Oct ’21 Meeting Wrap Up

Wow, did we ever have an interesting meeting with Laura Bellows of JUL Designs. We looked at how to play with and style our shawls in different ways to show them at their best. I think many of us walked away with some new ideas about what to look for in shawl patterns in the future.

For members who missed the meeting or would like to watch it again, the recording will be up in the members’ area once it has been edited. Also Laura has kindly offered us 15% off her beautiful closures, pins, buttons and more with the code GUILD.

Donation Drop-Off Event

Our last 2021 drop-off event for service knitting projects is this Sunday, October 24th at the Textile Center from 11am – 2pm in the back parking lot. If you cannot make this date or have questions please contact Betsy at servicemnkg@gmail.com. We will be accepting donations through the end of the year, but just won’t have another open drop-off event.

Great Guild Getaway Yarn for Sale

We will have skeins of the custom-dyed GGG yarn for sale at the above drop-off event. The yarn is called repose and is inspired by Minnesota lakes and skies in late fall and winter. It was dyed for us by Muse2320.

Each skien is 100g/437yds of fingering weight in 3 ply 85% superwash Merino and 15% nylon yarn. The cost is $20 and we will take cash, check, or charge. Unless we sell all 70 skeins, we will have available in the future again.

New Free Pattern – Broadway Ave. Socks

We also have a new free pattern for our members designed to use the GGG yarn. Our member Halee Graham won the GGG Design Contest back in 2019 and we are thrilled to finally be able to share it with you. The pattern will be available starting this Friday, October 22nd on the pattern page in the Members’ Area.

Also, thanks to member Deepa Nirmal for taking all the lovely photos of the Broadway Ave Socks for us.

New Website Update

For the last few months we have been working with the local company Byte to create a new website for the Guild. Our current website is quite old. We are looking forward to the launch of a new site that is mobile friendly, easy to use, and ADA compliant. The new site should be ready to launch in late November. We will do walk-throughs of it at our December and January meetings.

MKG Mini KAL

Our Mini KAL will be starting December 1st! So, get your minis ready! Mini-skeins are 20 grams of the same yarn base and vary in yardage from 80-95. Pick out, or design, a pattern to show off your minis, we have put up lots if suggestions in our Ravelry group. You can use as many minis as you like and up to two other background colors in larger amounts. We’ll show off the finish projects at our February meeting and two people will win $25 gift cards to the LYS of their choice.

“The Good Stuff” Online Auction

Our online auction this year will start at 9pm November 16th and run through 9pm November 20th. We have lots of wonderful lots of year to bid on. We’ll do an overview of the auction site at our November meeting and send the link to bid out right afterwards.

Library Update

Here is what is new in the library this month…

  • Amirisu #22
  • Gansey Knitting Sourcebook
  • New Directions in Sock Knitting

Questions or suggestions? Contact our librarian Anne librarianmkg@gmail.com

Designer Spotlight

Our designer of the month is Mary O’ Shea. You can read about her here.

Door Prizes

Amirisu #22 Digital Copy – June Lash

Mary O’Shea Pattern – Rosie Robinson

Mary O’Shea Pattern – Irina Bezroukova

Give to the Max Day

Thursday, November 18th is Minnesota’s annual day to spotlight giving to non-profits, Give to the Max Day. Last year the Guild raised funds to support the fellowship portion of our mission statement. This year we are raising money for education. We are hoping to offer educational grants in starting in 2022 to help members pay for certification classes such as those offered by the TKGA.

You can help the Guild by creating your own fundraising page or starting a team with other knitters.

Go to Give to the Max Day

Scroll down to the Fundraising button and click it:

You will see the three different fundraising options. You want to “Start a Fundraiser,” which is the purple column:

 

Type in and select Minnesota Knitters’ Guild as your cause:

You will now see your personal fundraising page. You get to add photos, your story, and set a goal for your fundraiser. When you are done with your page, you will get a link to share with family and friends. You can also use the built in sharing tools to share your fundraiser page to your Facebook and/or Twitter accounts. When your fundraiser page is final and published, it will show up on the Guild’s main Give to the Max Day page, too.

If you have questions or want help filling out a fundraiser page, send Kelly (vicepresidentmkg@gmail.com) an email!

Thanks for your continued support of the Guild through Give to the Max Day!

