Reading Cable Charts
Cable charts use specialised symbols to encode the direction and size of each cable cross. Once you can read them, even the densest Aran chart becomes a sequence of three or four repeated motions worked at known intervals.
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Cable cross symbols
A cable cross is shown as a wide rectangular symbol that spans multiple stitches and one row. The lines inside the rectangle indicate which stitches go in front of which: lines slanting up to the right mean the front stitches lean right (right cross), lines slanting up to the left mean a left cross.
Cable size notation
The size of a cable is described as "front sts / back sts." A 2/2 LC means two stitches go in front of two stitches with a left lean. A 3/3 RC means three stitches over three with a right lean. Larger numbers mean more dramatic cables.
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Plain rows in cable charts
Most cables are crossed every fourth, sixth, or eighth row. The rows between crosses are just stockinette (or whatever ground the cable sits in). Charts often abbreviate these rows or show them as plain blank cells.
Multiple cables on the same row
A complex Aran chart may have three, four, or more cables crossing on the same row. Work each cable in order from right to left across the row, treating each as an independent unit.
Abbreviation reference
| Abbreviation | Meaning |
|---|---|
| LC | left cross |
| RC | right cross |
| cn | cable needle |
Tips
- Highlight cable cross symbols in colour to make them pop on a busy chart.
- Mark each cable column with a stitch marker on the needle to keep your place.
- For multiple cables on the same row, work each cross fully before moving to the next.
In depth
Cable charts are denser than knit/purl charts because each symbol may span multiple stitches and require a cable needle to execute. The symbols are standardised across most modern Western references, so once you learn them, charts from different designers become readable interchangeably.