Are you wondering what kind of yarn for making an arm knitting blanket you should be using? Finding the right giant yarn for arm knitting and learning more about arm knitting is important before purchasing your supplies and getting started on your arm knit yarn project.
It’s important to find out which arm knitting yarn is best for your project and budget before you start working on your favorite chunky knit project. Whether you want to make a chunky arm knitting blanket or something like a chunky arm knit scarf, our extreme knitting post will help you decide what kind of extreme yarn to use.
Oversized arm knitting blankets and scarves are super popular right now and can be knit with super-sized gigantic needles, PVC pipe or even your arms.
Arm knitting, of course, sounds like the most fun option and the added bonus is it saves you money and prevents you from having to store more crafting items! I’ve included everything you need to know about yarn for arm knitting projects to help you get started.
If you’re curious (or in a hurry):
What is arm knitting?
For those new to the arm knitting process, you’re literally using your arms instead of needles to knit projects such as blankets, pillows, scarves and more. This works best when using the super chunky yarn that can be found in merino wool, as vegan yarn that mimics wool and acrylic yarn.
Arm knitting is SUPER fun and it very easy for beginning knitters too!
Arm knitting is also cheaper than buying jumbo needles or using hardware store pvc pipe.
What’s the downside of arm knitting?
There are a few limitations with arm knitting you need to be aware of before you get started:
- You’ll be restricted to narrow projects since you can only go as wide as you can squeeze onto your arm from your wrist to elbow. If you’re dreaming of a chunky knit blanket that is as big as your bed, arm knitting won’t be the best choice. If you’re just wanting to start with something narrow and small like a lap blanket or couch decoration, arm knitting works well!
- It’s best to start and finish your project in one sitting. While you can attempt to transfer your project to an old wrapping paper tube, it’s best to not do that.
- Stitches are harder to get perfectly even since your arm width varies. These are my favorite jumbo knitting needles if you decide to go that route.
Making something like a chunky arm knit blanket can be completed in less than one hour, just make sure not to have distractions so you can complete your project in one sitting!
An arm knitting blanket is actually really easy, even for a brand new knitter!
While I’ve been knitting fun scarves for many years, this past year was the first time I made a chunky knit blanket. I am so excited! I’ve literally spent countless hours doing the research on the best yarn for arm knitting blankets and resources such as the best patterns, tutorials, videos, supplies and free patterns.
I just received another type of thick yarn for arm knitting a chunky knit blanket in the mail, I can’t wait to share photos once it’s finished this weekend.
What is the best yarn to use for arm knitting?
The kind of arm knitting yarn you use for arm knitting, makes a huge difference in work-ability and how your project turns out. There are 4 options I recommend, depending on your budget, yarn preferences and how quickly you need it:
Craft store yarns
US Merino Wool
Vegan yarn that mimics wool
Amazon purchase options
Because your arms are mimicking giant knitting needles, you need to use a super bulky yarn for arm knitting.
Don’t be fooled by labels that “say” they are bulky yarn, just because a yarn claims to be bulky, does NOT mean it’s thick yarn for arm knitting. Sometimes you might hear the yarn called chunky yarn, or bulky yarn or giant yarn but they still come in different sizes or might have a different gauge. Regardless, we highly recommend you at least use a size 7 yarn for arm knitting.
The best yarn for arm knitting also depends on YOU and what your objective is! We’ve listed numerous different brands and types of arm knitting yarn that work well for a variety of projects.
Maybe you’re trying to make a chunky knit blanket for cheap, or maybe you’re wanting something soft and non-shedding for your child’s bed, or maybe you want a high-quality merino wool heirloom that will be a gorgeous focal point on your couch.
Chunky Yarn for Arm Knitting
* 2 Craft store arm knit yarn options*
#1 Premier Yarns Couture Jazz Yarn
A popular chunky craft store yarn for arm knitting is Premier Yarns Couture Jazz Yarn. This arm knit yarn can be found online at Joann’s, Wal-Mart, and Amazon. This yarn is literally the cheapest way to make a chunky knit blanket and is a chunky acrylic yarn. It isn’t as thick as what you’ll find on Instagram and Pinterest, but it’s very soft, doesn’t shed and it’s easy to work with.
On sale, you can buy the yarn for as low as $5.99/skein and you’ll need 11-12+ for your project, depending on the size.
** This is challenging to find and sells out fast. Many local stores don’t even carry it, if you find it online, nab it!! **
Simply Maggie made this yarn popular with her free YouTube arm knit blanket tutorial, which you can find here in my post on different options you have to make a chunky knit blanket.
