Combinations of Straight and Zigzag Stitches

There are many beautiful effects that you can create simply by using combinations of cable stitches and wave or trellis stitches. The stitches can be worked between half space or full space gathering rows. Cables should be worked in odd numbers (i.e. if you start with an over cable, you should end with an over cable in each little block...this is what creates the symmetry in your design.) The trellis and wave stitches can be stitched in any number.
And remember: the larger the waves in your design, the greater the elasticity of the finished work.

As always, the basic rules remain the same:

Keep the needle horizontal to the gathering rows.
Pick up only the top third of each pleat.
Watch position (i.e. over or under) of the thread.
Pick up only one pleat with each stitch.
Maintain consistent spacing.

Stitches covered on this page

One Cable/Baby Wave/Five Cable	One Cable/Baby Wave/ Five Cable Diamonds	Full Space Crossover
Small Hearts	Large Hearts	Half Space Crossover
Half Space and Full Space Crossover		-5 Cable/Wave/5 Cable -3 Cable/Wave/3 Cable -3 Cable/2 Step Trellis/3 Cable

Cable/Wave Combinations

One Cable/Wave/Five Cable Combination

	1. Begin with an under cable. 2. With thread under needle make a one step baby wave stitch up to half way between gathering rows. 3. Thread over needle make an over cable stitch.
	4. Make four more cable stitches level with the first and ending with an over cable (so that there are five cable stitches in total in this block). Thread should be over needle at this stage. 5. Now stitch a one step baby wave down to the lower gathering row.
	6. Thread under needle make an under cable stitch.
	7. Continue from step 2. across the row.

Three Cable---Wave---Three Cable Combination

1. Starting with an under cable, stitch three cables (under/ over/ under)

2. Work a one step baby wave up to the half way mark between gathering rows.

3. Stitch three cables (over/ under/ over)and then,

4. Make a one step baby wave down to the bottom gathering row.
Repeat steps 1 to 4 across the row.

Cable---Wave Diamonds

Stitch a row of cable---wave combination and then stitch a mirror image of this row one needle's width directly below it.

Cable---Trellis Combinations

Three Cable---Two Step Trellis---Three Cable Combination

1. Stitch three cable stitches beginning with an under cable (under-over-under)

2. Make a two step trellis up to half way between gathering rows

3. Stitch three cable stitches beginning with an over cable (over-under-over)

4. Make a two step trellis back down to the starting row
Continue across row in this manner

Hearts

Small Hearts

1. The first row is a row of one step baby waves beginning with an under cable

2.The second row is a row of three step trellis beginning with an over cable.

Notice that all of the under cables of the first row correspond with the top cables of the row of trellis stitches. You will have two baby waves creating the tops of your hearts and one trellis making up the bottoms.

Large Hearts

The first row is a row of two step trellis beginning with an under cable.

The second row is a row of five step trellis (anchoring bottom and top level cable stitches with five steps in between) beginning with an over cable.

You will have two sets of two step trellis creating the tops of your hearts and one set of five step trellis making up their bottoms... and note that these hearts take up one and a half rows.

Combinations of Hearts and Diamonds

The first row is two step trellis starting with an under cable.

The second row is a combination made up of (five step trellis---two step trellis---five step trellis).

Be careful with your count.

Crossover Stitches

The term crossover refers to the pattern made when one row of smocking is stitched over another (i.e. crossed over).These stitches are very effective when two different colours are used. You can then thread ribbons through the resultant thread loops for an extra special effect.

Full Space Wave---three Cable Crossover

	1. Beginning with an under cable, work three cable stitches. (under-over-under) 2. Now work a full space one step wave up to the top gathering row. 3. Work three cable stitches.(over-under-over) 4. Make a one step wave down to the bottom gathering row. 5. Work three cables beginning with an under cable and continue across the row. 6. Change colour of thread
	Begin this second row of stitching on the top gathering row directly above your first set of cable stitches. Note: the stitches will be opposite your first row and will fill in the gaps left from the first row. These stitches should look like a continuation of, rather than an addition to, your first row, so take care that these stitches lay level with the first stitching row. 7. Work three cables beginning with an over cable(over/ under/ over)
	8. Make a one step wave down to the first gathering row and then work three cables (under/ over/ under) Continue across the row in this manner.

Half Space Wave---Five Cable Combination

As above but this is stitched over the half space instead of full. Makes a more delicate stitch.

Combination Half Space and Full Space Crossover

Use two different shades of one colour or two different colours for this one. I used the lighter shade for the first row (the background colour)in my sample.

1. Work a row of full space one step waves, beginning with an under cable.

2. With a second colour thread begin next row half way between the gathering rows. (This will be your top row.)

3. Work a row of one step baby waves, beginning with an over cable and stitched directly above the first cable of the first row. (Be careful not to catch the thread of the first row as you stitch the second.)

combination half space/full space crossover

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