Willow

The Rowan Harris Yorkshire Tweed Chunky has been cast on in the Willow pattern and is going swimmingly. I am joined the Fall For Cables KAL since I was just starting a cable project anyway. I took a photo two days ago but it turned out really dark & you couldn't see a darn thing on it! Oh well, since then I have finished the back up to the start of decreasing for the armholes. I had forgotten how quickly chunky yarn works up. :) The larger needles start to cramp up my hands a bit if I knit for a long time though.

This is my first major project with cables. I made a pillow with cables for my son last year and started (but haven't finished - note the sidebar :( - a hat) but that's the extent of my cable experience. I really love the look of cables. Whenever I see anything knit with cables I always think it looks really impressive. But, I found working with the cable needle to be quite fiddly and strange. So this time around I was determined to learn to cable without a cable needle. I read up on the subject in a book called Cable Needle Freedom. To my surprise, it was a very obvious method once you stopped to think about it. Better yet it is REALLY EASY to do - even with slippery, blunt Addi Turbos (which I won't give up for any project!). It has been a breeze! I'm moving right along, not making any mistakes or dropping any stitches. (Knock Wood!) If you are going to try to learn this method I highly recommend using a chunky, 100% wool yarn. The stitches stay put when you take them off the needle, are super easy to pick up and transfer to the other needle & back again.

Give it a try. It's quick and painless - I promise.