How to Arm Knit a Blanket

How to Arm Knit a Blanket

Want to knit a blanket within the shortest time possible? Consider arm knitting. With arm knitting, you can create comfortable blankets and scarves within an hour. How do you arm knit a blanket?

Arm knitting is a cinch, especially when you already know how to knit with needles. All you need is your arms and super bulky yarn, and you are ready to go.

How to arm knit a blanket
Image source: Better Homes & Gardens

To learn more about how to knit a chunky blanket with arms, let’s get started with the best arm knitting tutorial below.

How to Arm Knit For Beginners

Are you completely new to the world of knitting? Are you also not familiar with how to arm knit instructions? This guide is all you need.  Arm knitting is an excellent starting point as it will help build your crafting confidence as you transition to knitting with needles.

Watch this video on how to knit with your arms for complete beginners.

Learn also how to arm knit a blanket with merino wool in this video.

To arm knit, you need three basic techniques including;

    • Casting on
    • Arm Knitting
    • Casting off

Casting On

Casting on refers to creating new independent stitches so that you begin knitting. Here is a guide on how to cast on when arm knitting and will also help you determine how many stitches for arm knitting a blanket.

Step 1: Make a slip knot and put it into your right arm.

Step 2: Make another loop using the working yarn and place it on the arm with the slip knot.

Step 3: Repeat step 2 until you create enough stitches depending on your desired blanket size.

Watch this video to learn how to cast on when learning how to arm knit.

Arm Knitting 

How to arm knit
Image Source: Daily Emerald

Now that you have the desired number of cast-on stitches on your right arm, they cannot just sit there. They need to be knit to create the body of your garment.

Wondering how to go about this? Here is a step-by-step guide.

Step 1: Grab the working yarn with the free hand( left hand) and create a loop.

Step 2:  Slip the loop on the left hand through the first stitch on your right arm.

Step 3: Let the initial stitch on the right arm fall off as the new one takes its place.

Step 4: Slide the new stitch onto your left hand.

Step 5: Repeat steps 1 to 4  until you work through the entire row. Your work should now be on the left hand.

Step 6: Continue the process (step 1-5) to work on the second row and every other row until you get to the desired blanket’s length.

Casting Off

The last step of learning how to arm knit a scarf or blanket, to mention a few, is casting off. Casting off, also referred to as binding off, refers to securing the last row of your knitted garment to prevent unraveling. To cast off, you should;

Step 1: Knit two stitches on your free arm. Suppose your work is on the left arm; the two stitches should be knit on the right arm.

Step 2: Bring the first knitted stitch over the second one. You should now have one stitch on the right arm.

Step 3: Knit one more stitch onto your right arm. You should now have two stitches on the right arm.

Step 4: Bring the initial stitch over the new stitch so that you again have one stitch on the right arm.

Step 5: Repeat steps 3 and 4 until you bind off all the stitches.

Step 6: Weave in ends and cut off the excess yarn.

How Arm Knit A Blanket: Patterns

Before starting your arm knitting project, you need to know how to read knitting patterns. This helps you choose a suitable pattern for your project. There are various arm knitting blanket patterns, including;

The Chunky Arm Knit Ribbed Blanket

Arm knitting tutorial
Image Source: Spruce Crafts

To create a chunky arm knit ribbed blanket, you first need to know how to arm knit a purl stitch. You should then cast on your desired stitches. Next, you should knit two stitches and purl two more stitches across the rows until you get to your target length.

Ensure you know how to join knitting in the round, as you will use more than one skein of yarn. Finally, you should bind off. To cast off, weave all the ends into the blanket.

Arm Knit Mermaid Blanket Pattern

Arm knit mermaid blanket pattern
Image source: Simply Maggie

The mermaid pattern has two parts, the body, and the fin. Don’t know how to knit a mermaid blanket? Here is a guide and a video on how to create the arm knit blanket pattern. 

Just Like Magic Arm Knit Blanket  Pattern

How to knit with your arms
Image Source: Pinterest

You do not need a pair of knitting needles to create this chunky household charm. To develop a just like magic knit blanket pattern, you should hold four strands of your super chunky yarn and use them to knit till you get to your desired length, then cast off. 

How to Arm Knit a Blanket Step by Step

Want to arm knit your first knitted blanket but don’t know where to begin? Arm knitting a blanket may seem like a demanding project to take on, but it gets easier the more you keep on practicing and get the hang of it. 

The following is a step-by-step guide on how to start knitting a blanket with your arms. This video will also come in handy. Let’s delve right in.

Step 1: Gather the Necessary Equipment.

You need to ensure that you have all the necessary equipment before you start learning how to knit a blanket using your arms. To arm knit a blanket, you need the following materials;

Yarn

Arm knitting a blanket for beginners
Image Source: Instructables

Arm knitting requires bulky yarn to complete the project. So before you purchase your knitting thread, check the yarn’s woven labels to determine the yarn weight. 

The labels will also indicate whether the yarn you want to purchase is suitable for arm knitting when learning how to knit. Ensure that you also check the yarn’s care labels for leads on washing and cleaning your knitted blanket.

It is worth noting that there are various yarn materials to choose from, including cotton, acrylic, and soft bamboo, to mention a few,  so you need to be keen on the yarn material choice. To learn how to arm knit a blanket step by step, choose super bulky merino wool yarn.

The amount of yarn to purchase depends on the size of blanket you intend to knit. 

Scissors 

How to arm knit for beginners
Image Source: Loop Knitting

A pair of scissors will come in handy when you cut extra yarn and weave in loose ends. Consider the ease of handling the scissors while purchasing one for knitting a blanket using your arms project.

