Skip to content
knitters_ajax_logo
  • Dashboard
  • Get Involved
    • Service Knitting
    • Volunteer
    • Blog
    • Calendar
    • 2025 Yarnover Knitting Event
    • Great Guild Getaway
  • Who We Are
    • Leadership
  • Resources
    • Knitting Groups
    • Fiber Business Directory
    • FAQ
    • Textile Center Library
    • Resources
  • Join
  • Log In
  • Donate
  • Dashboard
  • Get Involved
    • Service Knitting
    • Volunteer
    • Blog
    • Calendar
    • 2025 Yarnover Knitting Event
    • Great Guild Getaway
  • Who We Are
    • Leadership
  • Resources
    • Knitting Groups
    • Fiber Business Directory
    • FAQ
    • Textile Center Library
    • Resources
  • Join
  • Log In
  • Donate
  • Dashboard
  • Get Involved
    • Service Knitting
    • Volunteer
    • Blog
    • Calendar
    • 2025 Yarnover Knitting Event
    • Great Guild Getaway
  • Who We Are
    • Leadership
  • Resources
    • Knitting Groups
    • Fiber Business Directory
    • FAQ
    • Textile Center Library
    • Resources
  • Join
  • Log In
  • Donate
  • Dashboard
  • Get Involved
    • Service Knitting
    • Volunteer
    • Blog
    • Calendar
    • 2025 Yarnover Knitting Event
    • Great Guild Getaway
  • Who We Are
    • Leadership
  • Resources
    • Knitting Groups
    • Fiber Business Directory
    • FAQ
    • Textile Center Library
    • Resources
  • Join
  • Log In
  • Donate

Melissa Mintern

Potomac Beads/iTry Studios Yarn Store of the Month

October 18, 2023October 17, 2023 by Melissa Mintern

Learn more about this month’s LYS Potomac Beads/iTry Studio

Categories LYS Spotlight, Yarn Store Spotlight Tags LYS Spotlight, Yarn Store Spotlight

Yarn Store of the Month: 3 Kittens Needle Arts

June 12, 2023June 11, 2023 by Melissa Mintern
Mossy green cardigan with a gray bottom on the body and the sleeve

Learn more about this great LYS in Mendota Heights!

Categories LYS Spotlight Tags LYS Spotlight

Yarn Store of the Month: Northfield Yarn

May 2, 2023 by Melissa Mintern
5 colorwork hats on a stand

 

 

 

red cowl with pink bobblesBasic yarn store info:
Northfield Yarn
314 Division St S, Northfield, MN
Open 7 Days a Week
Regular Hours: M-W 10-5:30, Th 10-8, Fri & Sat 10-5:30, Sun 12-4
Summer Hours (Memorial Day through Labor Day): Mon-Sat 10-5, Sun 12-4
What class offerings do you have coming up?
Classes planned for May include Beginning Crochet and Learn to Weave on a Rigid Heddle Loom. We tend to slow down a bit on classes over the summer, but will offer a wide variety in the fall and winter months. We include at least one online class each quarter. All classes are listed on our website and you can register online.

5 colorwork hats on a stand

 

Do you have any upcoming trunk shows or other events?
There are always things happening at Northfield Yarn! Some examples of things coming up soon are:
  • Spring Finishing Frenzy: A fun annual event in which we encourage each other to finish WIPs and give a coupon to participants who meet their finishing goal. You can participate virtually through Ravelry. It runs  May 1-31, and ends with an in-person event on June 1st
  • Vintage Sock Trunk Show: We will have items made from Berroco’s new Vintage Sock in the shop from May 12-22.
  • Summer Club: A social crafting time on Thursday evenings at a local brewery over the summer.
  • Punchcard Clinics: Every Saturday from 10-12 we offer a clinic where you can get help with knitting projects on a drop-in basis. We call it Punchcard Clinic because if you plan to come to at least four sessions, you can purchase a punchcard and get a discount. Crochet Clinic is currently offered on Tuesday afternoons (but check the website before coming to this because its schedule is more subject to change.)

You can find details about these events on our website or by subscribing to our newsletter.

What is your favorite sample? 

