Katie Rempe: Way back in episode 24, we talk about the magic of knots and cables. And Jim, since then, it has become one of our most listened to episodes.
James Divine: Really?
Katie Rempe: Yes. Even a hundred episodes later.
James Divine: Wow.
Katie Rempe: Which is why
today we're returning to this topic to explore the magic of enchanted cables.
James Divine: I wish my computer cables were enchanted.
Katie Rempe: Oh, yeah, see all sorts of cables
we could uncover.
Light From Lantern presents: Knit A Spell.
I'm magical maker: Katie Rempe.
And I'm the maker of magic: James Divine.
Join us as we stitch together the symbiotic relationship between crafting and 'The Craft'.
Katie Rempe: Jim, we've talked about cables before. What types of things come to mind first when you think of a cable?
James Divine: Because I'm not, centered on knitting myself, I think of cables as twisted metal cord that holds up my paintings, or the power cables like I mentioned and laughed about in the intro, that are always, Tangled.
But of course, because we did do episode 24 that was so fascinating to talk about the fisherman's knit sweater and, how they function both as identification for the person, but also we're super warm. If you haven't listened to it, it's a great episode to go back and listen to.
What Are Cables
---
Katie Rempe: And one that we of course will link in the show notes to make it nice and easy to find. But for all of those who have yet
to tune in to that very good episode, I'm gonna give you a little overview of what exactly cables are and a brief, history on them as well.
James Divine: That's good. Cause I could use a refresher myself.
Katie Rempe: So, first of all, I love cables and teaching cables to students because It's one of those techniques that a lot of newbies are scared of because it looks intimidating but until you know that it's just done by knitting the stitches out of order, you think Oh, what am I going to have to do in
order to
make this happen?
Especially when you see that some cables require a tiny little short double pointed needle, which is a cable needle. to hold stitches. So it becomes this whole process, but the transformation is actually pretty easy.
And so cable knitting is a style of knitting in which textures are crossed in layers, and that is what achieves the permuting stitches.
So the ones that stick up above the rest of the work. So for example, if we were given four stitches and we wanted to create a cable from them, we would say they were, stitches A, B, C, and D. And instead of knitting them in that exact order, we're going to actually cross the first two over the second two, so that we're actually knitting C, D, A, B.
Which I know might sound confusing if you're just listening to the podcast, which is why you should maybe check us out on YouTube for this one. It's a great visual aid.
James Divine: Even if you're watching on YouTube and you're watching my face, I'm like,
Katie Rempe: What? And that's part of why it seems like it's difficult until you do it and then you're like, oh, it's just knitting. So you're still just knitting the stitches in a bit of a different order.
Some do require a little bit of an extra help, which is the cable needle. And that's only because If there's a lot of stitches that we're doing crosses over, if it's a really big cable, it can be a little bit cumbersome to cross those stitches over without a little bit of extra help like the cable needle to hold them.
But there's a secret cheat. If they're small cables, and that's my favorite type of cable to do, you can actually learn a technique to knit them into a cable without a cable needle.
James Divine: okay.
When's that class?
Katie Rempe: Oh, you can see, millions of tutorials right here on
YouTube,
if that's what you're watching, or, like millions of blogs, too.
It is not an original idea, not something I made up but it is super helpful technique to learn how to twist the stitches and then just put them right back on the working needle instead of getting another tool involved.
James Divine: Yeah. Another thing for your notions bag,
Katie Rempe: Another thing to lose between the couch.
Historyof Cables
---
James Divine: Do you have any information on like the earliest form of cables? How were they used or anything about that?
Katie Rempe: Yes. so cable knit sweaters as we know them today were originally crafted for, as we said, the seafaring, So around the 1900s on the Irish Isle of Arran, which is why they're also known as Arran knit sweaters
fishermen knit sweaters,
Women started knitting these sweaters which kept them the fishermen warm at sea Which was their primary purpose, but it was also to put this all over patterning on the sweaters, which was to make the garment thicker and warmer.
But like you said, also to identify. So the local community adopt
the tradition
of knitting Guernsey jumpers from the British and Scottish fishermen and made some improvements. traditionally knit from undertreated yarn. The Airknit sweaters are water repellent, hence protective from both the rain and the turbulent water
in the Atlantic Ocean.
James Divine: That's cool. Is that because they leave like untreated means that leaves the lanolin
in the, so they're stinky
Katie Rempe: It's oily.
James Divine: it's oily,
Stinky
warm, and itchy.
