Twisted Tree Cable
About this stitch
A 10-st travelling-stitch panel that grows a branching tree shape.
Cables worked on a reverse-stockinette ground stand out crisply; use a smooth, plied yarn (3- or 4-ply) so the crosses read clearly. Cables pull in horizontally — add ~10% extra stitches when substituting cables for stockinette in a garment.
Further reading A primer on swatching Cables & Twists for accurate gauge.
Stitch chart
Read RS rows right-to-left, WS rows left-to-right. The bottom-right cell is row 1, stitch 1.
Row-by-row written instructions
- Cast on a multiple of 14 stitches (cable panel + 2 sts of reverse stockinette on each side).
- Set-up Row (WS): k2, p10, k2.
- Rows 1 and 3 (RS): p2, k10, p2.
- Row 2 and all WS rows: k2, p10, k2.
- Cable Row (RS): p2, work Twisted Tree Cable across the 10 cable stitches, p2.
- Continue working RS rows in stockinette and crossing the cable on every row 24 for the length of the panel.
Abbreviations used
- k knit
- p purl
- C2F 1/1 left cable
- C2B 1/1 right cable
- C4F 2/2 left cable
- C4B 2/2 right cable
- C6F 3/3 left cable
- C6B 3/3 right cable
- cn cable needle
- RT right twist
- LT left twist
Knitter's tips
- Cabling without a cable needle is faster on small (≤4 st) cables but riskier on large ones — use a stitch holder or DPN for ≥6 st crosses until comfortable.
- Wet-block before measuring final cable width — cables relax considerably after blocking.
- Mark the cable rows with a stitch marker on a row counter; missing one cable cross is the most common Aran mistake.
Editor's pick Why every knitter should keep a swatch journal.
Recommended materials
This stitch is most flattering in Worsted-weight yarn on 7 (4.5 mm) needles, at a working gauge near 22 stitches and 28 rows over four inches in stockinette. Open the yarn weight reference or the needle conversion chart for substitutions.