How To Knit The Cable Stitches Cr.3rt and Cr.3lt – My Tutorial

This is an easy-to-follow knitting tutorial for rearranging stitches without a cable needle to easily knit the cross 3 right (Cr.3rt) and cross 3 left (Cr.3lt). A reader got in touch asking me how to do these more easily than what she read in a pattern.

For Cr.3rt stitch

Bring your yarn to the back of the needles as if to knit
Insert the right hand needle into the front of second and third stitches on the left hand needle.

With your finger and thumb pinch the 3 stitches – there will be 2 on the right hand needle and 1 on the left handle needle.

Let the stitches on the right hand needle stay on and drop the stitch from the left. Then put the stitch back on the left hand needle.

Replace the 2 stitches that were held on the right hand needle to the left hand needle. 

Then knit the first two stitches and purl the third stitch. You will see that the rearrangement of stitches means the 2 knit stitches cross over the purl stitch to the right.

So what’s happened with the rearrangement is the first stitch on the left hand needle is moved to 3rd position.

The second and third stitches are rearranged to 1st and second position on the left hand needle.

Cr.3lt Stitch

Leave the yarn in front of the work as if to purl. Insert your right hand needle into the back of the 3rd stitch on the left hand needle.

Pinching the 3 stitches, let the stitch on the right hand needle stay on as the other 2 stitches drop off.

Insert your left hand needle in the two dropped stitches and then replace the stitch held on the right hand needle to the left handle needle.

Purl the first stitch on the left hand needle and knit the other 2 stitches.

You will see the knit stitches lean to the left across the purl stitch.

So effectively the third stitch on the left hand needle became the first stitch and the first and second stitches became the second and third stitches.