Katie Rempe: Yeah.
Rustic is how I like
James Divine: Perfect, for the boat
Katie Rempe: Yes, nothing keeps you warmer than your skin getting, abrased by all of those fibers while you're, pulling in the lines and whatnot, right?
James Divine: in the nets, yeah.
Katie Rempe: Modern day they started popularity and around the 1950s is when it came to a more global market and commodified, of course, as we know it today. Thanks to the Cable Knit article that was published in Vogue in 1958, the characteristic patterns of the Aran sweater reached America, woohoo, and that's when it became fashion across many economic and social groups.
James Divine: Yeah, it's interesting that today I tried to find a cable knit sweater to wear for this episode it was not successful in my closet and we talked about how, the cable in 2024 is not necessarily
Katie Rempe: In Vogue.
James Divine: No offense to anyone who loves their cable knit. Item but you can find it more, I think, in hats or in scarves these days and less in actual garments, at least not in my closet.
A lot of the sweaters have color work I have one with a really cool fair isle pattern, but it isn't cabled. And I was thinking about that, I guess they are a little bit bulky and, yet to come back into style in the mainstream.
Katie Rempe: And certainly there are some Aranette sweaters out there, modern twist and, machine made. They just lack, for me any sort of character. It's usually not very fashionable which is funny because on one side, it's classic and timeless.
But when it's made in certain ways, it just looks cheap and cheesy. Like the ones that you might get at a big box store or something like that, they just don't
have
the style or the enticement for me as like a real handmade one, which I would be more
James Divine: App to wear probably.
Katie Rempe: Yeah, exactly. Then something that I'm just going to get mass produced.
From a store that just doesn't even have an interesting cable pattern and looks frumpy.
James Divine: But aren't you totally into that acrylic yarn they use?
Katie Rempe: Oh my gosh. I
want.
Received a magazine that had the nerve to brand this quote fiber as cash miracle Cash Miracle. Feels like cashmere, it's a miracle you can wash it like acrylic, cuz it is.
James Divine: That's so
wrong. The only thing good about Cash Miracle is the marketing.
Katie Rempe: And it was exactly those frumpy styles of oh no, this is, this, no,
James Divine: that's so funny. Hey,
we need something for comedy. Come on
Katie Rempe: That's true.
I did stick it up on my wall for a long time because it made me laugh so hard. Cash miracle. Okay, don't do this.
James Divine: Don't do that. When
designing yarn don't do
that.
Modern Cable Designs
---
I've seen what is it called? Ribbing around the sleeve of my sweater and around my collar and
James Divine: around the bottom of my sweater
to keep it, a little tighter.
Is that what we're talking about? Is that cabling or is that something else? Yeah.
Katie Rempe: It's not cabling, but it could be used to lead into a cable, oftentimes, because a rib has knits and purls, you can use those knit stitches that then lead into a knit with purl background cable design or something like that, but ribbing itself Is more of a elastic tool than cables which are more of a decorative slash
bulkening
James Divine: A distant cousin.
Katie Rempe: Yeah, a related cousin, I
James Divine: Yeah, okay. So
where do we see cabling in stuff we have now? I mentioned
hats.
Katie Rempe: Yep. It is, in my experience, much more prevalent in, like you said, accessories. So,
Ravelry,
I remember when it was the up and coming thing, and even now, some of the most popular patterns, back when it launched, are still very popular and included cables.
If anybody remembers Twilight in the first movie, Bella wears a pair of gloves that are a Horseshoe cable down the middle and some, genius knitter was like, oh,
I can design that and made a free pattern that was like that. And they're Bella's gloves and you
can get
the free pattern on Ravelry.
And there's like a zillion people that have made it and they're very cute. I must say
I made a
pair too. And they were my go to winter gloves for a long time.
James Divine: That's cute. I think I've seen a scarf cabling on it.
Stormy Shores Cowl
---
Katie Rempe: I have a nice cowl here that also, if anyone is watching, is a great example of being very mindful of your dilots.
James Divine: What did I call that earlier?
I
think I called that. Unintentional color work
Katie Rempe: Yeah, I have a big section of unintentional color work in this lovely little cowl with fringe and cables.
James Divine: It's
a really cute piece. I love it
Katie Rempe: I've also seen cables used instead of being all over your sweater, just being around the yoke of your sweater, so there's a sweater pattern called Owls, which again, very popular since the launch of Ravelry and very cute way to use cables in a more modern way.
