repeat of Rows 4 and 5.
With the work facing you, you can see that the twist of the cable goes to the left. (In subsequent cables made on the Row 5 repeat, in the second part of the cable where you have to work in front of your last 3 sts worked, you will have to push aside the fptr stitches in order to get to the post stitches from the last 2 fptr sts to complete the cable.)
figure L [fig. l]

Back Cable Stitch:

The Back stitch pattern is worked in the same manner as the front cable stitch, however, you are working behind the first post stitches. This will cause the cable to twist in the opposite direction of the front cable stitch, making the cable twist to the right rather than to the left. This is slightly awkward, but with practice and patience you can master the stitch.

Follow the directions above from Row 1 through Row 3 for getting the piece set up to begin the cables.
Row 4: Sc in each st across. Ch 1, turn. [9 sc]
Row 5: Sc in first 2 sc, skip the next 3 sts, work fptr (front post treble) around next 2 post sts. Working behind the last two stitches just worked, work fptr (front post treble) around the 2 previously skipped post sts. Sc in the 3rd skipped st. Sc in last 2 sc. [5 sc, 4 fptr]

We've completed the first 2 sc sts, skipped the next 3 sts, and made 2 fptr sts around the next 2 post sts located 2 rows below the same as we did for the Front Cable Stitch. [fig. m] figure m [fig. m]

Working behind the work, (or behind the post sts) work fptr around the 2 previously skipped post sts.
YO, twice, insert the hook behind the the 2 post sts just finished [fig. n]
figure n [fig. n]

Then pushing the the post sts down and out of the way, go under the post or stem of the 1st post stitch located 2 rows below. [fig. o] (the ones you skipped in step 1, fig. e) figure o [fig. o]

YO, draw up a loop, [fig. p] [YO, pull through 2 loops] 3 times. (You can see where the post sts in fig. m are folded down horizontally over the post sts you are now making.)
Now repeat for the 2nd skipped post st.
figure p [fig. p]

Cable is now done. The last 2 fptr stitches worked are laying under (or behind) the previously worked post stitches, while the first 2 post stitches are laying across the top of the work. [fig. q] figure q [fig. q]

Sc in the 3rd skipped st [fig. r], (as in the detailed instructions above under fig. h) then sc in the last two stitches of the row. figure r [fig. r]

This Back Cable pattern in [fig. s] is a repeat of Rows 4 and 5. (On subsequent cable rows, you work your first 2 fptr sts around the last 2 post sts worked on the prev. cable row. Your second part of the cable, or the second 2 fptr sts are worked on the post sts laying across the top of the work. As with the Front Cable, you have to push your previous rows out of the way to be able to get at the the post sts.) figure s [fig. s]