Spring Class Schedule

Spring is coming! So it's time for a new knitting class schedule!!!

Here is a list of the classes that will be offered this spring.

Knitting classes are taught by Leanne at our farm store in Wall.

All lessons require payment at time of registration.

Please contact Leanne directly for any questions: leannecoppola@gmail.com

Payments can be sent by check made out to: Leanne Coppola

Leanne Coppola

2011 Bentz Road

Wall, NJ 07719

or through PayPal: payment goes to Leannecoppola@aol.com

Ok...here goes!!

Beginner Knitting Lessons:

$65 Includes yarn, knitting needles and 2 (2hr) classes

You will learn the basic stitches of knitting, purling, casting on and binding off.

Little or no experience necessary! I will teach you everything you need to get started.

Class Dates: Choose a session that works best for your schedule

Session 1: Thursday April 9th 12-2 & April 16th 12-2

Session 2: Saturday May 16th 2-4 & May 23rd 2-4

Session 3: Saturday May 30th 10-12 & June 6th 10-12

Intermediate How-To Classes!

Take all three or just one. Learn some fun techniques that will advance your knitting.

$30 per class. Students required to bring own supplies.

1. Cabled Pillow- (2 hour class)

Learn how to make a cable and end up with a nice pillow for your home.

Dates: Wed. April 8th 5-7 or Thursday May 7th 5-7

2. Lace Headband- (2 hour class)

Learn how to make a headband, read a pattern, increase, decrease, knit lace pattern and make a buttonhole.

Dates: Wednesday April 15th 5-7 or Friday May 15th 1-3

3. Shortrows- Bandana Cowl (2 hour class)

Shortrows are a great way to add shaping in your work. Learn this fun and easy technique and make the Purl Soho Bandana Cowl

Dates: Wednesday April 22 5-7 or Thursday May 21 12-2 

Outlander Cowl 

$60. Supplies not included.

Join me in knitting this amazing cowl designed by my sister, Andee. This pattern was in the top 10 on Ravelry and is a stunning piece. 2 (2hr) classes. You will learn about reading patterns, working in the round, increasing, and simple lace.

 Requirements, knowledge of knitting and purling.

Material list will be supplied at time of registration. Pattern must be purchased through Ravelry or at our farm store.

Dates:  Saturday April 18th 10-12 & April 25th 10-12

OR

Wednesday May 20th 5-7 & May 27th 5-7

Guernsey Wrap 

$30 2 hour class

Learn how to read a knitted chart. Skills needed, knit and purl. That's it!

This is a beautiful and fun project to knit. Pattern will be supplied.

 Dates: Thursday April 23rd 5-7

Raglan, Seamless Top Down Style Sweater

$60. Material list will be supplied at time of registration. 2 (2hr classes)

Knit your first sweater! We will be knitting the Flax sweater by TinCan Knits.

A perfect first sweater in the round with raglan sleeves, top down seamless construction.

Sizes in pattern range from newborn to adult 3x. This is a perfect project for your first sweater.

Dates: Thur. May 14th 5-7, Thur. May 21st 5-7, Thur. June 4th 5-7

As always, if you need help, please let me know and we can schedule a one-on-one class for $15/hour.

Crochet Lessons are also available by appointment with Liz.

Contact her at 732-861-1384 for more details.  

 

Community

My mom has often said that alpaca people are the best people. Nice, friendly, helpful, down to earth and supportive of each other. The same goes for knitters in my opinion. My parents definitely have more experience with the alpaca side of things and the alpaca people that I have met are through them are amazing people. I have brought a lot of knitters and knitting enthusiasts into the farm. And in my opinion, fiber junkies, knitters, crocheters, and spinners are also the best people. I think we all go hand in hand and make an awesome pairing.

Over the past year, I have been teaching knitting at the farm.

I have enjoyed every minute of this new adventure. As a self taught knitter, I struggled a lot in the beginning...watching online videos, taking book after book out of the library, having lots of fails and successes. I kept trying...practicing...learning...enjoying...to get to the point where I am today.

