cables

Many new-ish knitters are intimidated by cabling. And even more non-knitters are deeply impressed by a piece that has cables. The hilarious secret is that a basic cable is SOOO easy - even mindless. It's also an exciting way to break up the monotony of a simple project without turning it into a stress-the-heck-out-of-me-because-I'm-constantly-counting-stitches-and-rows project.

The longer I knit, the more I realize that such a pattern is ideal for me. I get bored with my project and feel disconnected from what I'm doing (i.e., knitting) if the whole pattern is mindless. But I tend to get stressed if the pattern is so complex that I can't get into any sort of rhythm. The meditative process of a rhythm that gently invites me back to itself (the pattern) periodically transports me to the healing, creative space that makes knitting the therapy that it is.

I’m currently making some children's sweaters in this basic cable pattern.

These awesome leg warmers have the same basic cable up the side of each...

And this baby sweater (yet to be blocked and assembled, of course) is my favorite variation of this pattern thus far. (It doesn't hurt that it's knit with a gentle, pink, SOFT alpaca wool.)