PROS:
- Inexpensive
- Quick online shipping
- Doesn’t shed
- Machine washable (do NOT put in the dryer)
- Easy to return to your local store
- A great starting yarn for beginners
- Going through a craft store like Joann’s also lets you add coupon discounts
CONS:
- This isn’t as chunky arm knitting yarn as the super bulky photos you see all over the internet
- The skeins are small so you need to connect many of them
- Acrylic, so it won’t have a wool look
Please understand, the “chunky” craft store yarn you can find is not AS chunky as the enormous balls you see on Pinterest that sell for $40/skein and results in a $250+ wool blanket. Craft store yarn is PERFECT for someone looking to make a chunkier blanket for less cost or someone who doesn’t want to work with wool.
I just purchased this arm knit yarn online from Joann’s and will report back! The project is a chunky knit blanket for my son, I wanted an inexpensive project and also loved this doesn’t shed and is very soft!
I’ll be honest, this yarn is in such demand, it’s hard to find it in stock (and only sold online) at Joann’s, Wal-Mart, and Michael’s. Hobby Lobby does not carry it. In other words, if you’re serious about making a chunky knit blanket or other projects, if it’s in stock, get it!
If you need your yarn ASAP and the color you want is sold out, you can find it on Amazon:
- Purchase Premier Yarns Couture Jazz Yarn on Amazon. It costs a little more but you’ll get it 2 days later if you have Amazon Prime.
BE SURE to read the reviews before purchasing Couture Jazz on Amazon! Some buyers reported not receiving as many skeins as purchased (in packs of 3) and struggled to get reimbursed by the seller.
If you don’t mind waiting a week for delivery, buying online from Joann’s or Wal-Mart, are your best bet!
#2 Yarn Bee Showstopper
This is my favorite arm knit yarn from a craft store for making a less expensive chunky knit blanket, pillow, rug or other projects!
Hobby Lobby sells Yarn Bee Showstopper a wool/acrylic chunky blend that looks like the more expensive chunky wool you see everywhere online–for much less! It’s 15% wool. I made a chunky knit blanket with this arm knitting yarn and loved it!
Because of how many skeins you need to complete a project (we’re talking 8-12 skeins), ordering it online is your best bet! I’ve never been able to find more than 3-4 skeins in the actual store at one time and you want to try to buy from the same dye lot.
Craft store chunky knit yarn like Yarn Bee Showstopper is NOT as chunky as the ultra bulky yarn you see on Pinterest and Instagram.
This is the CLOSEST inexpensive option you can get! It’s even thicker than the Couture Jazz yarn and is quite lovely. The only downside when comparing this to the Couture Jazz is it’s still soft yarn, but not AS soft as Couture Jazz. Yarn Bee Showstopper also lightly sheds, so if you want an accent blanket for the couch or end of bed, this is an awesome choice. If it’ll be heavily used and you wear tons of dark colors (like me), you might consider Couture Jazz.
TIP: When working with this yarn, it comes compact and at first appears less bulky than you might be thinking. You pull it apart slightly to get those wide chunky strands.
PROS:
- Inexpensive
- Machine washable
- Quick online shipping
- Easy to return to your local store
- A great starting yarn for beginners
- Going through a craft store like Joann’s also lets you add coupon discounts
CONS:
- This isn’t as chunky arm knitting yarn as the super bulky photos you see all over the internet
- Lightly shedding
Chunky Yarn Option #2: US Merino Wool
This is my personal favorite, if you aren’t limited by price and making a high-quality project is your goal, this is the way to go! It’s super high quality, from the US and the merino for this yarn is sourced from “a family run mill, founded by grower-owners and is processed responsibly with deep concern for both the animals and the environment.”
If you want a chunky knitting blanket that’s both high quality, super soft, doesn’t shed and is gorgeous, this is a great option! Trish from Colorways gets 5-star glowing reviews for her super chunky yarn for arm knitting projects. Whether you just want the wool or want a complete kit, this is the all-around, high-quality way to go.
Colorways Yarn is a “SMOOSH” yarn, and according to their website:
“Our SMOOSH yarn is lightly spun for several reasons. The light twist in our yarn provides strength, durability and longevity … While all wool products will shed and pill a bit, with the twist applied to our yarn, SMOOSH will do so much less than others and considerably less compared to plain roving. Roving also breaks and tears easily and can be difficult to work with, especially for less experienced extreme knitters.”
“We add just enough twist to make it easy to work with, but not so much it is twisty, loses it’s loftiness, or has uneven thickness. Our special process in preparing and spinning our yarn also allows for it to be much lighter in weight than plain wool roving. A 30×50 inch blanket made with our yarn will weigh 4-5 pounds, compared to the same sized blanket made with roving weighing 8-9 pounds! Blankets made with our yarn will also drape and move much more freely and not be at all stiff, unlike those made with roving.”
