by Lucy Hague

I've loved the intricate beauty of Celtic knotwork for as long as I can remember, and since teaching myself how to draw knotwork (inspired hugely by George Bain's Celtic Art: The Methods of Construction) I've become obsessed with learning how to render complex Celtic knots in knitted cables -- it's fascinating to watch the interlacing patterns gradually emerging as you knit.

Three repeats of this particular cable pattern (begun with a provisional CO, worked flat and then grafted together) make a perfectly sized cowl, just right to tuck around your neck and keep out the chill; however, you could also choose to work in a slightly heavier yarn and bigger needles and use the cable pattern for a scarf, or even repeat the panel horizontally as well as vertically for a striking blanket or throw.

SIZE
One

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
Width: 6.5 inches
Circumference: 22.5 inches

MATERIALS
Yarn
Madelinetosh Tosh Sock [100% merino; 395 yd/361 m per 114 g skein]; color: Norway Spruce; 1 skein

Recommended needle size
[always use a needle size that gives you the gauge listed below -- every knitter's gauge is unique]
1 set US #3/3.25mm needles

Notions
yarn needle
waste yarn
cable needle

GAUGE

PATTERN NOTES
[Knitty's list of standard abbreviations and techniques can be found here.]

This pattern uses some complex increases and decreases which are explained more fully in this video.

You can use any provisional CO you like; a photo tutorial of my favorite provisional CO can be found here.

Instructions for grafting can be found here.

1-into-3:
Worked on RS: K into back and front of st, pick up strand between two sts, twist and k into strand. 1 st increased to 3 sts.
Worked on WS: (P tbl, k, p tbl) into same st. 1 st increased to 3 sts.

1-into-5
Step 1: Insert right needle between first 2 sts on left needle, wrap yarn and pull through, slip first st on left needle to right needle.
Step 2: Insert left needle between first 2 sts on right needle, wrap yarn around left needle as though to make k st, pull yarn through, slip first st on right needle back to left needle. Repeat Steps 1 and 2 once more, slip 3 sts without working. 1 st increased to 5.

5-into-1
Worked on WS: Slip next 3 sts to right needle, pass 2nd slipped st over first slipped st and off needle. Pass st from right needle back to left needle and slip 2nd st on left needle over first st and off needle. Slip st from left needle to right needle and pass 2nd st over first st and off needle. Pass rem st on right needle back to left needle and slip 2nd st on left needle over first st and off needle; k rem st.

C2R (cable 2 right): Slip next st to cn and hold at back of work, k1; k1 from cn.

C2L (cable 2 left): Slip next st to cn and hold at front of work, k1; k1 from cn.

T3R (twist 3 right): Slip next st to cn and hold at back of work, k2; p1 from cn.

T3L (twist 3 left): Slip next 2 sts to cn and hold at front of work, p1; k2 from cn.

T4R (twist 4 right): Slip next 2 sts to cn and hold at back of work, k2; p2 from cn.

T4L (twist 4 left): Slip next 2 sts to cn and hold at front of work, p2, k2 from cn.

C4R (cable 4 right): Slip next 2 sts to cn and hold at back of work, k2; k2 from cn.

C5L: Place next 3 sts on cn and hold at front of work, k2; sl p st from cn back to left needle and p1, k2 from cn.

DIRECTIONS
Using provisional CO and waste yarn, CO 57 sts.

Row 1 [RS]: Work Row 1 of Right Edging across first 8 sts, Row 1 of Cable Pattern and Row 1 of Left Edging across final 8 sts. 61 sts.

Row 2 [WS]: Work Row 2 of Left Edging across first 8 sts, Row 2 of Cable Pattern and Row 2 of Right Edging across final 8 sts. 65 sts.

Continue to work as set, until you have completed 2 full repeats of the 76-row Cable Pattern, and rows 1-74 of a third repeat.

FINISHING
Place live sts from Row 74 onto waste yarn.

Soak cowl, remove excess moisture and lay flat to dry.

Once completely dry, carefully unpick provisional CO and place 57 sts back onto needle. Place live sts from Row 74 back onto needle and join ends of cowl, either by grafting or with a three-needle BO.

Lucy grew up in Orkney, a remote island group off the north coast of Scotland, and moved to Edinburgh in 2003 to study at university.

She plays in a number of folk-rock bands, including Jacob's Pillow and Wailing Miserere, and when she isn't doing musical things she's usually either sleeping or working on her line of self-published knitting patterns -- some of which can be found here.