Ina will be at the Brown Bag Socials to lend her expert instruction in making the charity projects for In The Loop.
We first met Ina while planning The Big Draw Scarf project this past September. She was a fabulous resource, donating bags full of beautiful yarn and getting the word out about the project. She also served as the instructor at our Craft Stops in the Winter Garden. Ina is expert not only in knitting - she designs and sells patterns for beautiful articles of clothing (that's Ina in one of her own creations), she is also an excellent instructor and holds classes in her studio in Boonton, NJ.
We invited her to tell us more about herself and her studio, so please read on.
The studio ...
I opened the studio in the summer of 2004 seemingly on the wings of faith. Experiences in knitting stores had not ended happily and I knew my passion for knitting, teaching knitting and all things creative needed to grow roots in one space. The studio adventure has grown mostly by word of mouth, but also due to the patterns I have created and the contacts I have made. I have built my website
http://www.tantesophie.com/ and though not a regular “blogger” in that sense make sure I share what’s important in fibers and knitting and crochet. It’s like watching a child learn and grow.
My experience ...
I don’t remember not knitting ... I learned when in school in Germany, 3rd and 4th grades. First crochet, then knitting and other needlework, sewing and embroidery.I learned early on how to do fine handiwork and at some point much much later of course heeded the call to pursue the creative life for “work”!
It’s a big jump to walk it solo without rules from an employer, but I wouldn’t trade it for a minute. I find myself always seeking a new twist on the teaching adventure. That’s how I got to the World Financial Center when I donated some yarn for the “Big Draw” back in September.
In the loop ...
This is the perfect opportunity for me to contribute through a unique venture, expanding the reach of my experience outside the studio. It is a chance to share my fiber, knitting and crochet knowledge to help all achieve success in the projects they undertake for the chosen charities. I have to pinch myself sometimes to believe how lucky I am to have found you all.
Merci beaucoup ... à bientôt!
... off to knitting my fingerless mittens for the day ... a pair a day ...
keeps the doctor away ...
ina and gumby ... the dog that tante sophie has ...
Visit
http://www.tantesophie.com/ for all the latest and greatest happenings at the studio ... where, when, what and why!
