Sample Projects
Meet the Author
Hey there, can you introduce yourself?
My name is Mary Beth Temple. I have been a knit and crochet designer since 2006 - before that I was a part time antique dealer and also worked as a costumer on film and television productions and Broadway shows. I love anything and everything to do with textiles! My mother was very crafty and we did everything in our house when I was growing up.
Tell us a bit about the book?
Arm Knitting is literally knitting with your arms instead of needles. The resulting fabric is sort of oversized, with large stitches. You usually use several strands of yarn together, and it's a great entry-level yarn craft, even for people who have never knit or crocheted before.
What was the inspiration behind it?
There is plenty of content around about how to make an infinity scarf, but I really wanted to see what else could be made in that technique - to take the technique a little further than the projects I was seeing online. Nothing is hard to learn in arm knitting, and just expanding your bag of tricks a little but can really increase the number of projects you can make.
Which is your favourite project?
I love the Fringed Knotted Stitch Scarf because I love both the texture and the ease of finishing. Since the "tail" ends are incorporated into the fringe on either side, there is zero sewing or seaming or end-weaving-in to do. You knit, you fringe, you wear it.
What is your craft space like?
I don't really have one space - one of the reasons I work as a designer is because a lot of my work is portable, and I have a teenaged daughter who is a champion Irish step dancer and has always required a lot of chauffeuring! I joked that I should thank Starbucks in one of my early books because I wrote a lot of it there. My house is cluttered with yarn, tools, and sewing machines!
Have you always been creative?
Always! I learned to knit when I was seven and started crocheting at eleven. As I said before my mother was very crafty and DIY was just how it was in our house. My sisters are very crafty also - one is an avid quilter and the other does beautiful needlepoint and cross stitch.
When did you first start crafting?
I was seven when I learned to knit and I vividly remember my first project, which was a bright gold acrylic garter stitch scarf. I dropped a stitch and my mother didn't quite know how to pick it up correctly so there was this weird stockinette stitch column just randomly in there.
Who are your crafty heroes?
I am a great admirer of knit designer Norah Gaughan, and love the humor of Stephanie Pearl-McPhee.
Where do you find inspiration?
Just everywhere I think, although a lot of my work, especially my crochet designs, are inspired by architecture and/or antique home decor. I am forever taking photos of railings and grillwork, interesting brick patterns, antique carpets. I also love watching the fashions that my daughter and her friends like to wear, and trying to interpret those for the knitter or crocheter.
What's next for you?
Goodness knows! I have a book on finger knitting coming out in August, that is sort of a companion piece to Arm Knitting. I am currently pondering what kind of book I might like to write next, and I have been having a great time making videos for my YouTube channel, and would like to do more with that. And I am always designing, both for magazines and for my independent pattern line Hooked for Life.
Publisher's Description
There's a new craze sweeping the knitting world. Arm knitting is the fun way to make a gorgeous, chunky-knit scarf in only 30 minutes, using your arms instead of knitting needles. Why not try it out? This book makes it so easy to whip up simple and stylish scarves, cowls, wraps, and capes. Knitting expert Mary Beth Temple shows you how to master basic arm knitting techniques, with clear instructions and step-by-step color photos. She offers 15 original projects arranged by level of difficulty. You can get started making something beautiful immediately, and then advance to more ambitious creations as your skills increase.Arm knitting is the quickest way there is to knit a fashionable scarf, and you can do it anywhere. All you need are your own two hands, a few skeins of bulky yarn, and a half-hour to spare. Before you know it you'll become an expert arm knitter, and you'll be right on trend, too!