Cables are a traditional knitwear favourite and feature increasingly in contemporary fashion collections. By simply crossing stitches over, in effect altering the order in which they are knitted, patterns from the simplest twist to the most intricate directional patterns can be produced on even the simplest knitting machine. Once a few basic techniques have been mastered, the number of cable designs available is virtually endless. With the learning of a few more advanced methods, different directions soon suggest themselves, giving scope for the knitter's own creativity to truly flourish.