2022 MN State Fair Winners

Congratulations to everyone who won a ribbon at the 2022 Minnesota State Fair!

Here are the winners of the Minnesota Knitters’ Guild Awards. Each winner receives a rosette and a year’s membership to the Guild.

two blue rosette awards from the Minnesota State FairBest Hand Knit Item – Kathleen Lockhart

Best Shawl – Brooke Roegge

Best Mittens – Shelley Balfe

Best Hat – Lucy Norman

Best Afghan – Denise Stanley

Best Sweater – Lucy Norman

Best Socks – Christine Petterson

Best Gloves – Abbie Kenyon

And here are all the current Guild members who took home ribbons for their hand knitted items. (If we’ve missed anything, please contact Kathy to have it added. Knitted items outside of the categories below are hard to pick out in the results list.)

Needlecraft Awards

Shawl or stole, heavy weight yarn, 16 in. or more in width
3  Amy Roos
4 Jodi Horne

Shawl or stole, medium weight yarn, 16 in. or more in width
1  Sharon Knutson
2  Tracy Pokrzywa
3  Gae Jarvis
4  Meaghan Harvey
5  Barbara Strenge

Stole (rectangle), lightweight yarn, 16 in. or more in width
5 Amy Roos

Shawl, fine weight yarn, 25 in. and over in depth from neckline
4 Amy Roos

Shawlette; fine weight yarn, up to 25 in. in depth from neckline
1 Amy Roos
2 Kendra Holmes

Shawlette, medium weight yarn, up to 25 in. in depth from neckline
1 Amy Roos
3 Anna Turk

Mittens (includes fingerless gloves), texture
1 Shelley Balfe
2 Delia Lam
4 Elizabeth Nee

Mittens (includes fingerless gloves), color pattern
3 Delia Lam
4 Elizabeth Nee

Scarf, heavyweight yarn, less than 16 in. wide
2 Deepa Nirmal

Scarf, lightweight yarn, less than 16 in. wide
1 Susan Rainey
3 Robin Westacott

Gloves
1 Abbie Kenyon
2 Shelley Balfe
3 Lucy Norman

Cap or hat, plain
2 Susan Rainey

Cap or hat, color pattern or intarsia
1 Lucy Norman

Socks, solid, texture
1 Shelley Balfe
2 Christine Petterson
3 Bonnie Esplie
5 Kristi Peterson

Socks, open work
1 Bonnie Esplie
2 Shelley Balfe

Socks, color or intarsia
1 Christine Petterson
3 Shelley Balfe
4 Kelly Amoth

Socks, plain or ribbed
2 Amanda Dosdall
3 Bonnie Esplie
4 Shelley Balfe
5 Katie Block

Child sweater, dress or suit, plain, size 3 – 12
3 Elizabeth Nee

Child sweater, dress or suit, texture, size 3 – 12
3 Elizabeth Nee
4 Bonnie Esplie

Child sweater, dress or suit, color pattern or intarsia, size 3 – 12
3 Shira Burton
5 Elizabeth Nee

Adult sweater, plain pullover
3 Elizabeth Nee

Adult sweater, texture pullover
4 Gae Jarvis

Adult sweater, texture cardigan
3 Shelley Balfe

Adult sweater, limited use, texture pullover
4 Elizabeth Nee
5 Shelley Balfe

Adult sweater, limited use, texture cardigan
5 Anna Turk

Adult sweater, color pattern pullover
3 Evelyn Davidheiser

Adult sweater, color pattern cardigan
1 Evelyn Davidheiser

Adult sweater, limited use, color pattern pullover
4 Tracy Pokrzywa

Adult sweater, limited use, color pattern cardigan
1 Lucy Norman
2 Susan Rainey
4 Shira Burton

Adult sweater, intarsia
3 Melinda Torok-Singleton

Adult jacket/coat, outerwear
3 Karen Lehman

Sleeveless sweater or vest, plain or texture; color pattern or intasia
2 Susan Rainey

Cowls
1 Susan Rainey
5 Kristi Peterson

Cape or poncho
3 Kristi Peterson

Knit bag, felted
5 Christine Petterson

Knit bag, non felted
1 Susan Rainey
3 Abbie Kenyon

Not otherwise specified, wearable
2 Kira Wortman

Not otherwise specified, not wearable
1 Tracy Pokrzywa

Northfield Yarn Award – Best Adult sweater, color pattern or intarsia
Evelyn Davidheiser

Work of Senior Citizen Awards

Knitted scarf
3 Linda Mcshannock

Knitted, not otherwise specified in other classes
2 Susan Rainey

Garment Making Awards

Infant or Toddler bonnet or cap, knitted
2 Kelly Auer

Booties
1 Kelly Auer

Afghan, knit, no larger than 42 in. x 42 in.
1 Anna Sorgert
4 Kelly Auer

Infant or Toddler sweater or jacket, knitted
1 Anna Sorgert

Infant or Toddler 3-piece ensemble, knitted
2 Anna Sorgert

Don’t forget our 2022 Fair Review will be on September 20th. We’d love to see all your entries, whether they won a ribbon our not. All the details for submitting yours are on our calendar. We also welcome entries from county fairs and state fairs other than Minnesota (though our state fair is the best).

Recent Posts

The Auction is Coming!

Help the guild re-home some delicious yarn!  The 2025 online auction supporting the Minnesota Knitters’ Guild opens at 8 PM on January 21, 2025. We have 71 lots this year, including many sweater quantities!

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Service Knitting Special Project Alert!

The Service Knitting committee is looking for a few more volunteers to work on a special project for St. Luke’s Maternal and Child Health unit. If you’re interested and want to learn more, please email the Service Director at service@knitters.org.

