Cable Arm Warmers

By Scottish Princess

Needles: Size 8 US / 5.0 mm

Gauge: 18 stitches = 4”
Yarn: Patons Classic Wool, worsted weight in Navy

Cast on 19 sts using Provisional cast on technique. Recommend using a needle one or two sizes
larger.

Cable Pattern:

C6F (Cable 6 Front) – Slip the next 3 stitches onto the cable needle, hold the cable in front of
the work, knit the next 3 stitches from the left needle onto the right needle, then knit the
stitches from the cable needle onto the right hand needle.
C6B (Cable 6 Back) – Slip the next 3 stitches onto the cable needle, hold the cable in back of the
work, knit the next 3 stitches from the left needle onto the right needle, then knit the stitches
from the cable needle onto the right hand needle.

Row 1: K3, P2, K9, P2, K3

Row 2: P3, K2, P9, K2, P3
Row 3: K3, P2, C6F, K3, P2, K3
Row 4: P3, K2, P9, K2, P3
Row 5: K3, P2, K9, P2, K3
Row 6: P3, K2, P9, K2, P3
Row 7: K3, P2, K3, C6B, P2, K3
Row 8: P3, K2, P9, K2, P3
Rows 1-8 form pattern. Repeat 6 times (for a total of 7 pattern sets). Measure against your
hand as you go. If you have small hands you may need less number of repeats.

Unzip the provisional cast on, use 3 needle bind off to seam right sides together.

Pick up and knit 40 stitches around one side of the cuff.

Knit in the round until length is 7” from where you picked up stitches, or until desired length.

K4P4 Ribbing for 7 rows.

Bind of loosely. Suggest using very loose bind off method as cuff will be around largest part of
your arm. You want it to be comfortable.

Optional changes:

1. If you want to add a thumb hole, after you pick up stitches, instead of working in the
round you would work back and forth for 2”, then join in the round and continue.
Measure on your hand as you go to get a perfect fit. I also suggest reducing the cable
repeats so the cuff fits tighter around your hand.

2. If you want to change the cable pattern on the top cuff, you can switch to any other
pattern, but be aware changing the number of rows or width might alter the length or
width of the top cuff. This would be especially important if you were adding a thumb
hole, as the placement of the cuff around you hand is set to a specific size for comfort.

3. You can change the fit of the arm warmer around your arm by increasing or decreasing
the number of stitches you pick up. Be aware, however, that this may cause it flare in or
out from the cuff. If changing the number of stitches you pick up, you may also change
the ribbing pattern. For example, if you only pick up 36 stitches you can change to a 3x3
ribbing.

4. You can change the length of the arm warmer by increasing or decreasing the number of
rows before the ribbing pattern.
Detailed instructions:

1. For provisional cast on, I suggest the following instructions:

http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEfall05/FEATfall05TT.html
I use a brightly contrasted yarn, check each stitch to make sure they look right, and tie
the ends of the scrap yarn to the working yarn at the beginning before the first stitch,
and at the end after the last stitch. This prevents the stitches falling off before you work
your first row. Use a needle one to two sizes larger for the cast on, this makes it easier
once you bind off.

2. When knitting cables, make sure you hold the stitches to the front or back of the work
as instructed, and when you knit the stitches from the cable needle, do it from right to
left. So you will move the stitches from the left needle to the cable needle, then when
you knit them you will use the opposite side of the needle.

3. If you are new to cables, you may want to insert a lifeline after each pattern repeat. A
lifeline is very helpful if you have to pull your work back to fix a mistake. With a cable
pattern, this can become difficult. So the use of a lifeline is very helpful. I like to use
floss, but you can use a thin scrap yarn as well. Use a length at least twice the width of
the row, and it must be thinner than your needle. You thread the floss/yarn through a
small needle, then thread it through the stitches on the needle. For instructions on
inserting a lifeline, I suggest the following instructions:
http://knitca.blogspot.com/2013/05/how-to-fix-knitting-mistakes-to-tink-or.html
4. Here is the cable after the first set (rows 1-8).

5. After you complete the cable pattern, you will unzip the provisional cast on.

6. use a 3 needle bind off to seam the edges. I suggest the following instructions:
http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEfall06/FEATfall06TT.html
7. Once you are done, you don’t have to cut the working yarn. Leave it attached to the
work and continue to the next step. You can still knot the end by passing the yarn ball
through the last loop to secure.

8. Now to pick up 40 stitches around the bottom of the cuff (where the yarn ended in the
last step). The band has 56 rows (7 sets of 8 row pattern), so when picking up stitches, if
you skip approximately every 4th hole, you will get the 40 stitches. Make sure they are
evenly spread out across the band.

To pick up stitches I recommend using a crochet hook if you have one, or you can use a
smaller needle size to pull the stitches through the holes. Then transfer them to the
double pointed needles (DPN). I usually pull several in a row, then move them all to the
CPNs at the same time, this avoids any falling off if I’m juggling too many needles. I
suggest the following instructions:
http://www.knitsimplemag.com/node/77 (see vertical edge instructions)
http://www.stitchdiva.com/tutorials/knitting/picking-up-stitches (see pick up and knit
stitches along side of knitted work instructions)

It is very important that you do this on the right side of the knitting, so that the “bump”
created is on the inside of the work, not the outside. And the band should be below the
needles.
9. When knitting with DPNs, you may get a “ladder” between the needles. To avoid this,
every couple of rows move a couple of stitches forward to the next needle. And always
give a little extra tug for the first two stitches on a needle. You can also use 5 DPNs (hold
stitches on 4 and knit with the 5th) instead of 4 to spread of the work. After starting the
rib work, a good tip is to have each needle start with a knit stitch (instead of a purl
stitch) as the tension is easier to control and prevent the ladder. Information on DPN
ladders: http://knitty.com/ISSUEsummer03/FEATtheresa.html

10. For cast off I recommend the K2 stretchy cast off method:
http://knitting.about.com/od/bindoffs/ss/stretchy-bind-off.htm

11. For finishing I recommend the duplicate stitch method for weaving in ends:
http://knitty.com/ISSUEfall04/FEATfall04TT.html