Crochet Cable Methods

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My favorite cable methods listed alphabetically along with creation instructions. Includes Tunisian.
To showcase each method, I favorited items (scroll down to the pictures below) or provided a hyperlink to a non Ravelry page.
I named and numbered each method so that pictures could be matched with methods.

Other method pages I have created:

1. Advanced Tunisian Crochet Techniques
2. Crochet Stitches & Stitch Patterns (still a work in progress)
3. Sleeve Types
4. Types of Crochet (still a work in progress)

1. Braided Crochet Strips

Instructions: need to buy published source. Also see Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Range-Fashion-Leisure-Arts-4264/dp/1601404514?asin=1601404514&revisionId=&format=4&depth=1
Picture:

1. Tunisan: Macha and Braided Tunisian Ear Warmer
2. Standard: Intertwine Pullover, Deciduous Tunic and Cabled Comfort Pullover

How worked: make strips of horizontal crochet rows; then braid, sew braid ends together and then sew braid to garment either horizontally or vertically
Lay of cable to working row: either vertical or horizontal because it’s a completely separate piece of fabric that is braided and then sewn onto or into a fabric/design
Best worked: as a flat piece
Difficulty: easy

2. Brioche-Inspired Cables

Instructions: freely available at Interweave: https://www.interweave.com/article/crochet/brioche-crochet-cable/ Interweave Crochet October 1, 2017. Updated March 29, 2022
Picture:

1. Cable Rib Hat
2. Obin Scarf
3. Chocomania
4. Biscolsta

How worked: horizontally across a row using foundation and back bar single crochet;
colors/cable parts are worked on each row - so a color would be fastened off at the end of each row.
Lay of cable to working row: horizontal
Best worked: as a flat piece
Difficulty: advanced - need to pay attention

3. Front Post Floating Stitches (Infinity Crochet)

Instructions: freely available at: https://brianakdesigns.com/infinity-crochet-symbol-swatch/
Picture: Valencia Infinity Cable Sweater
How worked: by starting the cable in a single stitch as opposed to several stitches and always work the stitches behind the cable in the background stitch pattern
Lay of cable to working row: vertical, horizontal or slanted
Best worked: as a flat piece but works in the round
Difficulty: medium

4. Front Posts Using a Double Crochet Edge Decrease

Instructions: freely available at: https://youtu.be/A7-SOYONkFc or Interweave article from Winter 2010
Picture: swatch
How worked: the same as traditional crochet cables with front and back posts except on the right side of the fabric on the front post row when crossing stitches, you complete a double crochet cluster decrease across the right edge cable stitch and previous stitch and the left edge cable stitch and next stitch; this eliminates the gaps that can occur on crossing stitch rows
Lay of cable to working row: vertical
Best worked: as a flat piece but works in the round
Difficulty: medium

5. Front Posts Using Shadow Stitches

Instructions: freely available at: https://youtu.be/A7-SOYONkFc https://www.interweave.com/article/crochet/shadow-stitch-cables/ Interweave Crochet Fall 2018,
Picture: Dashing Cardigan
How worked: make a single crochet stitch before making straight or crossing front post stitches on the right side of the fabric and do background stitches on the wrong side of the fabric
Lay of cable to working row: vertical
Best worked: as a flat piece but works in the round
Difficulty: medium

6. Front/Back Post Crossing Stitches (Traditional Crochet Cables)

Instructions: freely available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwG_KVxW7zU and see https://www.interweave.com/article/crochet/creating-crochet-cables-post-stitches/ Interweave Crochet, Fall 2016
Picture:

1. Pinyon Pullover
2. Standard: Braemar Cable Sweater
3. Tunisian: Aspenglow Jacket
4. Lydia’s Cabled Scarf (wheat cable stitch)

How worked: make front post stitches that cross over each other on the right side of the fabric and do back post stitches on the wrong side of the fabric
(tip from Interweave Winter 2010) or see this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7j5LOamMbXQ
Lay of cable to working row: vertical
Best worked: as a flat piece or in the round
Difficulty: medium

7. Front/Back Post Stitch Pattern

Instructions: freely available at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/7541912915860803/permalin...
Picture: Pie Bake Cardigan
How worked: using a stitch pattern of front and back post stitches that create a honeycomb effect rather than a crossing of actual stitches
Lay of cable to working row: most often vertical but could be horizontal
Best worked: as a flat piece or in the round
Difficulty: easy

8. Jacob’s Ladder Chained Loops

Instructions:

1. Tunisian: freely available at: https://pinkmambo.com/laced-cables-and-bobbles-tunisian-crochet-stitch-pattern/
2. Standard: freely available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDYNXv5OP84

