Here are a bunch of tips about knitting cables, collected together.
What are cables? Its is simply a place where you cross one or more stitches in the row of knitting.
They can be as narrow as two stitches, or as wide as ten stitches or more.
Even numbers of stitches are usually used for cable knitting, to make a symmetrical pattern.
If you use an odd number, you'll end up with a visually interesting pattern, but this technique is a little more advanced than regular cable knitting.
Knitting cables are usually used in stockinette, set against a background of reverse stockinette or garter stitch.
This helps the cable to stand out visually.
Getting a smooth bottom edge for your project: First, read the cable cast on method.
Sometimes your cast on flares out below the cables, which makes the bottom edge ripple.
To avoid this, you can cast on one or two fewer stitches below each cable.
As you are knitting, on the row before you cross the cables for the first time, increase by the same number of stitches in each cable section.
The increases won't be noticeable if you put them in the center of the cable cross, and you'll end up with the right number of stitches.
Finishing your project neatly: Cables tend to pull the fabric in quite a bit.
This makes the cast-off edge ripple and flare a bit.
To avoid having the edge fan out, work one or two decreases at the top of each cable.
You can place these as you bind off, or the row before.
This makes the edge neat and straight, with no amateur-ish rippling.
See, knitting cables is relatively simple!