Spiked Knotted Cable Chain Stitch

Surprisingly versatile

I discovered this Spiked Knotted Cable Chain in Edith Johns’ Creative Stitches (p. 53). The name is a mouthful, and this is one of those stitches that I thought at first glance was too complex to hold much interest. Then, once I was in the swing of it, my opinion of this stitch shifted — it forms an interesting texture and is more versatile than I first thought.

How to work Spiked Knotted Cable Chain Stitch

Spiked Knotted Cable is one of those stitches that build on established hand skills. You need to be able to work Twisted Chain, and preferably to have mastered Oyster Stitch.

This stitch starts with a twisted chain and builds from there. So, bring the thread through the fabric from the back, then insert the needle at an angle with the point emerging from the fabric pointing to the left.

Cross the thread over the needle and wrap the thread under the needle’s point.

Pull the needle through the fabric to make a twisted chain stitch.

Slide your needle under the thread at the top of the twisted chain (as illustrated).

Pull your needle through. Note: at this stage, you are not going through the fabric, just under the thread. Make a snug knot but take care not to pull your thread too tight.

Below the twisted chain, insert your needle on the right. As illustrated, have your needle point inwards, with the point emerging inline to the top right of the first twisted chain stitch.
Keep the thread under the needle (as you would in Buttonhole Stitch). Pull your needle through. This creates the first Spiked knotted cable stitch.

To start the second stitch, insert your needle to the left of the spike as illustrated

Once again, insert the needle through the fabric, bringing the point of the needle out a short way along the line and wrap your thread over the needle, then wrap the thread under the needle.

Pull the needle through the fabric and continue as you did on the first stitch.

As you can see, Spiked Knotted Cable Chain creates a very interesting line, and being a chain stitch, you can work it on a curve too.

I hope you enjoy spiked knotted cable chain stitch!

Thread Twisties!

Experimenting with different threads can be expensive, as you would normally have to buy a whole skein of each type. So I have made up my thread twisties which are a combination of different threads to use in creative hand embroidery. These enable you to try out stitching with something other than stranded cotton. For the price of just a few skeins, you can experiment with a bundle of threads of luscious colours and many different textures.

These are creative embroiders threads. With them, I hope to encourage you to experiment. Each Twistie is a thread bundle containing silk, cotton, rayon, and wool. Threads range from extra fine (the same thickness as 1 strand of embroidery floss) to chunky couchable textured yarns. All threads have a soft and manageable drape so that twisting them around a needle makes experimental hand embroidery an interesting journey rather than a battle.  Many are hand-dyed by me. All are threads I use. You may find a similar thread twist but no two are identical.

You will find my thread twisties in the Pintangle shop here.