Meet Sonia Berlingeri | Knitting Instructor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sonia Berlingeri and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sonia, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I love knitting! I enjoy sitting quietly making things for my family. In 2017 as I worked part time in the event planning industry, I started to donate items to fundraisers that I supported. Based on how well they were received, I decided to register the name Sonia’s Knits Colorado to give the items a more professional feel with a company label. Little did I know this would turn into a business doing something I love.

In early 2019, I realized that event planning wasn’t for me. With a background in the tech industry as a trainer and consulting manager I knew I wanted to get back into the classroom, probably teaching software. One day, while exploring my options, I was watching a morning talk show that featured a woman who taught knitting to groups in corporate settings. She talked about the benefits of knitting and how she wanted to share this with her clients. You could call this my “eureka” moment as I realized this was the answer.

I spent the next six months developing an introductory class that taught knitting and its many benefits. I approached three local organizations that provided community classes and to my surprise all three said yes. In the last three months of 2019, I sold a total of four seats, and I knew this is where I wanted to be. In the next three months, the number of students in my classes increased significantly and I was able to run the first of what I hoped would be many corporate team-building sessions. Unfortunately, that was January to March of 2020 and as the world shut down, my business seemed doomed. After making do with socially distanced classes and Zoom sessions, I was ready to see where this took me by the time things started to open in Denver.

My knitting classes have been growing steadily and I sold over 100 seats in my classes in 2022 with many of my students returning for multiple sessions. As more people joined my classes, I realized that I’m not just teaching people to knit, I’m building a community. Through classes, casual meetups, social events and by knitting items to donate to local charities, our community (the “Knit Gang”) has flourished and has inspired me to go further.

My approach is to teach people at a pace that meets students at their skill level. I have students who have never knit before and some that have knit for years all in the same classroom. I design most of the patterns that I use in class with the goal of teaching the skills necessary to become an accomplished knitter as well as making something that is modern in design and fun to create. With on-line videos and a lot of hands-on support, students feel confident when they leave my classroom that they can complete a project.

My goals are to continue to support and grow this community as well as getting back to facilitating team-building knitting sessions in corporate settings. I’m excited about what the future holds for my business and hope to reach more people and teach them all the good things knitting has to offer.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I have over 10 years’ experience training adults in using software and almost a lifetime of experience knitting. I’ve been able to combine these two skills and put together my dream business. I approach my classes as an instructor first and I spend a lot of time trying to make knitting fun for all my students. Early success and detailed instructions combined with on-line videos and hands-on support has made it possible for my students to progress quickly. Many have become accomplished knitters in a very short time.

I continue to grow as an instructor with every student that joins my class. I try to adjust my teaching to suit every student’s specific learning style. The best part of this process is that I’ve been inspired to be more creative in my knitting as questions and requests for patterns come up. My skills have improved tremendously in the past 3 years.

I’m most proud of the community that has grown out of my classes. These women are very supportive of each other and they have a positive attitude. We have so much fun together as we continue to master this skill and cheer each other’s successes.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Enjoying a trip to Colorado has to start with getting out and going for a hike on the many beautiful trails around Denver. I’d take them to Red Rocks Amphitheater to see an event or even just to get in a quick workout. We’d probably visit a few of the amazing breweries and distilleries in the area, like Breckenridge Brewery. If it’s summer, I’d take them to the farmer’s market on Pearl Street. Dinner at a couple of the countless delicious restaurants throughout the city would round out the trip.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I want to give a shoutout to all my students, especially those that have been with me from the start. They’ve supported me, helped me improve my classes and have brought friends along.

My contacts at Arapahoe Community College and Ken Caryl Ranch in Littleton who gave me a chance and stuck with me through the challenges of launching classes during the pandemic.

My three adult children, Alex, Sydney, and Olivia who have listened to my plans and been cheerleaders from day one. They’ve also proofread my work, given me feedback, and even taken pictures for me.

Finally, my husband Tony who has listened to me every day as my business plan was evolving and who shared his incredible business acumen with me. His support has made it possible for me to pursue my dream.

Website: soniasknitsco.com

Instagram: @soniasknitscolorado

Image Credits
Olivia Berlingeri, Marie Cecilia Photography