You can also use them for edgings, very popular for shawls to have line of cabling before you do maybe like a little lace edging
blankets, just an extended version of a scarf.
James Divine: Oh I have cabled knit bedspread on my bed right now
Katie Rempe: Here
we go.
And then like you said, hats, even socks. I have some socks that have cables in them, my grounding
Katie Rempe: socks.
James Divine: What I'm really interested in, is
how can we use them magically? What is the magical association of cables?
Katie Rempe: We're gonna take a quick break and when we come back, we'll talk about just that.
Knit With Color Magic
---
Katie Rempe: Hey there fellow knitters! Are you ready to enchant your stitches with the power of color? Discover how in my online workshop, Knit with Color Magic. In Knit with Color Magic, you'll learn how to use color as an intention setting tool. This self paced workshop will teach you everything you need to know to get out of your color ruts and conjure bewitching combinations while adding intention.
You'll also learn how to build a strong and simple intention, how to translate intention into colors, and to develop and develop. A personal gir of color correspondences. With a simple shift in your mindset and some personal reflection, you can start knitting color magic into any project. And for a limited time, listeners of the show can save $20 off this workshop by using the code COLOR20 at checkout.
Find all the information in the description or visit light from lantern.com/knit with color magic to learn more. Merry make.
Coaching from Jim
---
James Divine: Your hands are the map to achieving anything you want in life, but it's hard to read that map in just one reading. My coaching packages allow me to work with you over time to build towards your goals. We bring in life coaching. Executive coaching, leadership coaching, tarot, palmistry, astrology all together.
And these amazing coaching pathways that my clients are on really help propel people towards their goals. Learn more about Jim's new coaching packages by sending him an email at jimathedivinehand. com to schedule a free discovery call or visit thedivinehand. com to learn more.
Magical Cable Correspondances
---
Katie Rempe: Welcome back, everyone. As Jim suggested right before our break, we're going to break down some popular cables correspondences to them.
Yay.
Basic Braid Cable
---
Katie Rempe: So let's start with just the basic braid type of cable because that is the one that most people learn how to do first. And probably what comes to mind for most people when they think of a cable is this basic braid.
Oh
James Divine: of a braid table, especially this basic braid it's really cool I think of a braid as three, cords or three locks of hair that are, twisted and then twisted the other side.
So they're three of them are braided together, and of course, it reminds me of a serpent personally. Serpents are associated with fertility renewal and healing, also transformation because of the way that they shed their skin.
There's
this idea that they renew themselves. But snakes serpents are also thought of as protection. Cause they can guard a place and only let certain people through. Medusa had, protective snakes as hair, things like that. But there's another way that protection is used with braids and it's in protective hairstyles, which is a term that's often associated People with very tightly curled hair and that they will have traditional hairstyles such as in braids or in different styles that protect the hair from The elements and from the wind and from everything else and people with straight hair can also braid their hair and so that's seen as a symbol of protection. And it
has for a long
time.
It's funny that you said the snake, right? Because we have done an episode on serpents and the Ouroboros and that's also what it makes me think of because you never really see where it begins or ends.
Katie Rempe: So I also see this as it's the basic braid, but maybe it's the classic slash timeless braid! If the beginning and the end is the same, then there is no time. And so if you want to work with quote time, this could also be a good braid to use to pull things towards you.
James Divine: Fantastic because it's also looks a lot like the lamascade or the infinity symbol.
Like it's repeated
sort of infinity symbols on and
on.
So that goes right along with what you're talking
about. What powerful symbolism.
Katie Rempe: Maybe these were how these were designed initially and we're just like rediscovering, these magical uses.
Honeycomb Cable
---
Katie Rempe: The next one that I'm excited to
show you
is the honeycomb cable. It is one that I have also done in one of the hardest patterns I ever accidentally designed. I designed it intentionally, but I didn't design
it to
be the hardest one that I ever made. And that is my climbing vines cowl named because there is a section of climbing vines on one portion, but the rest is this honeycomb cable, looks like lattice work.
And that was the good one
to use
without the cable needle because it took a long time to make these beautiful honeycombs.
James Divine: Yeah, it can look a lot like lattice. It reminds me of a bee's honeycomb. And what are bees associated with? This was,
the source of,
Sweetness.
It was
also the source of stings.
Katie Rempe: Good point. It does sting to do this over and over again if you have to. That's funny. But what does it bring? An abundance of beautiful stitches when you're done.
