Book Review: Arm Knitting

The arm knitting craze really first started with a viral video made by Amanda Bassetti, the blogger behind Simply Maggie. Since learning to arm knit so she could make projects she’d actually finish because they took less time than knitting with needles, she’s developed tons of patterns made with nothing more than your arms and some really fat yarn.

And now she has a book, too. Arm Knitting: 30 Home and Fashion Projects for Your No-Needle Needs is a really comprehensive, detailed and inspiring look at this craft that just might get you to put aside your needles for a brief time.

One thing I really liked about this book is that it is heavy on instruction and showing you that there’s more to do with arm knitting than the single stitch a lot of those online tutorials use. She shows how to knit and purl, make Garter and Stockinette, ribbing, Seed Stitch and Linen Stitch. She also explores making cables, increasing and decreasing, so with this book by your side the sky’s the limit in terms of what you can make.

The book also includes 30 projects, arranged by how long they take to make, form a 10-minute headband to a pillow cover worked in Linen Stitch that takes about an hour.

That’s probably the biggest appeal of arm knitting: even the biggest projects don’t take all that long to make.

And while all arm knitting books and sites are heavy on projects like blankets, scarves and cowls, there are some other options here, too, like bags, shawls, mug and bowl cozies, even a 10-minute hat.

More than really following the patterns, this book inspires me to try some different things with arm knitting (I’ve made a cowl and a scarf and a blanket I ripped out because the stitches were too open), which is a great way to use a lot of yarn, fast, particularly if you happen to have a lot of bulky yarn in your stash.

Have you tried arm knitting? I’d love to know what you thought of it.

Book specifications: 144 pages, paperback with interior flaps, 30 patterns. Published by Barron’s Educational Series, September 2015. Suggested retail $17.99.

It feels like it’s too early to be thinking about back to school, but as I write this my daughter has just a couple of weeks of summer left! So let’s get in that school and fall knitting spirit by looking at some apple knitting projects.

If you have a 22 needle circular knitting machine, knitting an apple is one of the easiest things you can do. I have an apple pattern over at Our Daily Craft that will take you just a few minutes to knit and they’re a great addition to your fall decor.

Apple hats are a classic, and whether you want to knit a hat that looks like an apple or one with apples on it, we’ve got you covered. For hats that look like apples check out the rolled brim version from Emma Crochet Design 4 U, which uses worsted weight yarn and comes in sizes for kids of all ages; and the ribbed brim version from Hand Knit Hugs. This one also calls for worsted weight yarn and comes in four kids sizes. Both include a stem and leaf.

If you’d rather have apples on your hat, try the Red Apple Hat from Little Red Window. This one is sized from newborn to 2T and calls for four colors of worsted weight yarn.

How about apple socks? You’ll find Ariel Chang’s Apple Picnic Socks as a free download on Ravelry. These use three colors of sock yarn and come in three sizes. Stone Knits also a pair of stripey apple socks that show the inside of the apple. These also have three sizes but they use six colors total, with the main color being a self-striping yarn.

If you want a little apple accessory for the house, the apple potholder from Nifty Knitter Designs is cute and a great way to practice double knitting. It uses two colors and you’ll find the colors in the reverse on the other side. The pattern only uses about 50 yards of each color of worsted weight yarn, so it’s a great use for odd balls, too.

Once you’ve got your double knitting skills sorted you can also try the double knit apple scarf from Crow and Chai Shop. The Winter Apples scarf is shown in red and gold, but you can use whatever colors you like. There are apples, stars and random stitches in the design, which calls for DK weight yarn. There’s also a matching fingerless glove pattern.

Have you read?