What about knitting needles? Unlike other types of knitting, arm knitting does not require needles. You only need yarn, your arms, and a pair of scissors, and you are good to go!

Knitting Equipment

Guide To Purchase

Yarn

Purchase super bulky merino wool.

Consider the labels to ascertain that the yarn is suitable for arm knitting.

Check the care labels for the yarm material cleaning instructions

Pair of Scissors

Consider the scissors type, size, and ease of handling.

Step 2: Cast On Your Stitches.

Arm knitting how to
Image Source: Flax & Twine

Do you know how to cast on knitting while using your arms and not needles? To cast on, you should;

    • Pull a few feet of yarn from the skein. This creates the tail of yarn that will be used to create the first row of stitches. Now the length of the tail depends on the desired blanket size.
    • Make a slip knot

Arm knit blanket
Image Source: Pinterest

The slip knot or the knit stitch refers to the first cast-on stitch. Don’t know how to make a slip knot? Using the already pulled-out yarn, make a loop. Next, pull a second loop through the initial one( use the working yarn and not the already pulled out thread) and slip it onto your right arm.

    • Keep looping the yarn and pulling loops through while slipping them onto your arm until you reach the desired number of cast-on stitches, depending on the size of your blanket. For a small blanket, 18 cast-on stitches are a good start.

Step 3: Knit The Body Of Your Blanket

How do you arm knit a blanket
Image Source: YouTube

Once you are done casting on the stitches, the next step is to start knitting. Not sure how to go about this? Here is a guide.

    • Knit the first row. To knit the first row, you need to know how to finger knit. You should pick the free end of the working yarn and loop it around your left hand. Next, insert the loop on the left hand into the first one on the right hand. 

You should then let the initial loop on the right hand slide off your arm as you pull the new loop through. Finally, slide the new loop onto your right arm. Repeat this process until you complete the first row.

    • Transfer the stitches to your initial arm. When you are done knitting your first row, all the stitches should be on the other arm(it depends on the arm you used to start knitting). Now transfer them back to the initial arm( in our case, the right arm) and knit another row. 

Repeat this until you reach the target blanket size.  Ensure that you know how to count rows in knitting to determine when you have hit your target blanket length. 

Step 4: Cast Off The Stitches

Binding off arm knitting
Image Source: Flax & Twine

Don’t know how to cast off knitting? When learning how to knit a blanket with merino wool, you need to ensure that you bind off to finish the blanket. Casting off ensures that the stitches do not unravel.

To cast off, you should knit two loops. Next, take the first loop in the row and pull it over the second one. You should have one loop on your casting off hand. Repeat this until you cast off all the stitches. 

Step 5: Weave In The Ends

To complete your how-to-arm knit blanket project, you further need to learn how to weave in ends knitting. Why? Because weaving in loose ends helps to secure the cast-off stitches.

Weaving in the ends of your blanket entails pulling the free end of the yarn through the loop. Next, you should weave the tail end of the yarn through the loops on the edge of the blanket to hide it. Equip yourself with various sewing room ideas to effectively weave in the ends of your arm knitted blanket.

Finally, use scissors to trim the excess yarn. There, you now know how to arm knit a blanket!

How Long Does it Take to Arm Knit a Blanket?

Knitting a blanket using needles can be time-consuming. You may spend days or even weeks to get the job done. 

With arm knitting, the time you spend knitting the blanket is significantly short. A proficient knitter could spend forty-five minutes to arm knit an entire blanket! That said, various factors determine the amount of time you spend arm knitting your blanket.

They include;

    • Proficiency 

How proficient are you with arm knitting? If you already know how to knit with your arms, then you will quickly get the job done.

If you are a beginner, you may take longer to finish arm knitting your first blanket as you first have to master the skill. With enough practice and experience, you will have your blanket ready within less than an hour.

    • The Yarn

What type of yarn do you intend to use? The size and thickness of the yarn contribute to the complexity of your knitting. The thicker the yarn, the easier it is to knit, and also faster it is to complete the project.

Consider using super bulky merino wool if you want to spend the least time on your arm knitting project.

    • The Size of The Blanket

How big do you want your blanket? The bigger the blanket, the more time you spend arm knitting. When learning how to arm knit a blanket as a beginner, start with a smaller blanket, and advance to a bigger one as you become more proficient.

    • Your speed

How fast can you arm knit? The amount of time you spend on your project depends on your speed. So if you are slow in arm knitting, you will take more hours to complete a project which a fast knitter would finish within an hour.

    • The Blanket Pattern

The more complex the blanket pattern you choose, the more time you will spend on your arm-knitted project. You should choose easy-to-knit patterns and progress to the complex ones as you gain proficiency when a beginner.

Knitting Terms

Definition

Arm Knitting

This is a knitting technique that uses a knitter’s arms in place of the knitting needles.

Casting On

Casting on refers to creating new independent stitches so that you begin knitting.

Casting Off

Casting off, also referred to as binding off, refers to securing the last row of your knitted garment to prevent unraveling.

Slip Knot

A slip knot, also known as the knit stitch, refers to the first cast-on stitch in a knitting project.

Purl Stitch

A stitch is created when a loop of yarn is pulled from front to back through the previous stitch when knitting a garment.

Conclusion 

Arm knitting allows you to create fabrics within the shortest time possible. To learn how to knit using your arms, you need to master three basic skills, including casting on, arm knitting, and casting off, more so when you are a beginner.

To learn how to knit a chunky blanket with arms, you need yarn and a pair of scissors. In arm knitting, your arms take the place of the knitting needles. You should make a slip knot, cast-on stitches, and knit the blanket’s body while keeping the desired blanket pattern in mind.

 Finally, you should cast off your knitting and weave in loose ends. Do you now have an idea of how to arm knit a blanket?