blue and white textured cowl

People visiting our shop for the first time often remark on the large number of samples we have on display. We do work hard to make samples with new yarns that come in, plus we continually add samples in established yarns so that there is always something new to see. Each month we “unveil” a sample that has not been in the shop before. This is the monthly “Express Project,” and it is intended to help shoppers who want a new project and are looking for a suggestion. Photos of a couple of recent Express Projects are attached (Spot Cowl & Mosaic Cowl). I’ve also attached some photos of hats made in Shetland wool, and Arne & Carlos’ recent Setesdal Hat.
Do you offer a MKG discount or a frequent buyer club?
Yes, both. If you show us a current Guild Membership card we will offer 10% off of regularly priced yarn. Also we have a loyalty program that provides shoppers with a $20 coupon after they have accumulated enough points from yarn purchases.
Other than shopping, what are the best ways we can help support your yarn store?
Spread the word! We get the impression that some people in the Cities think that Northfield is too far away, but we think that we (and our little town) are worth the trip. If you have been here, and you agree, please let other people know. Also, we have a lot of great items in our online shop. If you know knitters who don’t have an LYS, you could recommend our shop as an option if they would like to support a brick and mortar store with their online purchases.
colorwork hat with different motifsIs there anything else you’d like us to feature? 
There are some things about our mix of products that may be worth pointing out. Northfield Yarn supports traditional colorwork projects by carrying 100% wools such as Rauma Garn from Norway, Lopi from Iceland, and Jameison & Smith from Shetland. We also endeavor to support sweater knitters in a variety of ways. We carry many yarns that are appropriate for sweaters, and we have a relatively large amount of space, so we are able to carry these yarns in sweater quantities. We can’t promise that we won’t have to place an order to get a specific color all in the same dye lot, but we do a good job of having many great sweater options on hand so you don’t have to wait for a special order. We also endeavor to carry a wide range of yarns, so you can find everything from affordable acrylics to hand-dyed silk blends all in the same shop.

Read more

Categories Uncategorized

Yarn Store of the Month: The Yarnery

April 5, 2023 by Melissa Mintern

Learn about this month’s featured Yarn Shop – The Yarnery in St. Paul.

Categories LYS Spotlight, Yarn Store Spotlight Tags LYS Spotlight, Yarn Store Spotlight

A Swim Through the Stash

April 25, 2022February 19, 2022 by Melissa Mintern
shelves covered in yarn piled high and messy

My stash is out of control. How would you handle this? What organization methods have worked for you? I’m going to take the upcoming long weekend to get my hands around the stash and to bend it to my will. Here is my plan.

Categories Knitter's Story, Tips and Tricks Tags insurance, stash, stash management

Designer Spotlight: Betsy Preston

December 12, 2021May 9, 2021 by Melissa Mintern

Our designer of the month is Betsy Preston. A local talent, her hats particularly might come is useful for our service knitters! They sure look sized right and cozy!

Categories Designer Spotlight Tags designer spotlight

Monthly Yarn Store Spotlight Series: Yarn Tales

December 12, 2021May 9, 2021 by Melissa Mintern

It’s like a treasure hunt to find us as we’re located at the back of the building.  Folks don’t realize we’re back here.  We used to be in Suite 114 (current location of Appleberry’s Attic) and anticipate moving into Suite 101 once more of the pandemic protocols are relaxed.  That should make it easier to find us.  

Categories LYS Spotlight Tags LYS Spotlight

Designer Spotlight: Barbann Pappas

December 12, 2021April 11, 2021 by Melissa Mintern

Our April Designer is Barbann Pappas. Local to Minneapolis, she is a fairly new designer but we love her use of color. Her patterns are mostly shawls and cowls, but the short row shaping and the use of color have us hoping to see more!!

Categories Designer Spotlight Tags designer spotlight

Designer Spotlight: Dawn Landix

December 12, 2021March 4, 2021 by Melissa Mintern

Dawn designs to create accessories that fit into our existing wardrobe.  Many of her designs are free and for those of us with a large stash of leftover sock yarn, Dawn is the queen of the shortie sock, great for leftovers.  She has some great hat and shawl patterns as well. 

Categories Designer Spotlight Tags designer spotlight

Monthly Yarn Store Spotlight

December 12, 2021March 4, 2021 by Melissa Mintern

beWoolen is owned and operated by longtime besties: Angel Randall and Michelle Como. Friends that met through a shared love of knitting together, laughing together, and then had the dream of opening a store together.

Categories LYS Spotlight Tags LYS Spotlight
Older posts
Page1 Page2 Next →

Minnesota Knitters’ Guild
Bringing Knitters Together Since 1984

Join Us
KnittersHomeB2-logo-removebg-preview
Facebook-f Twitter Instagram Ravelry

Popular Tags

Tags
Ask a Knitter board meeting designer spotlight Give to the Max Grants Great Guild Getaway Guild Event Guild Meeting KAL Knit for Food Knitter's Story knitting around town knitting group Knitting Groups knitting in nature LYS LYS Spotlight Meeting Wrap-Up meeting zoom link Melissa Leapman Member News membership Minnesota Knitters Guild MN Fiber Event MN State Fair MN Yarn Shop Hop my_year_in_socks Non-MN Fiber Event Service Knitting Shepherd's Harvest Festival Show & Tell stash stash management Stitch N Pitch Tips & Tricks Volunteer website world wide knit in public day WWKPD Yarnover Yarnover 2022 Yarnover 2024 Yarn Sale Yarn Store of the Month Yarn Store Spotlight

Search The Site

Search
© 2025 Minnesota Knitters’ Guild | All Rights Reserved.

Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | ADA Statement | Contact Us

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.

Email Me
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.

Email Me

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.

Email Me
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.

Email Me

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)

Email Me
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.

Email Me
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.)

Email Me

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.

Email Me

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.

Email Me
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)

Email Me

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)

Email Me
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)

Email Me
katbaro