Plus Size Cable Knit Sweater

While you can find quality plus size cable knit sweaters in shops that cater to the plus size community, the best sweater you’ll ever wear is still the one you knit yourself. Sounds like the kind of thing that would take months and be disappointing? Not at all. Many knitting patterns are suited to beginners, even with cable stitches, and there is no shortage of knitting shops and clubs where more experienced knitters will help and encourage you from casting on to stitching up.

Cable knit sweater at Amazon.

For those who want to buy a good cable knit sweater ready-made, there are plenty of choices at online sites that make shopping quick and easy. Cables are excellent because, like ribbing, they not only add interest to a sweater, but they stretch and give, making for a flattering fit.

At Avenue, which carries women’s clothes from sizes 14 to 32, there are currently cable knit hoodies, perfect for weekend or workout wear. The hoodies zip up the front and have a drawstring hood. They are made of a cotton acrylic blend and come in heather gray, blue, plum and moss green.

Torrid, a favorite among younger shoppers, will almost always have a few choices in plus size cable knit sweaters. You should also try some shops that consistently carry a decent selection of fashionable plus size clothing, such as Target and Old Navy.

For a beginning knitter, cables always look daunting. They do require some extra work, because you have to use a special cable needle and count those stitches in addition to the ones on the body of the sweater. But in fact, cabling is very easy. All it takes, once you’ve got the basics down, is practice.

While knitting books and online resources will give you written instructions on cabling, coupled with illustrations, you are best off learning to cable with a teacher who can watch, correct and advise. Nearly every yarn shop offers knitting space with help, or of course, you can join a knitting group, so there is almost no reason you can’t go with this option. However, if you aren’t able to find a satisfactory teacher, there are Web sites with video instruction to teach you techniques. One of the best is Knitting Help, which gently and methodically teaches you all the basics, plus a number of advanced techniques and decorative work. You’ll have to replay the videos several times and have a lot of patience as you try the stitches yourself, but this is a good source for learning.

Once you’ve mastered the technique of cabling, the next step is to find a sweater pattern you like. It’s important that you don’t limit yourself to looking for plus size patterns. While it's easier for a beginning knitter to work with a pattern that gives the exact stitch count for your size, depending on your gauge, all patterns can be resized. Besides determining your gauge, which you must do for every project and can learn easily from any knitting book, a more experienced knitter can help you size the pattern so that your finished project will fit perfectly.

Your first cable knit sweater or cardigan should probably only use a few decorative cables, like on the sleeves or around the waist. Since cabling can take longer until you get the hang of it, you should keep it simple your first time out.

Patterns can be found in any knitting store or online. A few good sources include:

• Knitting Pattern Central
• Daily Knitter
• Knitting on the Net
• Knitting-Crochet
• Free Vintage Knitting

The vintage patterns will always be lovely and inspiring, but remember that you need to size them more carefully because yarn thicknesses have changed since the 1940s. Start now and you’ll have a great sweater for the cold season!

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