Three Cable Rows
Three Cable Rows is a beginner smocking plate charted on 29 pleats and 3 worked rows. A first plate for a pillowcase border or a plain bib: three rows of cable in two colors teach even tension before anything else. It uses cable, stitched in blush and navy.
The plate at a glance
| Level | Beginner |
| Pleats charted | 29 |
| Worked rows | 3 |
| Pleater setup | 5 pleater rows (3 worked plus one holding row above and below) |
| Mirrored | yes, around pleat 15 |
| Pleated width | 7.25 in at 0.25 in per pleat |
| Raw fabric width at 3:1 | 21.75 in |
| Colors | 2: blush and navy |
| Thread in all | 1.91 yd |
Row by row
Rows 1 to 3 read top down, pleats 1 to 29 from the left.
| Rows | Stitch | Color | Pleats | Bites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cable | Navy | 1 to 29 | 29 |
| 2 | Cable | Blush | 1 to 29 | 29 |
| 3 | Cable | Navy | 1 to 29 | 29 |
The needle movement for Cable is described in the glossary.
Floss for this plate
| Color | Thread (yd) | Skeins needed | Skeins to buy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blush | 0.64 | 0.04 | 1 |
| Navy | 1.27 | 0.08 | 1 |
Navy carries 66 percent of the thread; estimate for 3 strands, formula in the floss guide.
Pleats by chest size
The plate is mirrored around pleat 15, so the garment sizes keep an odd pleat count. The chart's 29 pleats cover 7.25 in; a front panel for an 18 in chest pleats to 41 pleats (30.75 in of fabric), one for a 28 in chest to 61 pleats (45.75 in); the full table by chest size is in how the sizing works.
Compared with the other free plates
- Same 29 pleats as Outline and Stem Ladder, Soft Baby Wave, Wave Stripe.
- With 3 worked rows it is among the shortest free plates; 10 are longer.
- It belongs with Geometric Plates for Beginners, eight plates on 31 and 32 pleats; the closest to this plate are First Cable Rows and Gentle Baby Wave.
Print at 100 percent and check the inch square. See also how to read a plate and using a pleater.