January Meeting Wrap-Up and News!

Happy 40th Anniversary to the Minnesota Knitters Guild! We kicked off our 2025 programming year with Seth Richardson, a knitwear designer based in Portland, OR. Seth gave us lots to think about in 2025 – where we knit, what inspires us, how you think about your creative process and more! His website is: sethrichardsonknits.com – if you subscribe to his newsletter, you will get a 20% discount on one of his patterns. His newest pattern, a scarf and wrap pattern, Fancy Me, is an elegant, contemporary take on 70’s design that will launch soon. You can also find him on his instagram site: sethrichardsonknits

The MKG Online Auction is live!

Bid early, bid often! Bidding closes at 8 pm on Friday, January 24th, 2025.

The funds from the auction are used to support all the guild’s costs throughout the year for speakers, technology, and marketing.

Perhaps you will find some inspiring yarn to start off the new year with a new project? We’d love to see what you knit up with your successful bids! Good luck!

See the MKG website for information for picking up your gorgeous yarn, the dates and locations.

 

The 2025 Great Guild Getaway 

Registration opens on February 1, 2025

Dates: April 25-27, 2025

Location: Woodland Ridge Retreat Center, Menomonie, WI

To register – log into the MKG website with your login and password, click on the Great Guild Getaway banner. This is the same venue as 2024 – which was a huge success with the attendees! Great food, accommodations, walking trains by the river, proximity to coffee shop and bakery, and the local yarn store 6 miles down the road.

 

MKG Knit Along with Marion Bulin

Thyra Nelson, our Marketing Director has set up a great knit along with designer Marion Bulin with two patterns that are great for stash busting – as well as beautiful! Here is the information on Ravelry to join the MKG group and post your progress.

Ravelry: mabuli             Forum: KAL with Marion Bulin

Shawl pattern: 24Skeins
Discount Code: Minnesota 24 skeins
Cowl pattern: Just Back and Forth
Discount Code: Minnesota Just back and forth
The MKG discount code is good through February 5th.

Volunteers for the MKG Marketing Team

Volunteers are needed to help Thyra Nelson with social media posting for the guild. Are you creative and enjoy social media? We need you!

email marketing@knitters.org or president@knitters.org  – we will answer any questions or provide more details.

Knitting Around Town: The Yarnery on February 12th

Mark your Calendar for February 12th for Knitting Around Town at The Yarnery at their new gorgeous shop location on St. Clair Avenue.

We will do what we do best – knit and shop! Seating is limited, register through the link on the calendar to reserve your spot.

Yarn Store of the Month: Muse 2320

The yarn store of January is MUSE 2320 fiber co. in Hastings, MN.

We just had a wonderful Knitting Around Town last Saturday in Hastings with Sara.

Sara is planning a future expansion of her wonderful shop to include community knitting and crafting space, more of her wonderful tea – and of course lots of her beautiful hand dyed yarns!

Visit at:

113 E. 2nd Street, Suite #103

Hastings, Minnesota 55033

website: muse2320fiber.com

Service Knitting Updates for 2025!

New service knitting partners were announced at our January meeting:

  • Kaitlyn’s Kloset
  • Mental Health Resources
  • Aspirus St Luke’s
  • The Little Heart Project

We have found great partners who will continue to ask for a wide assortment of items for the MKG members to knit – from babies to adults, the same wide range of items. For pattern ideas, check out the patterns that are on the MKG website under service knitting (click on this direct link below:)

Service Knitting

Volunteers needed on February 22nd – Textile Center Makers Market

The Textile Center
The Textile Center

Textile Center’s Fiber Art for All Week is from February 17-22nd. Saturday, February 22nd is the annual Makers Market – 25 fiber vendors will fill the large rooms with wonderful handmade items to buy (including yarn!). A coffee truck and food truck, along with guild demos makes this a very fun filled day!

MKG needs 6 volunteers for the shifts to demonstrate knitting, make pom poms and little hearts from 10 am to 4 pm.

To volunteer, log into the MKG website and from the main dashboard, click on the link to register or a volunteer shift.

Remote Member Knitting Meetings

Coffee maker and cup

We’d like to help our members who aren’t in the Twin Cities get together in person! If you live in the Dubuque, IA, area please email Jean Gross at vicepresident@knitters.org.

Do you live more than 90 minutes from the Twin Cities and can coordinate an in-person gathering in your area? We would love to start knitting groups for those in outstate areas! Email Jean at vicepresident@knitters.org  Jean will help coordinate knitting groups and meetings!

 

Sip & Knit at Venn Brewing 

drawing of a pint of beer, coffee cup, donuts, yarn, and knitting needles.

 

Come and join us February 1st from 10:00am to noon for coffee, beer, donuts, and crafting with friends!

Food & Drink: Venn has espresso drinks, coffee, tea, soda, and juice, as well as beer for purchase. You can bring in your own water. The Guild will be bringing donuts. You are welcome to bring other food as well.

Getting There: The Blue Line 46th Street Station is just outside the brewery. It just down Hwy 55 from Minnehaha Falls and the Grand Rounds bike path. There are Venn specific parking spots to the north of the building and on-street parking.

You can also park at the Fort Snelling Park and Ride and take the Blue Line north 3 stops.

Dogs: Dogs are welcome.

Thanks to Venn Brewing for hosting us!

Knitting Around Town in January and February:

drawing of a sheep knitting

 

Textile Center: in the library or open room # 5: January 24th, February 7th and February 14th from 1:00 to 4:00 pm

Eden Prairie Public Library / Bluestem Room: February 27th from 6:00 to 8:00 pm

Check the calendar at the MKG website for directions, updates and additional locations and times!

Thank you to all who have attended and brought your service knitting projects!

 

We are gearing up for a very exciting 2025! I look forward to seeing all the MKAL items, bidding on yarn from the MKG auction, registering for the GGG and social knitting events! If you have any suggestions, questions on events, or would like to contribute by supporting the guild as a member of the marketing team – please reach out!

Cheers and Happy Knitting in 2025 –

Meg Schmidt Duncan

Recent Posts

January Yarn Shop of the Month

The January Yarn Shop of the Month is MUSE2320 located in Hastings, Minnesota. They focus on hand-dyed, small batch yarn color collections that are always changing. Check often to see what color story Sara is working on, each collection is made to work together for your project.

Read More »

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!

Read More »
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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.

Email Me
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.

Email Me

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

Email Me
Ravelry

Currently Open

Marketing Director

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

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