From Knitting Nature: 



I think of this cable pattern as the art deco version of a seashell.  The curves have been squared off and rounded angles replace sinuous lines.  Although stylized, the outline of a shell remains, growing form a point to accommodate the growing animal within.  When designing this pullover, I chose ease of knitting over geometric accuracy, limiting myself to two-over-two cables.  The decreases that shape the yoke and coincide with the narrowing of the seashell shape are placed in the reverse stockinette-stitch sections on either side of the shell motifs, so they don’t interfere with the cable.