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Our spinning demonstrations are sponsored by Get Bentz Farm. 

Theresa Bentz of Get Bentz Farm, Northfield, MNAfter growing up in the city and suburbs, the owners of Get Bentz Farm felt a need to be closer to nature and to be more connected to where their food came from. 

In 2014, they found a farm house for sale and later that year they decided on and purchased their first two Icelandic sheep. 

Once they had a good size flock they began marketing the amazing meat and wool. Initially, they found that many mills in the area do not process dual coated long wools, which slowed down their growth in yarn, but they did find a great market for wool filled bedding products and batting for spinning. 

Today, they have a variety of yarns, batting and roving as well as finished products like dryer balls, sheepskins, and wool bedding. Most recently, they opened their own Get Bentz Wool Mill as well as their own line of yarn – Badgerface Fiber.

Jean

Vice President

(Term 1, Year 1)

Jean Gross has had an interest in all things fiber since, at the age of 5, her mother gave her fabric scraps to keep her occupied. She is fluent in knitting, crocheting, tatting, embroidery, sewing, quilting and spinning, thanks to her mother, Janice, and grand mother, Clara. But Jean’s favorite thing to do with fiber is help others to explore its possibilities. She has taught at the Iowa State Fair, Des Moines Library, Freedom for Youth, the Des Moines Knitting Guild, Shepherds Market, local yarn shops and also teaches privately. Jean has served on several non-profit boards including FiberSmiths of Iowa and the Des Moines Knitting Guild. Jean lives in north central Iowa with her husband, Dave, and faithful canine, Rolo. She has published several knitting patterns.

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jtgross

Thyra

Marketing Director

I grew up watching my mom knit. She tried to teach me as a kid and I never enjoyed it, but after finishing college I found myself with extra time and no hobbies. In the last 20 years I have dove in all the way and love to learn new and challenging techniques. As my fiber love has grown, I have also started raising sheep in order to go from sheep to sweater. I love interacting with the sheep who have big personalities and learning to process and spin the wool has been a great adventure.

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Open Position

Yarnover Committee Chair

The Guild is currently looking for a new Yarnover Chair. If you are interested or have any questions, please contact our president Meg, president@knitters.org

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Ravelry

Currently Open

Marketing Director

The marketing director position is currently open. For more information contact the Guild President, president@knitters.org

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Melissa

Technology Director

(Term 1, Year 3)

Melissa has been knitting for 15 years. She loves socks and sweaters. She is a new member who hopes to use her marketing background to lift up the MKG. While she isn't local to MN, she really loves the atmosphere created by the Guild. Melissa and significant other Al enjoy traveling, wherein Al graciously offers to drive so Melissa can knit in the passenger seat. (she, her, hers)

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oneoftheminterns

Nikky

Membership/Programming Director

(Term 2, Year 2)

Nikky was first introduced to knitting in 2012 when her visiting sister-in-law taught her the basics of casting on and the knit stitch. A few weeks later, she learned how to purl from her mother-in-law. From there, it quickly became a passion and she has taken on each new project with a desire to expand her skill and discover new techniques. She loves a good mystery (knit-a-long) and knits way more shawls than a single person can wear in a month.

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FroggyGirl72

Deb

Service Director

(Term 1, Year 1)

Deb learned to knit in the early 1980s as a happy by-product of Hill Street Blues fandom. For a couple of years, she and a gaggle of other students met weekly to watch the show, and one of those friends was always knitting. As it is with so many knitters, that friend was enthused to teach someone else. Deb has been knitting ever since and particularly enjoys playing with colorwork and knitting sweaters. She is constantly astonished at the skill, enthusiasm, and generosity of MKG members. (she, her, hers) (See our Service Knitting Page for more information about our current projects and donation process.)

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Open Position

Programming Director

(3-year term)

This position is currently open. If you are interested in volunteering for the Guild board, please contact our president, Kelly, at the email me link below.

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Rose

Treasurer

(Term 2, Year 3)

Rose learned to knit from her mother at the age of ten. She started knitting on the ends of small paint brushes. She continued to knit off and on through her teenage and young adult years and became a more avid knitter after taking a Norwegian sweater knitting class through community education. Today, knitting has become a passion and she knits for charity, herself, and her family her stash. She enjoys meeting other knitters and learning new techniques.

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tobel

Kendra

Secretary

(Term 1, Year 2)

Kendra lives in the Twin Cities and learned to hand knit from her mother in middle school. In the last few years, she has also learned crochet and machine knitting. Kendra enjoys knitting items to donate and challenging herself with new techniques. She prefers knitting in the round with colorful yarn. (she, her, hers)

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Meg

President

(Term 1, Year 1)

Meg grew up surrounded by makers. Her mom, a master quilter, former Home Ec teacher, and 4-H club leader in Duluth, taught her to sew, embroider, and cook. She won a trip to the State Fair as the Dress Review Princess at 13! Another MKG member taught her to knit continental style 15 years ago. Meg can’t sit still and NOT be knitting, embroidering, rug hooking or sewing. Favorite thing to knit? Mittens! She loves taking classes and learning new things – absolutely amazed and inspired by all the amazing knitters in the guild! (she, her, hers)

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finchgirl

Kathy

Webmaster

Kathy has always been into crafts, but didn’t teach herself to knit until after college. She really got hooked while living in San Francisco when a friend opened a knitting store. To pitch in, Kathy started knitting up fun (and odd) things for window displays, as well as teaching classes. In the last couple of years, she has started designing her own knitting patterns (many of them available for free on Ravelry!) with toys and mittens being her primary obsessions. (she/her/hers)

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katbaro