The stitches crossing behind are transferred to a small "cable needle" for storage while the stitches passing in front (or behind) are knitted. The former stitches are then transferred back to the original needle or knitted from the cable needle itself. Rather than use a cable needle, some knitters prefer to use a large safety pin or, for a single stitch, simply hold it in their fingers while knitting the other stitch(es). Cabling is typically done only when working on the right side of the fabric, i.e., every other row. This creates a "spacer row", which helps the fabric to relax.