Tip | How to Prevent Cable Flare

In the end, I was pleased with the way A Very Braidy Cowl & Neckwarmer turned out. It took some work, however, to make the ends neat and unobtrusive and to prevent cable flare.

Attempt #1: I knit a garter edging to serve as a button band. To me, it looked awkward and bulky.

Attempt #2: I bound off purlwise on the wrong side. This was better, but not great.

Attempt #3: After much experimentation, I came up with a two-stage bind off. It kept the cables intact, reduced their tendency to flare and created a tidy edge.

Here's what I did. First, I worked a few extra pattern rows, then:

RS: Slip1, p1 (edge sts); k1, k2tog (cable); P2tog (center sts); k1, k2tog (cable); P2 (edge sts)

WS: work in pattern

RS: Slip1, p1, BO; k2tog, BO, k1, BO, k2tog, BO to end

To make the cast-on end match this new bound-off end, I tinked the garter rows, and reknit that portion using the above sequence. (In the future, I’ll use a provisional cast-on and finish both ends the same way.)

These details are also spelled out on my Ravelry page. If you have questions, let me know and I'll do my best to address them. If you try this on one of your cable projects, let me know how it works for you.

UPDATE
Clarelm used these directions for her lovely heathered Braidy cowl, which you can see on her Ravelry page. Doesn't it look warm and cozy?

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