I certainly still have a lot to learn as all knitters will tell you. There is always a new technique to learn, to try, to decide what you prefer. New patterns to test. New yarns to squish and love. New needles to test out. Knitting is a never ending learning experience. And as an advanced knitter (I think I can call myself that at this point) I remember what it felt like to be a brand new knitter. To feel awkward with the yarn, feeling like it was all going to fall apart, remembering how to cast on, bind off...etc. But enough about me. This wasn't supposed to be about me.

It's about community. The alpaca and fiber community.

People walk into our little world of Arrow Acres Farm every week.

They comment on the smell of the store. (It's the wood burning stove and Sage candle combo by the way.) It takes people back in time to a slower pace, simpler times. It reminds them of their grandmother's old stove. They remember their mothers, grandmothers, aunts that taught them to crochet or knit as a child. Memories come back, smiles are on their faces and we instantly have something to talk about. The alpacas make them smile. My dad takes them on a tour, shows the kids how to feed an alpaca a carrot, tells some jokes. My mom sits at the spinning wheel after all her farm chores are done and she can finally SIT and RELAX for a little while.

I usually have a lesson going on, or some knitting taking place.

It's just a really special place here and I can't really explain it.

I have been fortunate to have amazing people sit at my knitting table.

I become a part of their life. What's going with them, good, bad, and everything in between.

We talk about more than knitting, that's for sure. We laugh. We are therapy for each other.

We give advice, we are an ear to someone going through a hard time.

And all at the same time, there is yarn. Yarn creates a community.

From the animal, to the roving, to the spinning wheel, the swift and ball winder, to the needles in my hands.

It's a process and it connects us.

And if you're really lucky like I am, your knitters bring you gifts :) 

They also spoil my littlest guy, Chase. He gets ice cream money from Purple Debbie every time she sees him. He got an adorable tote filled with stickers and markers and color books from Joan.

Here are some pictures from my Fair Isle class yesterday afternoon.

 My mom spinning up some fiber from one of her alpacas.

And some of the goodies my students have given me...

"Seashore Sharon" sewed me this adorable project bag!!! 

And introduced me to Post it rolls!!!!!! The perfect tool for following along with knitting charts!

Right?!!??!!! How great is this?! And she told me to keep the roll. She also made us all chocolates, but I ate them before I could take a photo.

 

Handmade stitch markers from Robin and Joella! I mentioned how much I love the Miss Bab stitch marker you get with your yarn purchase. A simple metal ring with a bead so it doesn't catch on your knitting. THANK YOU!!!!!!!

 

So, to keep this community strong and going, I am extending this space to a Ravelry Group.

I will be posting classes, questions, maybe some knit a longs, etc.

You can find me at: http://www.ravelry.com/groups/arrow-acres-farm

 Thank you for stopping by and listening to me ramble on and on. It's therapy for me too :)

 

Breathe

I have been quiet on this blog lately. Life has been busy, a little chaotic and this space has suffered.

My camera has sat in it's bag for too long. Too many photos on the iphone. The weather has been frustrating, but what can we do...just take it day by day.

So when the sun decided to shine and the temps rose above 40 degrees this week, we were very happy to get outside to say hi to the alpacas and play with cousins.

 I have been teaching knitting lessons every weekend. I knew that I loved to teach, but I don't think I realized how much I would really truly love it. To see a person walk into the farm store with little or no knowledge at all about knitting and a few hours later leave with stitches and rows on their needles, smiles on their faces and knitting plans is so exciting. 

I taught a Fair Isle class (stranded color work) to four women last weekend.

They rocked it! They all picked up on the technique without any problems and they posted their finished pieces on instagram for me to see. They come back today for 2 hours and we're going to talk all about colors and how to make the best choices when fair isle knitting.

I took a class with Mary Jane Mucklestone at Vogue Live Knitting NYC last winter and I'm using the knowledge she gave me to teach my students.

And a few shots from my phone of the last few days....

