Question about cable and Aran patterns

I have a question about cable and Aran patterns

Is it normal for the knit stitches—the cables—to lie flat after washing and drying?
Am I doing something wrong? I can’t knit it any tighter than this, otherwise it gets too tight and I can’t do the cables anymore because the yarn will break.

Here’s a picture: the top one is “freshly knitted,” and the bottom one is washed and dried flat.

@Mel

I don’t know what you could be doing wrong. Maybe it’s the yarn?

I have a sweater here that’s been washed quite a few times. I spin it dry and hang it on the line or lay it out to dry. It always looks the same.

Hmmm.....
It’s a silk-wool blend yarn from Noro. I have another silk-viscose blend yarn, and the same thing happens with that one too....

Mel, how do you wash this piece? Silk is very delicate and needs to be hand-washed—and wool, of course, too. It could actually be due to the yarn or the wash cycle.

Monika, I washed the swatches in the sink with cold water and a little mild shampoo, gently squeezed them out, and let them dry flat on a towel.

So, I think the problem was that the swatch was too small. I’ve also added two knit stitches on each side now, sort of as support. After washing it in cold water with wool detergent (Noro yarn is extremely dirty)
, it now looks like the photo (still wet).

@Mel

Your knitted piece looks great. What’s it going to be when it’s finished?

If all goes well, it’s going to be a cardigan. But since I only have 500g of this yarn, the sleeves, cuffs, and trim will be in heathered anthracite.

That’s sure to look great
Once you’ve finished the jacket, I’d love to see a picture. Have fun carrying on with the knitting.

That’s going to be a great sweater, Mel. I like it.

Monika, it’s going to be a jacket ;)

This is the back piece.

@ Marion : Of course, I promise ;)