Is a cable knit just a fancy rib?

No. Both are raised columnar knits, but rib simply alternates knit and purl columns, while cable physically crosses groups of stitches over one another with a cable needle to build a twisting rope. Cable is denser, warmer, and far less stretchy than rib.

Why is cable knit so warm?

Crossing the stitches piles extra yarn into the fabric and thickens it, trapping more air, so a cabled sweater is heavier and warmer than a plain or ribbed knit of the same yarn.

Do the cable patterns mean anything?

The popular idea that specific Aran cables encode particular clans or families is largely a twentieth-century romance rather than documented history. The patterns are traditional and regional, but they were not a fixed family code.

Side by side

Rib Knit vs Cable Knit

Rib and cable are both raised, columnar knit structures, but one is built for stretch and the other for decoration and warmth. Rib alternates knit and purl columns to make stretchy vertical ridges. Cable physically crosses one group of stitches over another with a cable needle, building a raised rope that twists down the fabric, denser and less elastic than rib.

Rib Knit

No. 157

alternating columns of knit and purl stitches · first documented Middle Ages

Cable Knit

No. 158

stitches crossed to form raised rope-like cables · first documented 1900s

The differences

Aspect	Rib Knit	Cable Knit
How it is made	Alternating knit and purl columns, no crossing.	Groups of stitches crossed over each other on a cable needle.
Surface	Even vertical ribs.	Raised, rope-like twists that braid down the column.
Stretch	Very stretchy crosswise.	Denser and firmer; the crossings use up yarn and reduce stretch.
Warmth	Warm, with the usual loft of knitting.	Warmer and thicker, since the crossed stitches pile up yarn.
Association	Cuffs, collars, and close-fitting knitwear everywhere.	The Aran fisherman's sweater of the west of Ireland.

Which to choose

Choose rib where you want stretch and a clean elastic edge; choose cable where you want a thick, warm, decorative rope texture. They often appear together on the same Aran sweater, cables across the body and ribbing at the cuffs.

Common questions

Is a cable knit just a fancy rib?: No. Both are raised columnar knits, but rib simply alternates knit and purl columns, while cable physically crosses groups of stitches over one another with a cable needle to build a twisting rope. Cable is denser, warmer, and far less stretchy than rib.
Why is cable knit so warm?: Crossing the stitches piles extra yarn into the fabric and thickens it, trapping more air, so a cabled sweater is heavier and warmer than a plain or ribbed knit of the same yarn.
Do the cable patterns mean anything?: The popular idea that specific Aran cables encode particular clans or families is largely a twentieth-century romance rather than documented history. The patterns are traditional and regional, but they were not a fixed family code.

Full entry: Rib Knit Full entry: Cable Knit

Sources & References

1.Ribbing (knitting), Wikipedia
2.Knitted fabric, Wikipedia
3.Cable knitting, Wikipedia
4.Aran jumper, Wikipedia