Mock Cable Stitch
the look of a narrow travelling cable with less effort and less pull-in, worked over a ribbed ground
Mock cable gives the twisted, rope-like line of a cable without a cable needle by crossing two stitches directly on the needle. Set it over columns of two or three knit stitches separated by purl valleys, as in a rib. To make the twist on a two-stitch column, skip the first stitch, knit the second stitch, then knit the skipped first stitch, and slip both off the left needle together; the two stitches change places and the column leans, and repeating that cross every few rows makes the lean climb like a cable. Because only two stitches cross, the fabric pulls in far less than a true cable and needs no extra tool, which is why mock cables are common on socks, mittens, and hat brims where a full cable would be bulky or tight. The purl stitches on either side sink back and make the twisted column stand forward. It reads as a genuine narrow cable from a short distance, and it is a good bridge for anyone not yet comfortable holding stitches on a cable needle.