Watch for the “No Fair” Awards results in an upcoming post!

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Headshot of Roxanne RichardsonRoxanne Richardson is a knitting communicator who lives in Minneapolis. Her YouTube channel explores a variety of knitting-related topics, including knitting history and techniques, and she writes technical knitting articles for Interweave publications. She’s a certified master hand knitter and certified knitting teacher, and she can’t wait to answer your burning knitting questions.

Currently Open

Marketing Director

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

Email Me

Kelly

President

(Term 1, Year 2)

A visiting friend from Seattle taught Kelly the very basics of knitting (a twisted loop cast on and just the knit stitch) in 2008 before flying home. Turning to the internet (thanks knittinghelp.com!) Kelly taught herself through a lot of trial and error. Uncontent to keep knitting the scarf she’d started as her first project, she jumped into knitting a pair of striped mittens for her non-knitter, but very knitworthy, twin sister. Twelve years later the mittens are still in her sister’s glove box, and Kelly is usually horrified when she pulls them out and sees the mistakes she made using double pointed needles for the first time. Kelly loves knitting socks and is thankful for the many months of cold weather when she gets to exclusively wear her handknits. (she, her, hers)

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imkelliente

Kendra

Secretary

(Term 1, Year 1)

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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Rose

Treasurer

(Term 2, Year 2)

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

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

Betsy

Service Director

(Term 1, Year 3)

Betsy never had patience for knitting, until she found herself spending a lot of time at little league games and waiting for the last kid to emerge from the locker room after swim practice. With her background in graphic design, stranded colorwork has a natural appeal. Not to mention the practicality of an extra layer of warmth. Betsy has recently begun publishing her original hat and cowl patterns, which are available on Ravelry. (she, her, hers) (See our Service Knitting Page for more information about our current projects and donation process.)

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FingerpressArt

Nikky

Membership/Programming Director

(Term 2, Year 1)

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

Melissa

Technology Director

(Term 1, Year 2)

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

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

A photograph of hands knitting green yarn against a black background.Project HandWork is an exhibit of photos by photographer Christopher Dykes. Using flash, a backdrop, and the infinite human variety, Christopher is collecting a series of images of hands at work in the fiber community. Manicures, hangnails, tattoos, wristwatches, cheap yarn, expensive silk, easy socks and exquisite lace all show the human diversity and the compulsion to create.

Yarnover attendees may have their hands photographed for a $50 sitting fee. Each sitter will receive an edited photo via email. The sitting fee goes to Help In Crisis, his local domestic abuse shelter. 

Anne

Librarian

Bio to come.

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soxanne

Laura Haave

Great Guild Getaway Committee Chair

Laura learned to knit in 2003 by taking a four-week class during MIT's annual January Independent Activities Period. The class project was a striped hat knit in the round, and since that time, Laura has been a big advocate of 1) helping other adults learn to knit for the first time, 2) hats as a manageable first project, and 3) circular needles for everything. She enjoys thinking about knitting and planning her next project almost as much as she enjoys actually knitting. Laura is highly motivated by knit-alongs and loves to knit in community. (she, her, hers)

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Birdette

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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Meg

Vice President

(Term 1, Year 2)

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

Get Bentz Farm LogoOur spinning demonstrations are sponsored by Get Bentz Farm. 

After 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.

Mona McNeely been a certified Iyengar Yoga instructor since 2016 and has studied yoga since 2002.   

She has three grown kids and two, almost three, grandchildren. Her grandma taught her to knit when she was seven. She picked it up again in her early 20’s and hasn’t put the needles down since. She is also an avid spinner and has woven her share of rugs. In her spare time, she volunteers at a non-profit called We Can Ride where they use horses as therapy for people with disabilities. She also works full time as a Treasury Analyst for a fairly large company.  Somehow it all balances out.

Midwest Machine Knitters' Collaborative logo

The Midwest Machine Knitters’ Collaborative (MMKC) is a Minnesota based fiber guild established in 2011. We envisioned the Collaborative as a way to connect with other machine knitters who like to think (and knit!) outside the box. MMKC provides a forum to promote fun, interest, appreciation, education, inspiration, and camaraderie in the art of machine knitting. We welcome all levels of experience, as this is the best way to learn and inspire. We will all become better knitters through collaboration.  https://www.midwestmachineknitters.org/

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