April MKG Meeting Recap and Upcoming Events!

Harry Wells Head ShotThree argyle socks hang from clothes pins against a brink wall

What a great program we had last week with Harry Wells – the history of argyle! I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one that has sported an argyle sweater or two (or socks, or scarves, or anything else with the beautiful colors!) Who knew that argyle was not only a fashion statement, but a statement for some for rebellion from upper class society throughout history. It was very fun to see the transition into the bold, bright colors that are now not just for golf – but for other sports as well as some gorgeous fashion items! The research that Harry did was fascinating, the photos shared were inspiring. MKG looks forward to Harry in the fall at Yarnover – he will be teaching Flipside Awesomeness – Reversable Cables and Short Row Magic. Here is more information on Harry and his website:

Teaching and knitting are passions for Harry. In 2010, he retired from being a university professor to pursue his passion for knitting professionally, teaching a myriad of classes at knitting conferences and fiber festivals on the regional and national circuit. His extensive experience in classroom presentation and course preparation makes for an organized and engaging learning experience.

He enjoys designing knitwear and accessories for both men and women, with an aesthetic that emphasizes texture and linear flow. Check out his designs and knitting blog at www.goodforaboy.com. He is Knitteryninja on Ravelry, @harrywellsknits on Instagram, and Good for a Boy Knitting on Facebook.

Upcoming Events:

Yarnover Updates:Yarnover Knitting Event

Registration opens on May 22nd at 8:00 am. Be sure to check your membership status in advance of this date, and log in using your member ID and password!

Hotel Information

Enjoy all the fun of Yarnover weekend, by staying with us at the Crowne Plaza Minneapolis West, 3131 Campus Drive Plymouth, Minnesota 55441. We have a block of rooms available at the rate of $133 per night. The price includes breakfast. Please call 1-855-914-1303 or the hotel directly at 763-559-6600 and request the Minnesota Knitters Guild – Yarnover room block to receive the discounted group rate.

You may also book online here. This link will automatically give you the MKG rate when you search rooms for the Yarnover dates. Rooms must be booked by August 14th, 2025 to receive the Yarnover rate.

Yarnover 2025 Schedule

Friday, October 3rd
1:00pm – 5:00pm – Registration Open
5:30pm – 7:00pm – Dinner (Service ends at 6:30)
7 :00pm – 9:00pm – Yarnover Kick-off Party

Saturday, October 4th
7:30am – Registration Open
8:00am – 5:30pm – Yarnover Marketplace
9:00am – 12:00pm – Morning Classes
12:00pm – 1:30pm – Lunch
2:00pm – 5:00pm – Afternoon Classes
7:00pm – 9:00pm – Yarnover Bingo Night

Sunday, October 5th
10:00am – 12:00pm – MKG Meeting

Grants available for Yarnover for members:

Want to attend Yarnover, but need help financially? Apply for a Yarnover grant.

There are two grants available to members who may not be financially able to attend. Thank you to SeattleSky Dyeworks for their contribution to our MKG grant funds to make this possible.

Service Knitting: Variations on a Theme Mitten Challenge

The mitten challenge is underway! We hope to receive 100 mitten sets (toddler to adult sizes) for our partners by July 31st. For this challenge, choose one of the two free patterns on our website and knit lots of mittens! We will accept mitten donations at any in-person event or by appointment. Questions: email us directly at service@knitters.org.

 

Purl Soho’s Arched Gusset Mittens

Tin Can Knits’ World’s Simplest Mittens

 

Knitting Book Suggestion for the MKG Library Collection:

Do you have suggestions for knitting books that should be added to the Guild’s collection at the Textile Center Library? Please submit requests to the librarian by completing this form.

Also visit the website for free knitting-related resources!

Yarn Store of the Month- the Shop Hop! Minnesota Yarn Shop Hop 2025

Share your knit items with MKG members on Ravelry!

Who can pass up the Yarn Shop Hop! This year there were 12 participating local yarn stores. Each store had a featured free pattern with the theme of In The Garden. There were daily drawings at the stores as well as drawings for those who completed their passport. Check out all of the great stores and hours at the shop website. We would love to see your finished shop hop items! Post them, as well as any other knit items on the MKG Ravelry site:

What are you working on?

Check out all of the great new projects posted by Guild Members on Ravelry

Finished something awesome? Share it with us, make sure to use the “Share with a group” when posting to Ravelry and select the Minnesota Knitters’ Guild. Haven’t joined the Guild group on Ravelry yet? Go to Community > Groups and search for Minnesota Knitters’ Guild. We look forward to seeing your great knits.

 

Upcoming Events:

Shepherd's Harvet logoShepherd’s Harvest 

May 10 – 11, 2025

We are demonstrating at Shepherd’s Harvest again this year. We are looking for member volunteers to share information about the Guild. What would a volunteer shift look like? Knit at the table, talk to people about knitting who come into the demonstration building, share how they can engage with the Guild or become a member. Sign up on the Member Dashboard!

drawing of a sheep knitting

Knitting Around Town: upcoming dates and locations:

May 2nd: Textile Center 1:00 to 4:00 pm

May 4th: Harvest Hills Acres 12:00 to 3:00 pm

May 6th: Roseville Ramsey County Library 6:00 to 8:00 pm

May 16th and May 30th: Textile Center 1:00 to 4:00 pm

For directions, click on the event posted on the MKG calendar

 

Sip & Knitdrawing of a pint of beer, coffee cup, donuts, yarn, and knitting needles.: May 3rd @ 10:00 am to 12:00 pm

Venn Brewing, Minneapolis, MN 55406

Come join us for coffee, beer, donuts, and crafting with friends!

 

 

It’s finally turning green – grass, leaves, and sunshine! Although we have had some rain and storms, the rush to the change of seasons is finally here. I look forward to seeing MKG members at upcoming events – have fun at the Great Guild Getaway, Stitch & Pitch, Knitting in Public, Sip Knit – so many events for members to hang out and craft together!

Cheers –

Meg Schmidt Duncan

President, Minnesota Knitters Guild

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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

Andi

Newsletter Editor

Andi (she/her) learned to knit from her mom over 40 years ago. She remembers going to MKG meetings in college when they were held at St. Kate’s, her alma mater. She knit on-and-off again for a while, and really dove back into the craft in 2015. She is also a quilter. She enjoys traveling and her husband is happy to stop at a yarn store or to look at sheep while on vacation. She and her husband live in the St. Paul area, both enjoy their respective crafts, and also going to the State Fair multiple times a season.

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Judy

Yarnover Committee Chair

From one of her mother’s friends, Judy learned to knit a pair of “paputki,” which are simple Polish house slippers.  Somehow this gave her the confidence to knit her boyfriend a cabled pullover sweater for Valentine’s Day which was graciously accepted and has lived in the bottom of the bottom drawer of said boyfriend’s dresser for fifty plus years.  Though she has made a few sweaters since then, she mostly knits blankets, scarves, hats and toys.

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Ravelry

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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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