James Divine: So fertility, abundance, wealth
and honey and honeycomb and bees is sacred to so many goddesses, mostly goddesses. So many deities are associated with the bee and associated with honey. And that's a powerful symbol throughout. humanity's
existence.
And certainly today it, what the saying is, no bees, no food.
What a very cool pattern to bring in so much magic.
Katie Rempe: It'd be a great fabric to lay out in a natural altar, especially if you made it out of a natural
fiber. It's like an honor of the bees since we are in the spring season after all.
James Divine: Yeah, totally.
Horseshoe Cable
---
Katie Rempe: Next up, we have the horseshoe cable, or how I accidentally put it in the show notes, the horseshoe cable, which is not exactly the same, but similar.
What's out of horseshoe? Horseshoes.
James Divine: That. I'm like, horse show. Is it a prancing
horse?
Followed
by a rearing horse, followed by
a horse
jumping through a
hoop.
Katie Rempe: That's it. Yes. Unfortunately,
we're looking
at the horseshoe cable, which is a lot less exciting.
Wishbone?
James Divine: and I know it's called a horseshoe, but if you look at the horseshoe, it has a little extension that goes down like a A
wishbone. Yeah.
and that wishbone is then interlocking with another wishbone.
So I can't
help but point out the fertility symbolism here with, this interlocking type of pattern.
But if I just think about the horseshoe, not horse show I think about how we use horseshoes for luck.
Katie Rempe: Exactly. Yeah. And
James Divine: could also be associated with horses, right?
Katie Rempe: Totally. Yeah. Or if you want to get something done, you want to do some physical labor.
I feel like that would also be a good thing to have around as inspiration. where do you stand on the horseshoe up versus horseshoe down?
James Divine: Horseshoe up.
Katie Rempe: Ah, okay. You want to cup all the things.
You
don't want it to be pouring down to you.
James Divine: To capture
your luck so it doesn't fall out. Yeah,
Of course,
A lot of the symbolism of horses is
around
power, strength, and freedom.
And if You just imagine freedom and the freedom of a wild horse and its mane blowing in the wind as it
can just
run forever.
mean, there's, Or the
Katie Rempe: freedom that the horse offers to humans. It was, it's a lot easier to get around on a horse, than just hoofing it by yourself.
James Divine: Your shoes and a horse's shoes. You'll go farther on a horse.
Katie Rempe: That's right.
XO Cable
---
Katie Rempe: The next one is the XO cable and it looks just like it sounds. It looks like an X and an O. Hugs and kisses.
Great for little kids
garments, or and stuff that you're gonna give
out. I just think it's a very sweet motif.
James Divine: that is too cute. Love adoration. I want a blanket of
X's and
O's I can wrap myself up in.
Katie Rempe: There
you go. Yeah.
Or if you just did it, like, around the sleeves, and that's how you're hugging everyone, is, loving intention.
That could be fun, too.
James Divine: I'll take
it in pink,
please.
Katie Rempe: Okay, very good. Man, okay, so
it's a pink baby surprise jacket
that you want, with
a single
cable motif at the chest, and then an X and O's
James Divine: Uh
Katie Rempe: around the sleeves. Okay, All right.
I'm making notes.
James Divine: What's another pattern we could talk about?
Celtic Cable Cross
---
Katie Rempe: Very similar to the X and O, this one is the Celtic Cable Heart.
A twisting heart design that leads into yet another twisting heart design.
James Divine: I'm familiar with
the Celtic
heart symbolism.
It's often intertwining two hearts together, or it's a heart with a twist in the center, or there's, this idea of the Celtic knot and the heart brought together. And there's a few different versions of doing that. Most of them are the symbolism of two hearts entwined. And so this idea of two interlocked hearts symbolizes the everlasting love, between people and often it's two people, we're modern, we're advanced here. If you want to do three or seven, it's
fine. You do you, we do us.
So
I just think about the basics of that Celtic heart, but I think this is just a really great way to do a heart in general.
Katie Rempe: Oh, yeah. For me, I'm always thinking oh literal heart, heart chakra, great thing to make in
green. And another one to have right at your heart,
James Divine: yeah, to just do one single little cable. As a motif would be cute or around the collar. That would
be
Katie Rempe: yeah, Oh, yeah, do a yoke of it. That
would
be Cute.
James Divine: But
this is where I think that you said green and we did a whole season of color magic. Just to reference some of that. Green is your heart chakra, but it's also healing and, growth.
If you use pink, it could
be like for
a sweeter version of love. And
if you do
red or reddish color, it could be more of a passionate type of love,
Katie Rempe: And if you do black, it reflects how I feel in my heart. Oh, what?
