Gave the 30 Minute Scarf a Try

As I said in my post about my big squishy chunky scarf, over New Years I was introduced to the concept of arm knitting by one of my good friends. She quick showed me on her own project, and then showed me a YouTube video illustrating how. Naturally, after we went to go grab some yarn for me, I decided to do something entirely different, and by the time she left I had lost the link to the video she showed me.

But not too long after I finished the first big chunky scarf, I got the itch for another, and this time I decided to try the arm knitting in earnest (I still hadn’t solved the stiff cord problem with my big needles, so no-needle knitting was looking mighty appealing). Though I no longer had the original link I was given, all it took was some quick google work for a tutorial video, and I was off.

The 30 minute scarf actually ended up being more like a 60 minute scarf – I had some confusion at the beginning in terms of casting on: I couldn’t really figure out how to translate long tail cast on to arm knitting, and the video I originally brought up wasn’t very clear. So back to YouTube I went, and I ended up settling on this video from Michael’s Stores:

Its quick, wordless, and very clear particularly for those of us who already understand the basics of knitting. Once I figured out the cast on from this video it was smooth sailing, and just like that I had another big squishy bulky scarf! Since then I have managed to find the original video my friend showed me, which is apparently super popular (it’s all over pinterest and has even been featured in the Wall Street Journal). I must not have looked too hard the first time. I also share a name with the blogger who made it, so I’m not sure why I didn’t remember… blame the New Year’s Champagne I guess. Here’s that video:

Overall I’m pleased with the outcome. The whole arm knitting thing was a little hard on my wrists, but I have wrist problems that your average person isn’t going to deal with thanks to my years and years of cello playing with teeny tiny hands. The scarf itself is warm, totally wearable, and above all, pretty cute! Here’s a picture I snapped quick on my way out the door the other day.

What do you think? Have you tried this whole arm knitting thing?