Welcome to the Cosy Craft Club's arm knitting month! We really want to encourage you to have a go at arm knitting, and we'll be sharing the key things you need to know to get started. You can find all our arm knitting posts in one place here.

Today, I would like to introduce you to Emily from Chap and Darling who is sharing a pattern for an arm knitted stocking for us! So cute! Take it away Emily…

Hello, my name is Emily and I run Chap and Darling, an online shop for craft kits, and MADEptford, a space where people can come to host craft workshops in Deptford London. For the past 18 months, I've been focused on handicrafts, teaching knitting, crochet, macrame and embroidery, with my most popular class by far being 'Arm Knit a Blanket' where attendees knit a blanket from 2kgs of giant yarn in just over an hour. Of the hundreds of people I've taught, there's never been anyone who's left the class without a completed blanket - it's so speedy, intuitive and madly rewarding. The way peoples' faces light up when they realise they've finished and see what they've managed to create is infectious. I love it.

Given the proximity of Christmas, I thought I'd share something a little more interesting than a blanket (of which it is very easy to find blog posts and videos for on the web!). Instead, this is a free pattern for anyone wishing to attempt a giant hand crocheted Christmas stocking.

This uses Woolly Mahoosive's mammoth yarn, it's acrylic based and comes in an array of fab colours. There are other supplies of giant wool, I'm sure are just as great - or you can upgrade to merino wool, but this does just fine and won't break the bank! As with any patterns, the colour combo is up to you, go stripy, stay minimal or embellish with tassels and pompoms. This shouldn't take longer than an hour - and is approximately 3 ft tall, plenty of room for all those festive treats!

All you'll need is:-
1) A hand (no crochet hook required)
2) 2kgs of Woolly Mahoosive mammoth yarn

I'll be using UK notation here - where:
DC - Double Crochet (wrap the yarn once before entering the stitch)
TR - Treble Crochet (wrap the yarn twice before entering the stitch)
SLST - Slip Stitch

You start at the toe:-

row 1: Make a slip knot, chain 4, SLST into the first stitch to complete the ring (4)
row 2: chain 1, 2 DC into every stitch, SLST into the first stitch to complete the ring (8)
row 3: chain 1, *1DC, 2DC* - increasing in every second stitch, SLST into the first stitch to complete the ring (12)
row 4-6: Chain 1, DC into all stitches, SLST into first to complete the ring (12)

Now for the heel (switch colours if you like):-

row 7:- SLST (to join new yarn), DC, DC, TR, TR, DC, DC, SLST
row 8-9:- turn and repeat, SLST, DC, DC, TR, TR, DC, DC, SLST

Back to the body:-

row 10:- Chain 1, DC into all stitches, SLST into first to complete the ring (12)
(this will take you around the loop, across the heel section, bringing everything together)
row 11 - 13:- Chain 1, DC into all stitches, SLST into first to complete the ring (12)
row 14:- SLST into all stitches, above the heel SLST, chain 10, SLST to create the loop, chain more for a bigger loop

Fasten Off!

Voila!

I hope you enjoy it as much as I have and get the arm knitting bug - the perfect activity of a chilly November Sunday.

Emily x

Arm knitted stocking with Chap and Darling