Picture:

1. Standard: Jacob’s Ladder Cabled Throw
2. Standard: Kyloe

How worked: make chain of stitches at a particular stitch and then loop the chained loops through each other
Lay of cable to working row: vertical; fairly good rise above fabric
Best worked: as a flat piece or in the round
Difficulty: easy

9. Jacob’s Ladder Divided Rows

Instructions: freely available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_T-2GDRffGg

Picture:

1. Tunisian: Vogue’s Double Ladder Wrap and Tunisian Jacob’s Ladder
2. Standard: swatch

How worked: Intermittent rows of stitches are used to pull the fabric together by looping the lengths (loops) of stitches through each other. It changes the size of the fabric.
Lay of cable to working row: vertical; fairly good rise above fabric
Best worked: as a flat piece or in the round
Difficulty: easy

10. Live Loop Cable

Instructions: freely available;

1. worked flat: https://youtu.be/gD4zc1lkVqI and https://mrsmicawber.blogspot.com/search/label/Tutorial
2. worked in the round: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFPs6TCI5sQ
3. worked in the round: https://www.interweave.com/article/crochet/live-loop-crochet-stitches Interweave Crochet Fall 2017

Picture: Live Loop Cable Block #17 and Eiscir Neckwarmer
How worked: as an I-cord laying over your fabric
Lay of cable to working row: vertical with a lot of pop or horizontal; can also be curved and horizontal to a row
Best worked: either as a flat piece or in the round
Difficulty: advanced - need to be familiar with live loop crochet

11. Mock Brick Stitch Cable

Instructions: freely available on Vickie Howll’s website: https://vickiehowell.com/knit-crochet-mock-cables/
Picture: Luna Sweater and Men’s Mock Cable Sweater
How worked: make a background fabric that has horizontal v’s showing (e.g. back bar sc or the wrong side of alternating rows of FPdc and BPdc). Then a double crochet stitch is stretched across 4 rows to help define the visual cable
Lay of cable to working row: horizontal
Best worked: flat or in turned rounds
Difficulty: easy

12. Mock Cable Using F/B Loop SC

Instructions: Cable Design Crochet Coin Purse (requires purchase)
Picture: Cable Design Crochet Coin Purse
How worked: using a hook size at least 2 times smaller than what your yarn call for, work front loop and back loop single crochet (sc) sts in the round to create a visual cable
Lay of cable to working row: vertical
Best worked: in the round only (do not turn rounds)
Difficulty: easy

13. Post-free, No Turn, Sideways Cable

Instructions: freely available at: https://www.interweave.com/article/crochet/learn-new-kind-crochet-cable/ Interweave Crochet Fall 2017
Picture: St. Croix Scarf
How worked: use multiple balls of yarn to work multiple rows at the same time; work a few sts at a time to allow crossing (cabling); no turn of work on the cabling row
Lay of cable to working row: horizontal
Best worked: as a flat piece but might work in the round
Difficulty: advanced

14. Post-free, Turning, Sideways Cable

Instructions: need to buy published source. https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/alpina-cabled-blanket
Picture: Alpina Blanket
How worked: use a single ball of yarn to work multiple short rows; turn work after each short row of (scblo & slstblo); the short rows are attached to the back of the work in stages to create the cabling effect; after each attachment you continue working along the current row.
Lay of cable to working row: horizontal
Best worked: as a flat piece (won’t work in the round)
Difficulty: advanced

15. Short Rows w Post Sts

Instructions: freely available at: https://mypicot.com/0025.html
Picture: Three Cities Top and Cable & Textured Pattern (0025)
How worked: short rows of front and back post sts are crossed over each other
Lay of cable to working row: vertical
Best worked: as a flat piece but works in the round
Difficulty: advanced

16. Short Rows w Slip Sts

Instructions: freely available at: https://mypicot.com/0085.html
Picture: Falls Neck Warmer and Humulus
How worked: use short rows, slip stitches, yarn over slip stitches and slip stitch variations (increases, decreases, and more) to create a visual effect that looks cable-like
Lay of cable to working row: horizontal
Best worked: only as a flat piece
Difficulty: advanced

17. Split Single Crochet (Waistcoat)

Instructions: Magical Crochet Stitches Course (requires purchase)
Picture: Royal Antler Bag and All Cabled Up In Sunshine Crochet Socks
How worked: Use split single crochet stitch (waistcoat), back loop only sc and chain ones to create a mock cable
Lay of cable to working row: vertical
Best worked: in the round; to make a flat fabric, make it in the round first then steek and cut your work
Difficulty: medium

