Tested the pattern for Nuha. My first time doing Tunisian cables. A few tips.

1. It helps if you use a fuzzy yarn, then you can do away with cable needles altogether. My first attempt using a smooth cotton wasn’t successful.
2. I reduced the pattern down so that the return pass was taken for granted, i.e., not written down as a separate instruction or row. This made for easier counting.
3. Another thing that helped with keeping track of repeats was to work up to the cable row on the first repeat, and then begin every repeat on the cable row. (So that the pattern repeat begins with a cable row, followed by the plain rows.) Otherwise when working cables I usually lose count of how many plain rows I’ve done.
4. The easiest way I found of doing the cable was to work the first 3 sts and then slip them off the hook (or to a cable needle/dpn if you’re using one), then work the next 3 sts while making sure the first 3 are behind your work, pinch the first 3 (or bring the st holder forward) and raise them back on to the hook. This also reduces your requirement of cable needle/holder/dpn to one instead of two.
5. It makes the sts easier to manipulate if you do a yo between the two 3 st columns on the plain rows, which keeps them apart and does not affect the spacing.
6. Use a knife hold for easy manipulation of the hook.

With Nuha’s permission I worked 4 cable columns instead of the 3 in the pattern so that it would fit my Macbook, and made 3 buttonholes centred on the knit columns. I think overall I worked 22 pattern repeats.

The pattern is easily customisable for any size of device, as you will see from the versions everyone has made.

It did also occur to me that I could have made it wider with more cables and tried for a horizontal flap.