Common Cable Abbreviations and Symbols

To help knitters easily understand written instructions and charts in cable patterns, we’ve compiled a list of common cable abbreviations and symbols. Each one comes with a clear explanation of the specific cable technique it represents and what it tells you to do.

48 Cable Stitch Techniques

• 2-Stitch Cables: 1/1LC, 1/1LPC, 1/1RC, 1/1RPC
• 3-Stitch Cables: 2/1LC, 2/1LPC, 2/1RC, 2/1RPC
• 4-Stitch Cables: 2/2LC, 2/2LPC, 2/2RC, 2/2RPC, ...
• 5-Stitch Cables: 3/2LC, 3/2LPC, 3/2RC, 3/2RPC
• 6-Stitch Cables: 3/3LC, 3/3LPC, 3/3RC, 3/3RPC, ...
• 7-Stitch Cables: 3/4LC, 3/4RC, 4/3LC, 4/3RC,
• 8-Stitch Cables: 4/4LC, 4/4LPC, 4/4RC, 4/4RPC, ...

Here’s a clear and simple guide to help you read them with ease.

3-Stitch Cables

Abb	Explanation	Steps to Work
1/1 RPC	1 over 1 Right Purl Cross	Slip 1 stitch to cable needle and hold at back, knit 1 from left needle, then purl 1 from cable needle.
1/1 LPC	1 over 1 Left Purl Cross	Slip 1 stitch to cable needle and hold at front, purl 1 from left needle, then knit 1 from cable needle.
1/1 RC	1 over 1 Right Cross	Slip 1 stitch to cable needle and hold at back, knit 1 from left needle, then knit 1 from cable needle.
1/1 LC	1 over 1 Left Cross	Slip 1 stitch to cable needle and hold at front, knit 1 from left needle, then knit 1 from cable needle.

3-Stitch Cables

Abb	Explanation	Steps to Work
2/1 LC	2 over 1 Left Cross	Slip 2 stitches to cable needle and hold at front, knit 1 from left needle, then knit 2 from cable needle.
2/1 LPC	2 over 1 Left Purl Cross	Slip 2 stitches to cable needle and hold at front, purl 1 from left needle, then knit 2 from cable needle.
2/1 RC	2 over 1 Right Cross	Slip 1 stitch to cable needle and hold at back, knit 2 from left needle, then knit 1 from cable needle.
2/1 RPC	2 over 1 Right Purl Cross	Slip 1 stitch to cable needle and hold at back, knit 2 from left needle, then purl 1 from cable needle.

4-Stitch Cables

Abb	Explanation	Steps to Work
2/2 LC	2 over 2 Left Cross	Slip 2 stitches to cable needle and hold at front, knit 2 from left needle, then knit 2 from cable needle.
2/2 RC	2 over 2 Right Cross	Slip 2 stitches to cable needle and hold at back, knit 2 from left needle, then knit 2 from cable needle.
2/2 LPC	2 over 2 Left Purl Cross	Slip 2 stitches to cable needle and hold at front, purl 2 from left needle, then knit 2 from cable needle.
2/2 RPC	2 over 2 Right Purl Cross	Slip 2 stitches to cable needle and hold at back, knit 2 from left needle, then purl 2 from cable needle.
3/1 LC	3 over 1 Left Cross	Slip 3 stitches to cable needle and hold at front, knit 1 from left needle, then knit 3 from cable needle.
3/1 RC	3 over 1 Right Cross	Slip 1 stitch to cable needle and hold at back, knit 3 from left needle, then knit 1 from cable needle.
3/1 LPC	3 over 1 Left Purl Cross	Slip 3 stitches to cable needle and hold at front, purl 1 from left needle, then knit 3 from cable needle.
3/1 RPC	3 over 1 Right Purl Cross	Slip 1 stitch to cable needle and hold at back, knit 3 from left needle, then purl 1 from cable needle.

5-Stitch Cables

Abb	Explanation	Steps to Work
3/2 LC	3 over 2 Left Cross	Slip 3 stitches to cable needle and hold at front, knit 2 from left needle, then knit 3 from cable needle.
3/2 LPC	3 over 2 Left Purl Cross	Slip 3 stitches to cable needle and hold at front, purl 2 from left needle, then knit 3 from cable needle.
3/2 RC	3 over 2 Right Cross	Slip 2 stitches to cable needle and hold at back, knit 3 from left needle, then knit 2 from cable needle.
3/2 RPC	3 over 2 Right Purl Cross	Slip 2 stitches to cable needle and hold at back, knit 3 from left needle, then purl 2 from cable needle.

