Cable Needle Substitutes
A cable needle is a small auxiliary needle used to hold stitches off the main needle while cabling. When you do not have one to hand, several substitutes work surprisingly well.
Recommended A printable technique cheat-sheet for your knitting bag.
DPN as cable needle
A double-pointed needle one or two sizes smaller than your working needle is the closest substitute. Use it exactly as you would a cable needle: slip stitches onto it, hold in front or back, knit from it.
Pencil or chopstick
A standard pencil (about 4 mm) or chopstick (about 4–5 mm) works for any cable in worsted or finer yarn. The smooth surface allows easy slipping and the length is comfortable to hold.
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Stitch holder
A standard knitting stitch holder works for very large held cables (8 stitches or more). For small cables, the holder is unwieldy and a smaller substitute is better.
No holder at all
For cables 2/2 and smaller, the cabling-without-a-cable-needle technique eliminates the need for any holder. Worth learning if you knit cables frequently.
Abbreviation reference
| Abbreviation | Meaning |
|---|---|
| cn | cable needle |
| DPN | double-pointed needle |
Tips
- A double-pointed needle one or two sizes smaller than your working needle works perfectly.
- For 2/2 and smaller cables, learn the cabling-without-a-cable-needle technique.
- A pencil or chopstick can substitute in a pinch.
In depth
Cable needles are functionally just small holders that keep stitches in place while you knit other stitches in front or behind them. Any object the right diameter (and short enough to hold easily) can perform the same function. The smaller-than-working-needle rule prevents stretched stitches when slipping back to the working needle.