Cables

Posted 25 Aug 2014 by JC

Stitch-Maps.com now handles cables – that is, the site recognizes abbreviations for 48 cable crosses, making it possible to present a practically unlimited number of cabled stitch patterns as stitch maps. And while most cabled stitch patterns are probably best presented in the form of traditional, grid-based charts, some do nicely as stitch maps. Consider these examples.

Estonian lace sometimes includes the occasional cable cross:

“Celtic” (or “continuous”) cables counteract cable scrunch with increases at the base of each cabled loop, and decreases at its top:

Some textured stitch patterns feature both cable crosses and “buds” formed of dramatic increases and decreases:

If you ask me, stitch maps do nicely whenever increases and decreases are involved: You get to see how the increases and decreases cause the stitch columns to bend and sway. And you don’t need any “no stitch” symbols.

Nitty-gritty details

Review the key to see which cable crosses you can now use. Or simply make use of the convenience buttons on the Contribute and Edit pages.

Note that the key has been re-organized into sections: Basic symbols, Increases, Decreases, Clusters, Left cable crosses, and Right cable crosses. Each section defines a series of symbols, and associated abbreviations. Hopefully, this’ll minimize the jumping-around you have to do, when trying to figure out what a given symbol means.

Enjoy!