Cable, Cable and Cable

For the past 2 years, off and on, I have been knitting the Cabled Jacket design by Debbie Bliss. The shawl style of the collar is a variation of a favourite of mine.

The entire front edges of the jacket are a cable set, with a reverse stocking stitch facing added in as you work towards the shoulders

I measured the collar as I worked to fit correctly into the back neck space.

Just that little bit shorter than the neck edge itself.

Cast off and fixed in place with slip stitch.

I haven't made a heavily cabled sweater in years and now how engrossing the rhythmic twists and turns can become whilst knitting. I worked on the cardigan with the help of Netflix in the evenings and made myself a map to follow using coloured pens and my travel Clover row counter. This strategy really helped me nail down the shaping/pattern combination.

I  keep hearing "Cable, cable and cable" as an earworm from the film version of  "South Pacific".

After I completed the final right sided row of the shoulder, I decreased/pinched about a third of the purl stitches together on the wrong side to slightly gather the seam. This is because cables are a form of rib and stretch after completion. Not a good look for a tailored shoulder.

My preferred method of seaming shoulders (and the mid collar) is to pair the live stitches right sides facing and cast them off together, matching the pattern of course.

Within the design, Debbie put the cable pattern down the center of the sleeve, meaning the reverse stocking stitch has the increases. I have also been doing a relay race with the sleeves, 48 rows on one, then 48 rows on the other, etc. etc. In between, I park the live stitches on the nice long double pointed needles Byron made me using a dowel similar in diameter to my needles, so I can easily knit right back onto the main circulars

I worked lifted increases 2 stitches in from the edge, to allow for seaming. It is something I learned from my long and happy relationship with Japanese knitting practices. I plan to slip stitch crochet the sleeve head in place and mattress stitch the side and underarm seams.