cn — Cable needle (Abbreviation)
cn stands for "cable needle" — a short, sometimes bent or U-shaped auxiliary needle used to temporarily hold stitches aside while other stitches are worked, then return them in a new position. Unlike most abbreviations on this site, cn refers to a physical tool rather than a stitch or action.
Why a cable needle is needed at all
A cable crossing requires working a group of stitches out of their original left-to-right order — moving some behind or in front of others before they're knit. Holding the displaced stitches on a cable needle, off to the side, is what makes this reordering physically possible without dropping them, since the working needles alone can't hold a group of stitches "on hold" mid-row the way a cable needle can.
Front or back: what actually controls the cross direction
The specific instruction pairs cn with a direction — "slip 2 sts to cn, hold in front" produces a left-leaning cross; "hold in back" produces a right-leaning one. The cable needle itself never changes; only where you park it relative to the work decides which way the finished cross leans.
Working without a dedicated cable needle
A double-pointed needle, or even a spare straight needle of a similar size, can substitute for a purpose-made cable needle in a genuine pinch — the tool's only real job is holding a small group of stitches safely aside temporarily, which any similarly sized needle can do, even without the U-shaped or textured grip a dedicated cable needle offers for extra security.
Related abbreviations
- No abbreviations directly modify cn's usage, but it appears constantly within cable-crossing instructions across the 4-stitch cable and 6-stitch cable patterns
FAQ
Does every cable crossing need a cable needle, or are there cable techniques that skip it? Some experienced knitters work small cables (2-3 stitches) "without a cable needle," rearranging stitches directly on the working needles using careful finger control instead — a faster but less beginner-friendly technique that skips the auxiliary tool entirely for narrow crossings.
Is a specific cable needle material or shape required? No — metal, wood, and plastic cable needles all work equally well functionally; the choice between a straight, bent, or U-shaped design is mostly personal preference for how securely stitches stay put mid-cross.