Knitting in cable for the first time...

[thechickenlady]

Can anyone help please? I'm knitting what my book calls a 'simple cable', which says to C6F every 6 rows.

My knitting is normally quite neat over stocking stitch etc, but the stitches along each side of the cable look a bit stretched and raggy. Am i missing something?

Not really, good cabling takes practice IME! Try and keep the tension that bit tighter at the end of each cable section. I have practiced doing cable squares for a blanket and there is a marked difference between my first square, which is deffo baggy, and the latest one, which looks far neater

Yes, it's that bit at the end of the cable section that looks ragged... the bit on the right had side looks fine.

It's for a cushion cover, and I'll have to look at it for the next few years.... maybe I should do something simpler instead.

I agree with Marina, but it's probably worth adding that a lot depends on the yarn IME. If it's got a bit of elasticity to it then it's much easier to keep neat than with cotton, say.