A design that comes from the Aran tradition of knitting fishermen’s sweaters and jumpers, in which each pattern created is a reflection of a reality–the twisted cable stitches resemble the ropes and cables on which a sea fisherman’s life and livelihood depends.
The patterns are made by actually moving stitches into a different position as you knit along the row. For example, to make a four-stitch cable, two stitches are slipped onto a small, separate, double ended needle and held in front of the work, whilst the next 2 stitches are worked. The held stitches are then knitted from other end of the double ended needle, so the places have been exchanged. The pattern can be designed to make tight, long, double or separated ‘cables.’
Cable patterning creates a lovely running dimension on it’s own or with more intricate secondary patterning. In home furnishings we use much softer materials than the oiled wool that fishermen needed to repel brutal North Sea weather.
Cushions, throws and covers knitted in cotton, linen, silks, soft wool and cashmere are all warm and cosy, just what is needed to snuggle into on a cold, wet and windy day. Bedcovers and cushions in cable knit pattern, machine knitted bedcovers, cushions and throws in soft wools and cashmere can be bought inexpensively if you have neither the time nor the inclination to knit your own: bedcovers take a long time to knit by hand.