Last year I received a warm and fuzzy scarf from my best friend. When I asked her where she bought it, she replied, “I didn’t. I knitted it with my arms.” I was surprised by the effort she put into the gift, but more so by her claims of how easy it was. So, with Christmas right around the corner and no money in my bank account to give all of my friends a present, I turned to arm knitting. It is a cheap, fun and easy way to make gifts for the people in your life. To start, grab two bundles of bulky yarn.

1. Take one end from each spool of yarn and measure six arm lengths. Tie a slip knot and slide your hand through. (Figure A)

2. Take the tail yarn (string closest to the body) and place it around the thumb of your other hand, while taking the working yarn and going around your pointer finger of the other hand. Bring the arm the slipknot is on down creating an ‘X’ on your palm. (Figure B) Take your hand with the slipknot on it and put it under and through the first string on your thumb. (Figure C) Then take the hand with the slipknot and grab the first loop on the opposite pointer finger and put your hand over and through the hole you create. (Figure E) Do this six more times. (Figure F)

3. Grab the working yarn in the hand that has the yarn on it and pull a loop off from your wrist while holding the working yarn, creating a loop. Stick your opposite hand through the loop you create and tighten the loop. Do this step with each loop on your wrist, fully transferring the yarn to your other arm. Continue doing this step, switching arms until you have the length you want your scarf it be. (Figure G)

4. To bind the end of your scarf off, hold the work yarn in your hand and pull one of the loops off of your wrist and create the loop. Put your opposite hand through the loop. Repeat this step.

5. From the hand containing two knits, take the first knit and bring it over the second one, then let go. Grab another knit from the opposite hand and pull the working yarn through the loop creating another knit on the hand you put through the loop. From the hand containing two knits, take the first knit and bring it over the second one and let go. Continue this step until there are no more knits on your wrist. Once you get to the last loop pull the yarn through it. Do not pull it all the way through. Then pull the working yarn through the stitch again and make a knot.

Pull your working yard three arm lengths long.

6. Lay the scarf down in front of you take both ends of the scarf and hold them together. Loop the tail yarn through the ends of the scarf.