6-Stitch Cables

Abb	Explanation	Steps to Work
3/3 LC	3 over 3 Left Cross	Slip 3 stitches to cable needle and hold at front, knit 3 from left needle, then knit 3 from cable needle.
3/3 RC	3 over 3 Right Cross	Slip 3 stitches to cable needle and hold at back, knit 3 from left needle, then knit 3 from cable needle.
3/3 LPC	3 over 3 Left Purl Cross	Slip 3 stitches to cable needle and hold at front, purl 3 from left needle, then knit 3 from cable needle.
3/3 RPC	3 over 3 Right Purl Cross	Slip 3 stitches to cable needle and hold at back, knit 3 from left needle, then purl 3 from cable needle.
4/2 LC	4 over 2 Left Cross	Slip 4 stitches to cable needle and hold at front, knit 2 from left needle, then knit 4 from cable needle.
4/2 RC	4 over 2 Right Cross	Slip 2 stitches to cable needle and hold at back, knit 4 from left needle, then knit 2 from cable needle.
4/2 LPC	4 over 2 Left Purl Cross	Slip 4 stitches to cable needle and hold at front, purl 2 from left needle, then knit 4 from cable needle.
4/2 RPC	4 over 2 Right Purl Cross	Slip 2 stitches to cable needle and hold at back, knit 4 from left needle, then purl 2 from cable needle.
2/2/2 LRC	2 over 2 over 2 Center	Slip 4 stitches to cable needle and hold in front, knit 2, slip 2 stitches from cable needle to left needle and move cable needle to back, knit 2, knit 2 from cable needle.
2/2/2 RRC	2 over 2 over 2 Center	Slip 2 stitches to cable needle and hold in back, slip 2 stitches to second cable needle and hold in front, knit 2, knit 2 from front cable needle, knit 2 from back cable needle.

7-Stitch Cables

Abb	Explanation	Steps to Work
3/4 LC	3 over 4 Left Cross	Slip 3 stitches to cable needle and hold at front, knit 4 from left needle, then knit 3 from cable needle.
3/4 RC	3 over 4 Right Cross	Slip 4 stitches to cable needle and hold at back, knit 3 from left needle, then knit 4 from cable needle.
3/4 LPC	3 over 4 Left Purl Cross	Slip 3 stitches to cable needle and hold at front, purl 4 from left needle, then knit 3 from cable needle.
3/4 RPC	3 over 4 Right Purl Cross	Slip 4 stitches to cable needle and hold at back, knit 3 from left needle, then purl 4 from cable needle.
4/3 LC	4 over 3 Left Cross	Slip 4 stitches to cable needle and hold at front, knit 3 from left needle, then knit 4 from cable needle.
4/3 RC	4 over 3 Right Cross	Slip 3 stitches to cable needle and hold at back, knit 4 from left needle, then knit 3 from cable needle.
4/3 LPC	4 over 3 Left Purl Cross	Slip 4 stitches to cable needle and hold at front, purl 3 from left needle, then knit 4 from cable needle.
4/3 RPC	4 over 3 Right Purl Cross	Slip 3 stitches to cable needle and hold at back, knit 4 from left needle, then purl 3 from cable needle.

8-Stitch Cables

Abb	Explanation	Steps to Work
4/4 LC	4 over 4 Left Cross	Slip 4 stitches to cable needle and hold at front, knit 4 from left needle, then knit 4 from cable needle.
4/4 LPC	4 over 4 Left Purl Cross	Slip 4 stitches to cable needle and hold at front, purl 4 from left needle, then knit 4 from cable needle.
4/4 RC	4 over 4 Right Cross	Slip 4 stitches to cable needle and hold at back, knit 4 from left needle, then knit 4 from cable needle.
4/4 RPC	4 over 4 Right Purl Cross	Slip 4 stitches to cable needle and hold at back, knit 4 from left needle, then purl 4 from cable needle.
3/2/3 LRC	3 over 2 over 3 Center	Slip 5 stitches to cable needle and hold in front, knit 3, slip 2 stitches from cable needle to left needle and move cable needle to back, knit 2, knit 4 from cable needle
3/2/3 RRC	3 over 2 over 3 Center	Slip 3 stitches to cable needle and hold in back, slip next 2 stitches to second cable needle and hold in front, knit 3, knit 2 from front cable needle, knit 3 from back cable needle.

That covers some of the most common cable symbols you will encounter in knitting patterns. To deepen your understanding of abbreviations and symbols, explore a comprehensive list of 128 cable knitting abbreviations and symbols. [link]
By familiarizing yourself with a broader range of symbols and abbreviations, you'll be well-equipped to tackle even the most complex cable patterns with confidence.