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29 Free Arm Knitting Projects

Are you familiar with arm knitting? It’s the same as knitting, except that you don’t need the needles! All you need is your arms and a ball (or more!) of yarn! Use your arms like needles to knit blankets, a bag, and all the cowls and scarves you want! We’ve rounded up 29 free arm knitting projects for you to explore this fun niche fo the craft. Bonus: finger crochet and finger knitting patterns too!

Yarn Suggestions for Arm Knitting

Typically, you’ll want to work with thick and bulky yarns when you’re arm knitting., You can hold several thinner yarns together. However, for the best look, use super bulky or jumbo yarns for your arm knitting project. Of course, the free patterns listed below will indicate the recommended yarn.

Table of Contents

Arm Knitting Patterns: Blankets and Bag

It doesn’t take long at all to knit a blanket or bag when you use your arms as needles! Honestly, you’ll discover that once you get used to the process, it goes really fast. Mostly this has to do with the fact that you’re using big, thick yarn of course. However, it’s also because you’re able to move your fingers and arms a lot more quickly than your needles. As you’ll see, there are three-hour arm knit blanket patterns available. Great for quick gift making!

Arm Knit 3-Hour Blanket Free Knitting Pattern

Arm Knit Cowls and Scarves

Cowls are a great first project to make while arm knitting! They work up quickly and you can be done before you know it. Plus, of course, you’re able to see right away whether or not you’re doing the steps correctly. And if you’re not, you can easily frog back and start over. If you’re just learning how to knit with your arms, these truly are great projects to start with.

Field of Greens Arm Knit Cowl Free Knitting Pattern

Bonus: Finger Knitting and Finger Crochet

Get your fingers going with these projects that don’t require your entire arm — just your hands and yarn! You can do finger knitting. However, did you know that you can also do finger crochet? That’s right; skip the hook and just use your fingers. It’s actually a lot of fun.

Finger Knitting Hair Tie Free Knitting Pattern

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Categories: Free Patterns

The One and Only, Marly

Marly is a knitwear and crochet designer (and yarn addict) that is here to help you learn how to knit and crochet in a way that's fun and approachable.

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Knitting & Crochet Patterns for Every Mood

A cartoon image of a joyful chicken, sitting comfortably in a green armchair, knitting happily with blue yarn, surrounded by pink and white flowers, looking for DIY project ideas. -Marly Bird

Netflix & Chill

Simple projects for when you want to relax and zone out

A colorful illustration of a white rabbit with a unicorn horn, nestled among multi-colored leaves arranged like a fan behind it, projects every mood of peacefulness and whimsy. -Marly Bird

Social Butterfly

Frustration-free projects that you can easily work on in public areas

A whimsical illustration of a white chicken adorned with pink flowers and light pink butterflies, featuring flowing tail feathers and a playful pose, all set against a simple white background, perfect for mood-based projects. -Marly Bird

Smooth Jazz

Projects that require a bit more intense focus (but music is nice!)

Shhh Be Quiet!

Advanced projects requiring deep focus (but a big payoff, too!)