KNITmuch Issue 16

Wooden straights or metal circulars? I chose the metal SmartStix circulars (in
center) to knit my Cabled Poncho.
These KNIT PICKS Rainbow cable needles are what I used to make my cabled
poncho. Check out the little grooves that hold the stitches in place. Very smart!
14 KNITmuch | issue 16
If you are a newer knitter you might want to get
wooden circulars to help keep your stitches on the
needle so you won’t have dropped stitches while
you’re cabling. Acrylic needles also hold the yarn in
place, but may hold it too much making it hard to
shift your stitches and work quickly. However, these
needles tend to be cheaper to buy, so if you need
to save a bit, they may be your best bet.
It’s possible to knit on straight needles, but they
need to be long to accommodate all the bulky
stitches. In the photo are KNITTER’S PRIDE Ginger
9mm (US 13) 14” needles which will hold all the
stitches of the poncho if you really squish them.
Cable needles
With the Cabled Poncho make sure to put a cable
needle in your knitting tool kit. You won’t get past
Row 2 without one! There are many kinds of cable
needles. You can use a regular DPN needle as a
cable needle, but there’s a danger your stitches may
slide off. Double pointed needles are designed to
make stitches slide easily for happy knitting, but you
don’t want your cable stitches to slide too easily.
You need a little bit of resistance to keep them in
place until you’re ready to knit them. KNIT PICKS
Rainbow Cable Knitting Needles (pictured left) have
little grooves in the wood which is just enough
texture to keep your stitches secure. I used these on
my poncho, and didn’t drop a single stitch!
U-bend cable needles keep your stitches in place
with a deep curve. This is a safe way to cable
without dropped stitches. It takes a little more time
to slide them back on your needles to knit your
cables, but they do ensure secure cabling without
scrabbling to pick up lost loops. If you’re a newbie
cabler these may be the best bet for you.
Whatever kind of cable needle you choose, make
sure it’s the right size for the Wool-Ease Thick &
Quick. It’s a large size recommended for US 13
[9mm] needles.
What’s up next?
Well, now you’ve got your needles, yarn, and
pattern all set and ready to go. There’s a few more
essentials that you need to have in order to make
the Cabled Poncho. I’ll share ideas on stitch markers,
measuring tools, and yarn cutters to help you
choose the best accessories.