What?
James Divine: Your
attempt at a maniacal laugh.
Katie Rempe: Yeah, it's more
comical than maniacal as usual.
yeah.
Pancakes
is trying
to scratch the door down.
James Divine: Speaking
of animals.
Katie Rempe: Oh, goodness. Oh, look at this wild woman.
James Divine: You might have noticed a quick little edit there because now we
Katie Rempe: pancakes That's right. She needed
James Divine: cute puppy pancakes, the forever puppy
Katie Rempe: uh
James Divine: She's so cute.
since we're talking about animals.
Animal Shaped Cables
---
Katie Rempe: Our last cable to talk about is cables shaped like animals, which I have two of my favorites.
One of which is a cable shaped like an owl. The other is a cable shaped like a bunny. And they are just so cute! I love any creative way to make a cable into an animal or a being.
James Divine: If you're listening, you need to check out the YouTube where I'm sure we'll put it little pictures
or
go to the link that shows that owl and that bunny cable. They are so fricking cute.
These animal cables, will simulate the energy of that animal. So if you're going to knit the owl, cable. And again, this is a really great pattern, what to go around the cowl
to
Feature, which is how the pattern we've seen on Ravelry does it.
Owls can represent ancient wisdom, knowledge, change, transformation, intuitive development, or trusting in mystery.
Owls are also about wisdom. And this is associated with the goddess Athena in ancient Greece, and she was the strategist, the one who would avoid war rather than Ares, who would get into situations where he was in war.
So this is a really great super thoughtful
Idea of
the logic and,
intelligence.
Katie Rempe: That's fun. Ooh. Especially if you were a patron of Athena, what a nice little altar cloth you could make
James Divine: yeah,
it would be really great on a scarf or a cowl as a way to carry some of that Athena energy. I think that would be really cool to design.
And of course there is the bunny.
Katie Rempe: yes, our little spring bunnies.
James Divine: Bunnies and rabbits are tied to vitality, rebirth and even resurrection. But this fertility idea of bunnies is there and the way they frolic
and are
so cute.
So there's all kinds of magic
around the rabbit
and the hair. So knitting the rabbits on something would be really cool to do.
Katie Rempe: I also like using rabbits for anything you want done quick. If
you want
the spell to happen fast, or you want
the project
to go quickly, maybe include some energy of the rabbits,
and get that hopping along.
James Divine: Yeah.
Also the energy of, you don't have to take it too seriously or be too attached to your result. You can have
some frolic and some fun with it.
like a bunny.
Katie Rempe: Like a bunny, just nibbling away, enjoying his day.
James Divine: Their little
antics as
they chase
each other and hop around are so fun.
Katie Rempe: Dogs chase after him every morning. It's a fun game they play. They antagonize each other. They always show up to do it the next day. They love it.
James Divine: I'm sure there's more cables than just this.
Katie Rempe: Oh yes, this is, as always, just
the tip
of the iceberg. There are like a zillion cables, and
I'm sure more being created and discovered all the time.
Share Your Thoughts!
---
Katie Rempe: So, choose your own personal correspondences based on what works for you, or adapt ours if you like it, and if we missed something obvious, or not obvious, you know what to do.
Leave us a comment on our YouTube video, or send us an email at
knit a spell podcast
at gmail. com. Or you can even pop over
to our
Patreon, support us
over there,
It's
just five
bucks a month. We have all sorts of fun behind the scenes stuff, and we would just like to see you hanging out there with us.
James Divine: I'm looking forward to next week.
Katie Rempe: Oh, why Jim?
James Divine: Bewitching
baubles.
Katie Rempe: Ooh,
yes. I
can't wait.
James Divine: I'm not
even sure what a bauble is, but I can't wait to find out
next Wednesday.
Katie Rempe: Yes, you will. All right, everybody, thanks for tuning in.
James Divine: Bye!
Outtro 2022: Thanks for listening. Thanks for listening. If you enjoyed the show, consider sharing it with a friend, leaving a review on iTunes and Spotify or following Knit A Spell on Instagram.
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You can also learn more about readings, classes, and events going on with your favorite Maker of Magic James Divine by visiting thedivinehand.com and subscribing to his newsletter. Then follow Jim's fun and interactive Instagram account @DivineHandJim.
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You'll receive a free knitting pattern as a thank you gift, then follow Katie on Instagram @LightFromLantern for even more magical making tips.
See you next week. Next week.
