We are so pleased to include a tutorial featuring Jody Campbell (aka Grannyknits4U) to share some tips and techniques on seaming stripes for our Harbor Town tee!

For those of you who don’t know Jody, here’s some fun background information. When Jody was eleven years old, she was fascinated with watching her mother knit angora mittens and argyle socks. It just seemed natural to pick up a set of DPNs and have her mom teach her to knit as well, and she's never stopped. A true enthusiast with decades of crafting experience, she has also mastered needlepoint including the Bargello technique, crewel embroidery, cross-stitch, hand sewing, and layered surface embroidery on canvas.   

As a longtime Plucky friend and a prolific knitter, she has been invaluable to our team.  Jody has been there with technical help when needed, and has coached some of us to learn new skills.  We hope you will enjoy this video tutorial on seaming stripes, as well as the Q&A  below.

Q. We intentionally included instructions for the Harbor Town to knit the body in the round or knit it flat.  What option do you prefer? (We think we know your preference.😉)

Sweater knitters fall into two distinct camps – those who will do anything to avoid seaming, and others (like me!) who LOVE seams.  Some knitters want to start at one end (neck or hem) and just knit merrily along until the last stitch. Voila, their work is done.  Then, there are others who would rather break the project down into pieces that are less cumbersome to carry around or hold on your lap.  When their last stitch is knit, it’s time to wrap it all up into a neat package by seaming all the parts together.

Q. What advice do you have for knitters who are hesitant to try seaming?

I totally understand an aversion to seams. In looking back on the number of sweaters I have knit, I can remember how disappointing it was as I tried to learn seaming and ended up producing something awful and unwearable.  I suffered through puckers, mismatched stripes, and shoulders that were lumpy!  However, I discovered a few little tricks along the way that I’m happy to share in this video that I hope will encourage knitters to try seaming.

Q. Are there other ways the seaming technique you cover in the video might be useful?

Yes, Indeed!  I have dozens and dozens of little removable stitch markers that I would be lost without.  When I’m knitting the body of a sweater (without stripes) I usually place a marker every 20 rows along the selvedge edges, on both sides of each piece. These markers help me stay on the right path when picking up bars.  Come to think of it, this could be a topic for another video!  

Q. What are you knitting at the moment?

Well … there are several several things! One has a center pocket and two have thumbholes 😉

We are so pleased to include a tutorial, featuring Jody Campbell (aka Grannyknits4U), to share some tips and techniques on jogless striping for our Snow Shoe socks!

Jody began knitting at a young age and, without giving too much away, that means she has over 50 years of incredible experience under her belt. As a very young grandma, she was nicknamed “Granny” by her daughters as a gag (thinking she wouldn’t like it), but it stuck and 30 years later you will find folks young and old calling her Granny everywhere she goes. She has had the opportunity to attend knitting classes and events worldwide and has amassed a library of knowledge that she happily shares with others. 

As a longtime Plucky friend and a prolific knitter, she has been invaluable with technical help if needed or when one of us on the Plucky team is looking to learn a new skill. We hope you will enjoy this video tutorial on Jogless Stripes plus a few more tips and tricks from Jody for the perfect socks! 

Q. You mention that there is really no such thing as jogless when it comes to stripes, but this looks pretty seamless! Where did you pick up this technique?  

Q. If someone is new to sock knitting, would you recommend they start with DPN’s, two small circular needles, or use the magic loop method?  

Q. What type of heel do you prefer, or does it depend on the pattern?   

Q. Toe up or Cuff down?  

Q. Do you have a favorite blend when selecting yarn for socks?  

 Q. What advice do you have for people who think of themselves as non-sock knitters? 

Q. What pair of socks has been your favorite you’ve ever knit?