Chase and Jeter just hanging out on the bed.

All the boys wore the same color this day. Not on purpose.

Our dirt road is a mess. Puddles and melting ice and snow make for a bumpy and messy ride for the good ol' minivan. I was taking the garbage out the other day and noticed a heart shaped puddle in the road. I'll take it the love where ever we can get it these day! Come on nicer weather!!!!

 

STEEK!!!!!!!!!!!

I did it. Yup. Well, it kind of worked. More on that another day.....

 

Liz and Nick are finishing their basement and so this beautiful desk needed a new home and I am the very lucky lady that gets to have it. So my home office got a very much needed overhaul this week. Can't wait to get some nice fresh new houseplants from Barlow's to add to the top.

What a difference a nice space makes.

 

This is a little baby gift for a farmer friend. I can't get the photo to turn...so it's sideways. Oh well.

Knitted with alpaca yarn from our store and pink hand dyed yarn by Liz.

 

That's it. Was nice to visit here a little bit.

OH!!!!! READING........I LOVED A Fall of Marigolds. BEST BOOK I've read in a long time.

I'm so sad that it's over. You know books like that? Yup. It was one of those. I miss the characters.

Ok...got to go make cupcakes, set up for today's knitting lessons, set the house up for Garrett's 11th Birthday party later this afternoon and 7 boys sleeping over in my little house. ummmm...yeah. I got this.

Have a great day!!!

-Leanne

 

Saturday is Coop Day

This week has flown by. I had great intentions of posting lots of nice spring pictures, new knitting, etc and it just got away from me. Too many other things going on this week I guess.

But I did want to post a note that we will be OPEN today, Saturday March 14th from 12-4. Perfect day to buy some alpaca yarn and knit the day away. Don't you think so??

Coop Open Saturday March 7th

The roads are plowed, the fire is started, the knitting is ready, the alpaca gear is calling you.

Come on by today, Saturday March 7th. We'll be here from 12-4.

Due to ice, we will not be conducting farm tours today, however you can always catch a glimpse of our alpacas from the Coop store.

Have a great day!

-Leanne

Yarn Along

Howdy

Hope you are warm if you live in most of the US. This is one cold winter!!!

Yikes. I'm ready for warm temps and spring breezes.

But enough of that, here's some knitting to keep you warm.

Joining in with the weekly Yarn Along, sharing what I am knitting and reading with other knitting enthusiasts.

Here goes:

I finished up this baby blanket a few weeks ago and just made a nice little 6-12 month baby hat to go along with it. It's knitted in "Lily's" Yarn from the farm. This is going to a family friend that she will be gifting to her nephew and his wife's baby on the way. 

Ravelry Project Link: Alpaca Blanket

I need to do some work on my sheepy sweater. The original buttons started to fall off because I didn't do a very good job putting them on the first time. And they fell off and rolled away and I can't find them all. So I picked up a few new ones. The other thing that I'm going to do is put some grosgrain ribbon in the neck and from shoulder to shoulder. I'm finding that as I wear this sweater it is starting to lose it's structure. I heard the tip about the ribbon on the Knitmore Girls podcast, so hoping that will work. Ravelry Project Link: Sheepy Sweater

I am teaching a fingerless glove class and as I teach, I knit along. So I'm finishing up my first and then I'll work on the second and knit until I get to the thumb. That way I can demonstrate how to knit it. Making these gloves in Madelintosh in the Vanilla Bean colorway. I love the little surprises of purple that pop up.

 

Making good progress on my Clayoquot sweater. Arms are joined.

 

 Been doing some stash diving and dreaming and I think these two beauties are going to be a new shawl for spring. Maybe this one or

And a few shots of this chilly February.

Check me out on Woolful Episode 12!! I'm the Man on the Street person this week.

When it's really really cold and windy, the icicles slant.

 

I'm reading The Invention of Wings right now and also picked up this knitting book at the library.

It has a few cute patterns and I love the writing.

Have a great week!!!!