You can purchase Colorways yarn through their Etsy shop. They also sell knit kits, knitting supplies, gorgeous jumbo needles and you can also purchase finished projects.
Chunky Yarn Option #3: Vegan Yarn
If you’re allergic to wool or don’t want yarn from animal products, but still like the wool look and feel, vegan yarn is a great option! Becozi has a popular chunky knit yarn Etsy shop for both vegan yarn and merino wool. She also sells patterns, knitting supplies and has numerous chunky knit pattern tutorials on YouTube.
The website doesn’t say where the Becozi vegan yarn is from, the business owner herself is in the US, the merino wool is from Australia.
Chunky Yarn Option #4
The Best Amazon Yarns
So I’ll admit, I’m a huge Amazon Prime shopper and you definitely can’t beat the convenience of shopping through Amazon! I’ve done A LOT of research on the best chunky knit yarn sources for those of you are fellow Amazon Prime addicts or just need your arm knitting yarn ASAP.
A LOT of the chunky knit yarn on Amazon is from China and to be honest, most don’t get the best reviews. Even the “better” reviews are at most 4 star. In addition, they’re charging you pretty close if not more than the higher quality sources I listed above.
But if you just want a cheap accent blanket and want the yarn right away, it’s sometimes hard to beat Amazon’s shipping speed.
Keep in mind, one pound of wool is enough for a small project like a scarf. If you want something like an arm knitting blanket, you’ll possibly need 5-10+ pounds. Make sure to read the details, reviews and questions to find out exactly how much yarn to order! These are all roving wool, which is known to shed a little.
Sheps Yarns Roving Wool: This is the Amazon Choice chunky yarn and gets a 4.7/5 review from readers. It is NOT Amazon Prime eligible, but it’s a GREAT choice if you want an inexpensive chunky knit blanket to arm knit made from 100% wool.
- If you’re trying to make a chunky knit blanket for as cheap as possible and want to make it with 100% wool, this is a really good option.
Aniko from Place of My Taste has an AWESOME Youtube tutorial on how to make an arm knitted chunky blanket with the Sheps Yarn Roving Wool! Watch out, it’s mesmerizing lol!
Hopefully, this answers your questions about what kind of giant yarn for arm knitting! What arm knit yarn to use basically comes down to budget, what you plan to do with your finished product, and if you want to work with wool or not.
HomeModa is another Amazon yarn to check out that was the top selling chunky yarn on Amazon. Sometimes it’s on Amazon Prime and other times it isn’t since it’s coming from China. To be honest, I used to list this as an option since it was the #1 Amazon seller, but stopped promoting it as my top Amazon choice after ordering it myself. It has a good color variety but (in my opinion) has an odd texture. Some reviews described it as like “cotton candy,” but I personally just wanted something that felt like wool lol.
It’s still worth checking this yarn out, I just personally think there’s better options out there for you!
RECAP OF THE BEST CHUNKY KNIT YARNS
Craft Store Yarn
✅ Premier Yarns Couture Jazz acrylic yarn
✅ Yarn Bee Show Stopper acrylic/wool blend
Amazon Picks
✅Roving wool by Sheps Wool – The Amazon Choice chunky yarn
High-Quality US Merino “Smoosh” Wool
Vegan Bulky Yarn
✅HomeModa also has a Vegan braid option
✅Becozi vegan yarn– looks like wool
Please let us know which super bulky yarn for arm knitting you end up picking for your project!
We would LOVE if you post your chunky knit projects below or add to the Pinterest pin so we can see your results 🙂 XOXO, Jen and Madi
How Do You MAKE a Chunky Arm Knitting Blanket?
Read my detailed post on the multiple ways how you knit a chunky knit blanket.
Whether you’re wanting to make a chunky arm knitting blanket or use jumbo needles to make your chunky knitting blanket, DIY on a budget or want to create a stunning heirloom, our post will answer all of your questions!
The Best Places to BUY a Chunky Knitted Blanket
If you’d like to BUY a Chunky Knit Blanket, you’ll want to make sure and read our new post about 8 AMAZING blankets you’ll absolutely love!
10 Must Have Chunky Knit Projects
My goal is to figure out how to make that chunky knit Santa hat by next Christmas!
Do you want to buy an arm knitting blanket kit, make a simply chunky scarf or save time and purchase adorable homemade chunky knit items from crafty people? This will give you tons of fun project ideas!
Happy Knitting! <3 Please let us know how your project turns out and I’d love to see photos!
Very useful article. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you! I’m glad it was helpful!
Great article! So helpful to have all of this information in one place. 😊