MKG 2024 State Fair Winners

It’s that day we know so many of you wait for, the announcement of the MN State Fair ribbon winners. So without further ado, here are this year’s Guild winners.

First of all the whole Guild was a winner! We took second place in Decorated Christmas Trees, Contemporary. We were only beat out by a tree that was decorated in a MN State Fair theme.

Winners of the MN Knitters’ Guild Rosettes

  • Best Hand-knit Article – Marilyn Thompson
  • Best Shawl or Stole – Lydia Nickerson
  • Best Mittens – Nancy Nelson
  • Best Hat – Elizabeth Nee
  • Best Afghan – Alla Hale
  • Best Sweater, Jacket/Coat Outerwear, Sleeveless Sweater or Vest – Elizabeth Watkins
  • Best Socks – Sophia Nielsen
  • Best Gloves – Hannah McMullan

Ribbons won by MKG Members

Needlecraft Division

Afghan, made in strips or modules sewn together

  • 2nd  Suzanne Ross

Lap Robe

4th Stephanie Daily

Shawl or stole, medium weight yarn, 16 in. or more in width

  • 1st Beth Kimball
  • 3rd Sharon Knudson

Stole (rectangle), light weight yarn, 16 in. or more in width

  • 2nd Marilyn Thompson
  • 4th Brooke Roegge

Shawl, light weight yarn, 25 in. and over in depth

  • 4th Brooke Roegge

Shawl, ultra-fine weight yarn, 25 in. and over in depth

  • 2nd Shelley Balfe

Shawlette; light weight yarn, up to 25 in. in depth

  • 1st Marilyn Thompson
  • 2nd Ariana Hart

Shawlette, medium weight yarn, up to 25 in. in depth

  • 1st Joan Ulwelling

Scarf, medium weight yarn, less than 16 in. wide

  • 1st – Susan Rainey
  • 5th Lynne Gunderson

Scarf, lightweight yarn, less than 16 in. wide

  • 1st Marilyn Thompson
  • 2nd -Joan Ulwelling
  • 5th  Alicia Anderson

Cap or hat, texture

  • 1st Bonnie Esplie
  • 2nd Elizabeth Nee
  • 5th Kristin McHale

Cap or hat, color pattern

  • 1st Elizabeth Nee
  • 3rd Susan Rainey
  • 4th Meg Duncan
  • 5th Bonnie Esplie

Socks, solid, texture

  • 4th Kelly Amoth

Socks, open work

  • 2nd Shelley Balfe
  • 4th Christine Petterson

Socks, color or intarsia

  • 2nd Bonnie Esplie
  • 3rd Christine Petterson

Socks, plain or ribbed

  • 1st Sophia Nielsen
  • 2nd Kristi Peterson
  • 4th Shelley Balfe

Slippers, no felt

  • 2nd Amy Hawley

Child sweater, dress, or suit, plain

  • 2nd Elizabeth Nee

Child sweater, dress, or suit, textured

  • 3rd Elizabeth Makarewicz

Adult sweater, plain pullover

  • 2nd Diana Garlinghouse
  • 3rd Susan Rainey
  • 4th Linda Oberg

Adult sweater, plain cardigan

  • 1st Susan Rainey
  • 2nd Steve Robb
  • 3rd Amy Hawley
  • 5th Joan Ulwelling

Adult sweater, overall texture pullover

  • 4th Steve Robb
  • 5th Kendra Holmes

Adult sweater, overall texture cardigan

  • 2nd Steve Robb

Adult sweater, limited use, texture pullover

  • 1st Elizabeth Watkins
  • 2nd Susan Rainey
  • 4th Angella Coffee

Adult sweater, limited use, texture cardigan

  • 3rd Kira Wortman

Adult sweater, overall color pattern pullover

  • 1st Julia Reimer

Adult sweater, overall color pattern cardigan

  • 1st Brooke Roegge

Adult sweater, limited use, color pattern pullover

  • 1st Kira Wortman
  • 3rd Shira Burton
  • 4th Elizabeth Watkins

Adult sweater, limited use, color pattern cardigan

  • 1st Anna Sorgert
  • 2nd Joan Ulwelling

Adult sweater, intarsia

  • 2nd Anna Turk

Adult jacket/coat, outerwear

  • 1st Joan Ulwelling
  • 2nd Susan Rainey

Sleeveless sweater or vest

  • 3rd Susan Rainey
  • 4th Linda Jahnke

Knit bad, non-felted

  • 1st Susan Rainey
  • 2nd Anna Turk

Holiday Sock

  • 1st Carrie Ohnstad

Not otherwise specified, wearable

  • 3rd Jennifer Cannon

Sweepstakes

  • Marilyn Thompson

A Sheepy Yarn Shoppe – award for jacket/coat

  • Joan Ulwelling

Ingebretsen’s Scandinavian Gifts – award for sweater

  • Brooke Roegge

3 Kittens Needle Arts award

  • Brooke Roegge

Northfield Yarn Award – Adult sweater color pattern

  • Anna Sorgert

Table runner or centerpiece, lace

  • 1st Kelly Auer

Work of Senior Citizens Division

Knitted adult vest or sweater

  • 1st Elizabeth Watkins
  • 2nd Steve Robb
  • 3rd Diana Garlinghouse

Garment Making Division

Bonnet or cap, knitted

  • 1st Kelly Auer

Infant sweater or jacket, knitted

  • 5th  Barbara Morgan

Congrats to all this year’s winners!

We’ll add the Bee & Honey winners when they are posted.

Don’t forget to submit your items, winner or not, to our Fair Review.

If we’ve missed someone or a category, please let Kathy know at webmaster@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

Newsletter Editor

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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Anna

Yarnover Committee Chair

While Anna learned to knit at some long-forgotten point in time, her commitment to the craft really began her freshman year of college. Sitting still has never been Anna’s strong suit, and giving her hands something to do while chatting with friends or watching movies in the dorm brought a sense of calm during this new chapter of her life. Once the sense of calm wore off (and no one else needed a scarf), she began trying new techniques, patterns, and projects, and until 2018 was primarily a self-taught knitter. After being intimidated early in her crafting, Anna feels strongly about creating a welcoming environment within the fiber community for people of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds. She enjoys knitting and fiber traveling, test and service knitting, a good challenge (knitting or otherwise), and is likely to have at least 3 WIPs at any one time. She is also learning to spin and ply her own yarn! (she/her/hers)

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amturk13

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