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.

Adding a bit of knitting to your fall decor is a lot of fun, whether it’s knit pumpkins or a bunch of adorable knit ghosts like these.

Knit ghosts can be super simple like this free ghost knitting pattern from Trixie Zynch on Ravelry. Using about 50 yards of worsted weight yarn, they’re worked from the bottom up and are super cute as a pair.

This fuzzy little ghost from Forest Knitting Toys is holding a pumpkin and wearing a witch hat, though of course the accessories are optional, as is the fuzzy yarn. The main yarn is chunky and the ghost measures about 10 cm/4 inches tall. It’s worked in the round.

Another fuzzy ghost in more of a Pacman style is this ghost plushie form South Stitch Girls. It’s worked in the round with bulky yarn and includes a sweet little bow you can make in whatever color you like.

The ghost doll from Edith Grace Designs has little arms and a curl at the top of its head. The body is worked flat using DK weight yarn and you could also work it in glow in the dark yarn for extra fun. The body and head are worked in one piece with the arms knit separately.

The Grim Grinning Ghosts from Susan Claudino are super cute and you can knit them in any yarn and gauge you like to make ghosts of different sizes. These are worked in the round with the body done in one piece and the arms are knit separately. The ghosts shown were knit in sock yarn, DK and worsted weight yarn. You can find the pattern on Ravelry.

Make a ghost with funny striped legs with this ghost shelf sitter design from Claire Fairall Designs. It’s worked in three colors of DK weight yarn, and the letters spelling out boo are made with strips of garter stitch sewn into shape.

Have you read?