18. Surface Crochet

Instructions: freely available from https://marlybird.com/blog/free-crochet-pattern-faux-cable-square/
Picture: Chain Link Triangle Scarf
How worked: crochet on the surface of completed fabric
Lay of cable to working row: vertical or horizontal
Best worked: flat or in the round
Difficulty: easy

19. Tall Stitches - Braided

Instructions: freely available at: https://www.hanjancrochet.com/easy-crochet-braid-stitch-t...11
Picture: Squirreltail
How worked: make a row of tall stitches (e.g. double trebles) and then use a hook to loop/braid the posts of the tall stitches horizontally through each other across the row
Lay of cable to working row: horizontal
Best worked: as a flat piece (probably could work in the round)
Difficulty: easy

20. Tall Stitches - Twisted

Instructions: freely available at: https://www.facebook.com/reel/512560955270637 (this will help too: https://www.facebook.com/reel/893983112603026)
Picture: Tall Stitches - Twisted Cable
How worked: make a set of tall stitches (e.g. 6 double trebles) and then twist the entire set of stitches either clockwise or counter-clockwise
Lay of cable to working row: vertical
Best worked: as a flat piece
Difficulty: easy

21. Tunisian Cable - Guzman Version

Instructions: Interweave Crochet, Winter 2014 and Interweave Crochet, Winter 2009 (requires purchase)
Picture: Serenity Sweater and Laced Cables
How worked: use a cable needle to cross any Tunisian stitches with a cable needle. But Kim Guzman does a different return pass to make the cable pop
Lay of cable to working row: vertical, not as flat as a traditional Tunisian cables
Best worked: as a flat piece
Difficulty: medium

22. Tunisian Cable - Traditional Version

Instructions: freely available at I Like Crochet: https://www.ilikecrochet.com/daily/crochet-techniques/tunisian-crochet/tunisian-crochet-cable-stitch-tutorial/
Picture: Entwined Vest, Tunisian Cable & Rib Sweater and Wandering Path Scarf
How worked: use a single hook to work sts and a cable needle to hold sts to be crossed either to the front or back or use a 2nd hook to work sts and then transfer sts back to main hook
Lay of cable to working row: vertical but rather flat in fabric
Best worked: as a flat piece but can be done in the round
Difficulty: advanced

23. Tunisian Combo

Instructions: freely available at: https://www.interweave.com/article/crochet/tunisian-crochet-stitches-rimaye-cowl/ Interweave Crochet Winter 2020; see also: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Kbv39wn7rQ
Picture: Rimaye Cowl
How worked: use Tks and BPts (back post Tunisian simple stitch)
Lay of cable to working row:vertical
Best worked: as a flat piece
Difficulty: medium

24. Tunisian Mock Cable

Instructions: freely available at: https://www.interweave.com/article/crochet/try-these-tunisian-mock-cables/ Interweave Crochet Fall 2018
Picture: Plucky Cardigan
How worked: use decreases and increases to visually represent a cable; increases are completed by yarning over the hook (a make 1) or by inserting the hook in the space before then next st and yarning over and bringing up a loop
Lay of cable to working row: vertical
Best worked: as a flat piece
Difficulty: medium

25. Tunisian Twist Cable

Instructions: freely available at: https://www.facebook.com/100064526032953/videos/541541798...
Picture: Tunisian cable braid
How worked: using puff stitches on either side of Tunisian stitches that are decreased down to 2 sts, turn your work to the back side and work a row of puff sts from the wrong side and then turn back to the right side to create the twist

Lay of cable to working row: vertical
Best worked: as a flat piece
Difficulty: medium

26. Twisted Cable w/o Posts - Horizontal

Instructions: freely available at: https://doradoes.co.uk/2022/09/15/crochet-twisted-cable-stitch-tutorial-with-no-post-stitches/
Picture: Fisherman’s Nap Blanket
How worked: work a few sc, then a few chains; skip a couple of stitches (in same row) and turn work; sl sts and sc in loop then turn again and work skipped stitches
Lay of cable to working row: horizontal
Best worked: as a flat piece or done in the round
Difficulty: advanced - need to pay attention to how you turn your work

27. Twisted Cable w/o Posts - Vertical

Instructions: freely available at: https://newstitchaday.com/crochet-popping-cables-stitch/. The Popping Cable Stitch :: Crochet Stitch #215 from New Stitch A Day
Picture: Popping Cables Pouch
How worked: work a few sc, then a few chains, but attach chains (sl st) 3-5 rows below; turn work; make several sc in chain loop then continue along row
Lay of cable to working row: vertical
Best worked: as a flat piece or in the round
Difficulty: medium