by Joo young Yoon

The weather is getting cooler and cooler these days. I just felt I needed some warm and nice arms to hold me. But sadly I don't have a boyfriend, so I decided to make my own Strong Arm!

This arm… no, his arm has a big biceps muscle and a cool big anchor tattoo! His big clenched fist looks really reliable. His big, warm Strong Arm will hold me tightly, and I can even sleep with my head on his arm for cuddles when I need them.

If you knit his arm with warm and smooth wool yarn, he can hold you more tightly and even warmer.

SIZE
One

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
Width: 22.5 inches
Height: 21.5 inches

MATERIALS
Yarn
Knitlove Montblanc standard [100% Acrylic; 57m/30g skein]
[MC] Red Ivory; 10 skeins
[CC] Cocoa; 1 skeins
Note: Cascade 220 would be an excellent substitute; you'd need 3 skeins for MC and 1 for CC1.

Recommended needle size
[always use a needle size that gives you the gauge listed below — every knitter's gauge is unique]
24-40 inch US #7/4.5mm circular needle

Notions
stitch holder
500g polyfil stuffing
water-erasable fabric marking pen
scraps of a similar weight yarn yarn, for embroidery: light blue and light brown for tattoo embroidery
yarn needle

GAUGE
19 sts/24 rows = 4 inches in stockinette stitch, after blocking

Note: gauge is not critical for this project, but you do want the fabric to be worked tightly so that the stuffing doesn't show through.

PATTERN NOTES
[Knitty's list of standard abbreviations and techniques can be found here.]

The tattoo and lines are embroidered after knitting is complete.

DIRECTIONS
Front side
With MC, CO 105 sts.

Begin with K row, work 55 rows in St st.

Next row, divide for bicep [WS]: P70, turn. Slip rem 35 sts to holder.

Biceps
Next row [RS]: Knit.

BO 2 sts at beg of next 12 rows. 46 sts.

BO 4 sts at beg of next 8 rows. 14 sts.

Next row [WS]: Purl

BO all sts.

Forearm
Return 35 held sts to needles, and with WS facing, rejoin MC.
Starting with P row, work 19 more rows.

Decrease row [RS]: K2, ssk, k to last 4 sts, k2tog, k2. 2 sts decreased.

Work 5 rows even.

Repeat the last 6 rows three more times. 27 sts.

Work a Decrease row followed by 3 even rows 3 times. 21 sts.

Next row, increase for fist [RS]:

Inc sts for fist:
Next row [RS]: K1, (kfb, k1) 9 times, k2. 30 sts.
Following row [WS]: Purl.

Next, row, increase [RS]: Kfb twice, k to end. 2 sts increased.
Following row, increase [WS]: Pfb twice, p to end. 2 sts increased.

Repeat the last 2 rows once more. 38 sts.

Next, row, increase [RS]: K1, kfb, k to last 2 sts, kfb, k1. 2 sts increased.
Following row [WS]: Purl.
Repeat the last 2 rows 3 more times. 46 sts.
Work 12 rows even in St st.
Next, row, decrease [RS]: K2, ssk, k to last 4 sts, k2tog, k2. 2 sts decreased.
Following row [WS]: Purl.
Repeat the last 2 rows 3 more times. 38 sts.
BO 2 sts at beg of next 4 rows. 30 sts.
BO.

Back side
With MC, CO 105sts.
Begin with K row, work 55 rows in St st.

Next row, divide for bicep [WS]: P35, turn. Slip rem 70 sts to holder.

Work Forearm as for Front Side on the 35 sts just worked.

Return 70 held sts to needles, and with WS facing, rejoin MC.
Next row [WS]: Purl across, then complete Biceps as for Front Side.

FINISHING
Block pieces.

With CC and light blue, embroider Anchor tattoo on the bicep of one piece, using photos as a guide.

With CC, embroider lines for fist. With light brown, embroider lines on forearm.

Note: it's helpful to use erasable marker to draw in guide lines for the embroidery.

Seam pieces together, leaving a small opening. Stuff firmly, and then close final seam.

Joo young is a Korean knitting designer and web-cartoonist. She loves video games, anime and comic books from which she draws lots of inspiration!

She has been publishing web-comic about knitting tutorials which is called Shuei's Knitting Note for over 2 years. You can find it here, although it is written only in Korean.