If you’re a knitter or read our recent article about how healthy knitting can be for you, you may be looking for a way to hone your new craft. What if we told you that you can get tips and lessons directly from a legendary knitter and Hollywood expert? Through the power of the internet and YouTube, one senior has utilized her lifetime of expertise to become an unlikely star and teacher for a community of knitters online. That senior is Judy Graham, and if you’ve watched TV or movies in the last few decades, you’ve likely seen her work.
Judy Graham’s website appears to be down for the time being. Until it’s back up and running, we are replacing the links directed to her official website with Archived versions. Once her site is back, we’ll replace those with the original links.
Knitter to the Stars
Graham was born in Indianapolis, IN, the now-83 year-old began her knitting career when she was 13, when her mother took her to a local knitting shop for the first time. From there, it became a passion that eventually evolved into a craft shop, where she taught lessons to interested customers. Her career would take another big jump forward when she moved to Los Angeles in the mid-1970s, where she got involved with costume design for television and movie productions.
She continues to work in the industry today, racking up a number of highly recognizable jobs. Over the years, she’s worked on TV shows like 3rd Rock From the Sun and Big Bang Theory and films like Amistad, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and Forest Gump. Most famously, perhaps, she created the legendary sweater that Freddy Kreuger sports in the Nightmare on Elm Street horror series. She even has an entire Celebrity section on her website of some of her favorite or notable examples! At the same time, she ran a wholesale knitwear business called Topaz Knitwear, though this is now defunct, allowing her to focus on her YouTube channel.
Going Virtual
In 2007, Graham opened her YouTube channel, Knitting Tips by Judy. In that time, her channel has had nearly 19 million views and reached over 54,000 subscribers. She still regularly posts about once a week, with nearly 500 videos to pick from. Her videos average from a few hundred to a few thousand views and run around one to two minutes in length, making them great quick views to help teach you a new knitting trick. Most videos are quick explanations on how to achieve a specific stitch or weave, though she’ll also work on a larger project in several parts. Sometimes, Graham even will discuss an upcoming movie project she’s working on, such as in 2018 when she was tasked with knitting a sweater for the Best Picture-winning film, Green Book.
If you’re just starting out, you’re in luck. Many of Graham’s earliest videos cover the absolute basics of knitting. These videos build on each other until you bind off a knit. Eventually, she moves on to more complex skills, like adding color or different stitches. The beauty of Graham’s videos is their simplicity. Generally, there’s one camera angle with what’s being knitted in the center of the frame. The extent of the editing is a brief intro screen, a conclusion screen, and Graham’s voice. There’s very little getting in the way of knitting that viewers are there for.
How Can I Follow or Support Judy?
If you want to support Judy Graham, the first place to check is her website, knittingtipsbyjudy.com. There, you can purchase instructional videos, either as a download or on DVD, for more in-depth explanations. You can also learn about some of her favorite books about knitting, more tips, and links about chartable knitting opportunities. If you like Graham’s videos, you should also subscribe to her on YouTube to see her entire YouTube catalog. For more videos, she also has a blog-style channel simply called judy graham, though this appears to be inactive currently.
She also has a Facebook page that she keeps up with where she posts new videos, interesting articles, photos, and other things her fans may enjoy. If you have a Pinterest account, you can also follow her there. If you want to get in touch with Graham, you can reach out on her website. According to her YouTube page, she does get back to everyone who contacts her, even if it takes a bit.
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Judy Graham has had a long and successful career in television and cinema, but her embracing of the power of the internet to share her love of knitting is inspiring. She shows that where there’s a will, there’s a way, and you’re never too old to learn new technology. If you love knitting as well or are just starting out, we highly suggest you check out her fabulous channel and start knitting today!
Numbers are up to date as of 2/17/2020
Further Reading
The Shop & Enroll Blog — Senior Profiles: Dick Lewis, Inventor and Oddball Salesman
The Shop & Enroll Blog — Who is Dickie Borthwick: Senior Soccer Star?
The Shop & Enroll Blog — Who is Grandpa Kitchen, Senior YouTube Star?
The Shop & Enroll Blog — Who is Pasquale Sciarappa, Senior YouTube Chef?
