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Step 1
Use a cable knitting needle that has a somewhat smaller diameter than your working knitting needles. A cable needle that is too wide for your project will stretch out your stitches.
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Step 2
Consider the texture of the yarn you’re using to create knitted cables. A slippery yarn will be easier to manage if the cable needle has a texture that creates some friction to hold the yarn in place as stitches are temporarily held to the front or back of your work to create the cables. Bamboo or wood needles work well in such cases.
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Step 3
Pick a straight, double-pointed cable needle if you want to knit directly from it as you form a cable. This type of needle allows knitters to circumvent the extra step of having to transfer stitches from the cable needle to the working needle as a cable is formed.
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Step 4
Select a straight, double-pointed needle with grooves or an indented center to improve the grip on a yarn. Some wooden cable knitting needles have several grooves or a long indentation in the center intended to hold yarns in place.
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Step 5
Opt for the best of both worlds by choosing a flying-bird needle designed to prevent stitches from slipping off of it and allow knitters to knit directly from it to form cables. This type of double-pointed needle has a bend in the center and straight ends. The bend is designed to hold the stitches in place until they’re used. When needed, the stitches can be knitted into the project by moving them from the bend to one of the straight ends.
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Step 6
Choose a cable needle with a hook-shaped end if you want to keep the needle out of the way as you knit other stitches. Hook-shaped needles easily hang to the front or back of the work in progress. Additionally, stitches typically don’t slip off this needle because they rest inside the curve of the hook. It’s usually necessary to transfer stitches from the hooked end back to the working needle as a cable is created.
