Mock Cable Afghan

Easy Beginner Pattern. You need to know how to cast on, change colors, and bind off before beginning this project.

Approximate size: 45 x 60 inches

Materials Used: 4-ply hand knitting worsted weight yarn, approximately 20 oz Green Variegated, and 28 oz Yellow, or any two coordinating colors of your choice. This varies considerably with brand of yarn used, as yards per pound are not consistent.
Gauge: 4.5 sts, 6 rows = 1″
Tension: set Stitch Dial (on carriage) 4-6 on bulky, 6-8 on midgauge machines. This varies with the yarn, so always make a test swatch. It is more important to obtain a nice fabric quality than precise gauge. it is always possible to add or subtract stitches or rows, if necessary.

Panel 1. Make 5 alike. Bring 26 needles to WP. Return needle #2 on each edge back to pos A. This leaves 1 needle in WP, 1 in pos A, 22 in WP, 1 in pos A, 1 in WP. CO with Green Variegated. K even to RC 360. Take both edge sts off onto safety pins. BO remaining 22 sts.

Panel 2. Make 6 alike. Bring 17 needles to WP. Return needle #2 on each edge back to Pos A. This leaves 1 needle in WP, 1 in pos A, 13 in WP, 1 in pos A, 1 in WP. CO with Yellow. K even to RC 360. Take both edge sts off onto safety pins. Clip MC, leaving a long tail to BO top edge later. Remove remaining 13 sts on WY.

Now ravel the 3 center sts all the way back to the CO edge. This makes a very wide “run” in the fabric, and is necessary before working the mock cable.

Mock Cable. A rug latch hook works best for this technique, but the latch tool from the accessory kit or a size G aluminum crochet hook can be used. Begin at the CO edge. Insert latch hook through the “run”, 3 bars up from the lower edge. Twist hook down and around to form a loop. Slide this loop back behind the latch and hold it there with forefinger. *Pick up the next 3 bars of “run”, then pull them through the loop already on hook. Slide this new loop back behind the latch and hold it there. Repeat from * to end of MC. Rehang all MC loops at top of panel back on machine, taking 5 sts each side of mock cable, and picking up just 1 st in top loop of mock cable. BO all sts.

Afghan Seam. To join panels, hold a Main Color panel and a Contrast Color panel next to each other in your lap, with the WY ends to the right if you are right handed, to the left if you are left handed. Remove the safety pins from the two edges which are next to each other (2 pins only, not all 4!)

You will notice that one of the panels has a yarn tail at the beginning. Start with this panel. Using the tip of the latch (tappet) tool, unravel one loop from the edge of this panel. One loop is actually 2 rows of knitting. Take this loop, and the beginning yarn tail, and slide them down behind the latch onto the stem of the latch tool. Pull out 2 loops from the adjacent panel, then pull them through the first pair, and down behind the latch onto the stem of the latch tool. Go back to the first panel and pull out 2 edge loops. Continue on to the end of the seam in this manner, always alternating the side fromwhich you pull the loops.

Do not try to save time by ripping out all the loops first! If you do this, the loops work themselves back into the fabric, and by the time you get to the end of the panel, you can’t find them.

When you reach the end of the seam, pull the last pair of loops through, then take the yarn tail and pull it through the last pair, then fasten off securely so the seam can’t unravel. When using this afghan seam method, it is most important that all panels have the same number of rows; if for some reason you are off by one or two rows, cheat a little by taking just one loop from one panel and pulling it through 2 from the other, but don’t expect a neat finish if you are off by several rows. No matter how you ease them together, the panels will obviously be differing lengths and it is better to reknit.

Edge panels are joined similarly. Remove the pins from both sides of this panel, and fold it in half lengthwise, P sides together. Pull out 2 loops from each edge (4 loops total) and slide them down behind the latch onto the stem of the tool. Pull out 2 loops from the adjacent panel, then pull them through the edge panel ones. Now alternate back and forth as before, taking 2 loops from each side of the edge panel (4 total), and 2 from the adjacent. Fasten off end securely with the yarn tail.

Use Yellow panels for edge panels. They fold neatly, purl sides together, at the mock cable ridge.

Crocheted Edges. These are worked on top and bottom of afghan. Using 2 strands of Yellow and size J or K aluminum crochet hook, join to right corner of bottom edge. Row 1. *Ch 1, skip next st, sc in next st. Repeat from * across. NOTE: on borders, insert hook through both layers of fabric each time. Row 2. Do not turn work. Ch 2. *Backwards SC in next sc, ch 1. Repeat from * across. This is called “Crab Stitch” or Backwards single crochet. If you find the backwards single crochet difficult, just turn work and make another row of regular single crochet. Fasten off. Work same border to top edge.

If you cannot crochet, try this knitted trim, often called “Worm Trim” or “Pie Crust”. K side facing machine, pick up 3 sts at R edge. Since we are beginning at the corner, there will be two layers of fabric; pick up both of them. *K 8 rows. Pick up next 3 sts and hang on same needles. NOTE: be sure to hang new stitches onto the same 3 working needles, and not the next 3 beside them, or this trim won’t knit correctly. Repeat from * to end and fasten off.

Work in all yarn ends. Block afghan.