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Cable Decrease Tutorial

Learning how to knit a Cable Decrease is as easy as k2tog. In this tutorial, we will show you how to make a Cable Forward Decrease, and a Cable Back Decrease. However, structurally they are worked the same. This tutorial coincides with our How to Knit Cables for Beginners post. We encourage you to review this post before you begin. 


Cable Decrease Video Tutorial

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How to Decrease a Cable Forward

In this tutorial, we are assuming you are working from the previous How to Knit Cables tutorial. 


This is a 4 row Repeat the Cable Row looks like this: 

Cable Row: K4, p5, C4F, p6, C4B, p5, k4


To add a Cable Forward Decrease, the beginning of your row will look as follows: K4, p5, (begin decrease) slip 2 stitches onto your cable needle and hold your stitches forward, k1, holding your cable needle and working needle together knit together the stitch on your cable needle and the next stitch from your working needle, knit the remaining stitch off of your cable needle.

knit a cable decrease

How to Decrease a Cable Back

Cable decrease

The Cable Back Decrease is worked similarly to the Cable Forward Decrease, with the only exception of holding the cable needle to the back of your work.


Picking up where we left off with the Cable Forward Decrease

p6, (begin decrease) slip 2 stitches onto your cable needle and hold your stitches forward, k1, holding your cable needle and working needle together knit together the stitch on your cable needle and the next stitch from your working needle, knit the remaining stitch off of your cable needle.


Finish your row with the following stitches:
p5, k4.


When finished your swatch should look like this. 

Stay Tuned

We have many more tutorials in the works!  Try our Seersucker Stitch Tutorial next or follow along with our latest Knit Along

Looking for a pattern to practice cable stitch? Check out this free bag pattern created with Patons Canadiana New Generation yarn.



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Happy Crafting!