Arm Knitting

We’ve now come to the actual process of arm knitting. Typically, it should take just between 1 and 2 hours to complete the task, depending on how fast or slow you move. That being said, the following steps will give you a basic outline of what to do when crafting an arm-knit project:

Step 1: Casting On

Note that in this guide, we are assuming you did not find a super bulky yarn, so you’ll be using 3 skeins of a bulky yarn simultaneously. With that out of the way, place all ends of the yarns together, treating them like they are from a single strand of thick yarn.

Ensure that the yarn can smoothly uncurl from the skeins so that it's easier for you when you get started. 

To start casting on, pull just about five feet of yarn from the skein to make what is referred to as the tail of your yarn. This is what you will use when casting on the first row of stitches.

Let the yarn drop to your lap or even floor if you don’t want to bear unnecessary weight. 

The five feet of yarn will be adequate to cast on around 18 stitches, which is good for a small blanket. So, if you intend to make something larger than that, then lengthen the tail to seven or eight feet. 

Slip Knot

Begin by making a slipknot using some of the yarn you pulled out to make the tail. Do this by starting near the skein then work your way downwards. 

For the slipknot, you want to make a loop inside the yarn then pull another loop of yarn through the first loop. Slip the loop onto your arm to make your first cast on stitch.

Continue looping the yarn and pulling the loops through to create additional cast on stitches then slip the stitches onto your right arm as the cycle repeats itself.

Keep on casting till you get to around 18 stitches, and this will be enough to make a small blanket or cowl. For a larger blanket, you can aim for between 24 and 30 cast on stitches. 

Step 2: Arm Knitting

Knit Second Row

For the second row, you need to move the stitches back to your right arm. 

In the process of knitting using your arms, you’ll be moving the stitches between your two arms, which implies that if you started on the right arm, then the stitches will be moving to the left arm by the time you’re done with the first row, and back to the right by the end of your second row. 

Keep on knitting until you create a length you’re comfortable with.

Step 3: Binding Off

You will first need to cast off your stitches before finishing the blanket. It is basically the same thing you do when knitting with needles, whereby you knit the first two loops before proceeding to pull each loop through the loop behind it. 

To begin, knit the first two loops in your row. Stop knitting and hold the first loop in the row using your fingers.

Pull the loop in your fingers through the second loop on your hand to secure it firmly and remain with just one loop on the arm.

Repeat the cycle of knitting one then looping the first loop over your second loop to continue casting off. Do this until you get to the end of the row and keep in mind that as you’re casting off, never have anything more than two loops on the casting off arm. 

Step 4: Finishing and Weaving

To finish your blanket, you need to join the two ends of arm knitting. You can do this using the mattress stitch. Seaming with a mattress stitch helps to put the seam on the wrong side of the created fabric, resulting in the front side looking joined. 

To begin the mattress stitch, place the two arm knitting ends up against each other with the knit or right sides facing upwards. The working yarn should come on top and keep in mind that the ends should be of equal width. 

To match these evenly, you may have to widen the cast on edge by slightly pulling it. The stitches should be flexible enough to allow this but take care not to overdo it. 

Take your working yarn and bring it underneath your first line of stitches then pull it all the way. 

Shift the yarn to the left side then bring it under the first line of stitches before pulling it as you did on the right side. 

Repeat this process as you alternate from the left to the right side until you seam the entire length of your project. Try to ensure that the stitches being made are loose enough to make the yarn you have run through appear like an independent line of stitches. 

Weaving in the Ends

Flip the blanket you’ve created to the purl side so that you can weave in the working yarn on the wrong side of your creation. 

Start by weaving the yarn over then under loops on the cast on edge.

Tuck your yarn under several stitches in the seam then cut before moving to the other side of your blanket and weaving in the tail. 

Do this in the same way you did when weaving in the working yarn and cut the end to finish off. 

At this point, you’ll have successfully completed your maiden arm knitting project. You should be holding a gorgeous and well-made blanket that you can show off to your friends or family!

Conclusion

If you are considering learning the craft of knitting and making a career out of it or taking it up as a hobby, one of the most fundamental techniques  you’ll have to learn is arm knitting. This is a useful technique that only the pros can claim to have. 

Luckily, you can join the exclusive club of arm knitters with the right guidance. Consider the post above when you decide to embark on your first arm knitting project. 

FAQ

Can I Pause in the Middle of an Arm Knitting Project?

How Do I Knit with Multiple Strands of Yarn?

Most knitters will usually double, triple, and even quadruple up on the thinner yarn they have to achieve thicker and chunkier yarn. To do this, you need to start with several balls of yarn then hold the ends of the different strands together as you cast on. While knitting, continue working from the separate balls of yarn because if you wind the strands beforehand, it may end up being a tangled mess. 

Lucy Neatby's Knitting Gems

All of the videos show well-lighted sceneries, with emphasis placed on each knot or purl made by the materials. Also, Lucy Neatby is careful to show the delicateness of the craft while speaking very clearly and slowly, and this avoids any mistakes on the actual handiwork being done by the viewer.

As this collection is composed of four DVDs, it is an understatement to say that the lessons just cover a handful of strategies and methods of knitting. Aside from introducing viewers to creating armholes in knitted vests and sweaters, weaving techniques are also given to make the activity a much easier thing to do. There are TONS of new materials to use, and these ideas could help create more and more types of products. The only limit there is one's imagination.

From edges to cord and braid styles of stitching, Lucy Neatby will be there with the viewer with every step of the way. She will be able to do a thorough lesson for each of the methods summarized at the back of each DVD set, and she could even give tips on how to include buttons with their matching eyelets or even beads and use them in a hook or a purl row into the knitted product.

Interested in knowing about dangling beads and techniques in using cable needles? What about engaging in a practical work of bind-offs, decorative twined chains and scallops? No problem--she would be able to show all of those in clear detail. There are also varieties of twists and knitting kinks which could be incorporated in the stitching. Plus, methods on how to re-condition wool or a yarn material is included as a bonus to the videos, not to mention those nifty procedures on how to salvage what would have been a hopeless piece of knitted product. In no time, they will be considered as perfect yet again.

Handy and most definitely useful, the Lucy Neatby knitting stitch pattern DVD lets anyone learn a lot at their convenience. These can be watched at the comfort of the viewers' bedrooms or living rooms, and wouldn't it be more fun to do the stitching and the knitting with friends? Try one out, and you would most definitely not be disappointed.

Lucy Neatby's Knitting Essentials DVD

The Lucy Neatby Knitting Essentials allows users to learn different methods of knitting. From bind-off to cast-on, students of all ages would be able to see how to do a flat or a crochet chain, and they could even understand how provisional edges work, and what techniques they could do to maintain such a skillful task.

The very knowledgeable instructor also provides briefs on what to do with circular needles and answers common confusions on the different styles of cutting or ending a knitted piece of clothing without compromising the end pieces of the yarn that sometimes leads to messy outputs. There is even a portion which lets people learn how to recycle their waste yarn and utilize them to create more structured pieces of creation by grafting. Plus, she also gives out tips on various topics such as sock toe chimneys, yarn butterflies, slipknots and even hill stitches and valley loops.

Affordable and very much worth every penny in your pocket, this DVD is indeed a gem in any knitter's collection. Now there is no need to fumble or consult with equally confusing manuals--just a few minutes with this video and lots are already in line to be learned. And compared with face-to-face tutor sessions, anyone can pop in the DVD in the player at any time of the day, and Lucy Neatby will be there to help you with every strand of the way.