Basic Braid Cable Knitting Stitch Pattern

The Basic Braid Cable Stitch is a squishy cable that flows to the left and then to the right giving your project a beautiful cable stitch.

Welcome to Day 2 of the 21 Days of Cable Knit Stitches Series!

We’re going to take what we learned yesterday, Side-by-Side Cable Stitch, and make a little larger cable and then alternate them on different rows to get a beautiful braid!

About

This braided cable stitch consists of a total of 9 stitches. You’ll be cabling 6 stitches at a time and knitting the other 3 and then alternating them on the next cable row, so that the right cable is offset by the left cable.

The cable stitch is worked in between reverse stocking stitch, which helps the cable “pop.”

If you’re knitting a stockinette stitch sweater and you’d like to add a cable, having a few reverse stockinette stiches on either side of your cable gives it more definition, so it stands out.

The basic braid cable stitch is similar to the “Basic Cable Knitting Stitch” however, it’s a little more advanced due to the fact that it has front and back cable stitches.

This is not a reversible pattern, meaning that the front and back are not the same.

There aren’t any increases or decreases, so you should always have the same number of stitches on the needles.


Materials

Size US 13 (9mm) Knitting Needles
Approximately 75 Yards (68m) of a Super Bulky Yarn
(I used Cascade Yarns Pacific Bulky)
Cable Needle
Darning Needle / Tapestry Needle / Yarn Needle
Scissors

Yarn Substitutions

You can use any yarn you’d like. To get the right gauge, start with the recommended needle size. If you’re stitches are too loose, go down a needle size and if you’re stitches are too tight, go up a needle size.

Basic Braid Cable Swatch Instructions

Knit Flat:
CO 13 STS
Row 1 (WS): K2, P9, K2
Row 2 (RS): P2, K9, P2
Row 3 (WS): K2, P9, K2
Row 4 (RS): P2, K3, C6F, P2 (Cabled Row)
Row 5 (WS): K2, P9, K2
Row 6 (RS): P2, K9, P2
Row 7 (WS): K2, P9, K2
Row 8 (RS): P2, C6B, K3, P2 (Cabled Row)
Repeat rows 1-8 until desired length.

Knit in the Round:
CO 33 STS
Round 1-3 (RS): *K2, P9*
Round 4 (RS): *P2, K3, C6F* (Cabled Row)
Round 5-7 (RS): *K2, P9*
Round 8 (RS): *P2, C6B, K3* (Cabled Row) 
Repeat rounds 1-8 until desired length.

Expert Tip:
When knitting in the round, you’re always knitting the right side of your work.


Headband Video Tutorial

*Check out some of my other Cable Knit Stitches.


Headband Cable Pattern Instructions

Knit Flat, Back & Forth:

CO 15 STS
Rows 1, 3, 5, 7 (WS): K1TBL, K2, P9, K2, K1TBL
Row 2, 6 (RS): WYIF S1PW, P2, K9, P2, WYIF, S1PW
Row 4 (RS) : WYIF S1PW, P2, K3, C6F, P2, WYIF, S1PW
Row 8 (RS) : WYIF S1PW, P2, C6B, K3, P2, WYIF, S1PW
Repeat rows 1 – 8 until it’s about 18” (46cm) long, or desired length

To End:
Repeat rows 1 & 2
BO in the row 3 pattern
Sew the CO & BO edges together
To see how I do it, watch my video: How to Sew the Seam on a Headband


Headband Notes

The CO edge is the width.
You can use any category of yarn you’d like, just keep in mind that the thinner the yarn, the narrower your headband.


Knitting Abbreviations

* – * – repeat between * to end of round
BO – bind-off in pattern
CO – cast-on (long-tail cast-on method)
C6B – right cable – cable 6 back – slip 3 stitches to a cable needle and hold it in the back of your work, knit the next 3 stitches off your left hand needle and then knit the 3 stitches off the cable needle
C6F – left cable – cable 6 front – slip 3 stitches to a cable needle and hold it in the front of your work, knit the next 3 stitches off your left hand needle and then knit the 3 stitches off the cable needle
K – knit stitches (K1 means to knit 1 stitch)
K1TBL – knit 1 stitch through the back loop
P – purl stitches (P2 means to purl 2 stitches)
RS – right side of work
S1PW – slip one stitch purl-wise
STS – stitches
WS – wrong side of work
WYIF – with yarn in front


Right Side Rows / Front Side of Work

swatch of cable knit stitch


Wrong Side Rows / Back Side of Work

swatch of cable knit stitch

Basic Braid Cable Stitch

The Basic Braid Cable Stitch is a squishy cable that flows to the left and then to the right giving your project a beautiful cable stitch.
Prep Time15 minutes
Active Time1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time1 hour 45 minutes

Equipment

Materials

  • Any Yarn

Instructions

Knit Flat with Straight Needles

  • CO 13 STS
  • Row 1 (WS): K2, P9, K2
  • Row 2 (RS): P2, K9, P2
  • Row 3 (WS): K2, P9, K2
  • Row 4 (RS): P2, K3, C6F, P2 (Cabled Row)
  • Row 5 (WS): K2, P9, K2
  • Row 6 (RS): P2, K9, P2
  • Row 7 (WS): K2, P9, K2
  • Row 8 (RS): P2, C6B, K3, P2 (Cabled Row)
  • Repeat rows 1-8 until desired length.

Knit with Circular Knitting Needles

  • CO 33 STS (in increments of 11)
  • Round 1-3 (RS): *K2, P9*
  • Round 4 (RS): *P2, K3, C6F* (Cabled Row)
  • Round 5-7 (RS): *K2, P9*
  • Round 8 (RS): *P2, C6B, K3* (Cabled Row) 
  • Repeat rounds 1-8 until desired length.
  • Note: When knitting in the round, you’re always knitting the right side of your work.

Abbreviations

  • * – * – repeat between * to end of round
  • BO – bind-off in pattern
  • CO – cast-on (long-tail cast-on method)
  • C6B – right cable – cable 6 back – slip 3 stitches to a cable needle and hold it in the back of your work, knit the next 3 stitches off your left hand needle and then knit the 3 stitches off the cable needle
  • C6F – left cable – cable 6 front – slip 3 stitches to a cable needle and hold it in the front of your work, knit the next 3 stitches off your left hand needle and then knit the 3 stitches off the cable needle
  • K – knit stitches (K1 means to knit 1 stitch)
  • K1TBL – knit 1 stitch through the back loop
  • P – purl stitches (P2 means to purl 2 stitches)
  • RS – right side of work
  • RS – right side of work
  • STS – stitches
  • WS – wrong side of work
  • WYIF – with yarn in front