September Meeting Wrap Up and Fall Events!

Our September speaker was one of my favorite designers – Cecelia Campochiaro. Cecelia’s three books – Sequence Knitting, Making Marls and her newest book Reversable Knitting are inspiring in how she creates fabric from knitting to include color, texture and form. The first two books are in the MKG collection at Textile Center; the latest book is available at local libraries. Cecelia took us through her designer journey from start to finish with lots of her samples and how to attain the finished products yourself. Combining both her techniques for marls with reversable knitting is truly inspiring!

Registration continues for Yarnover 2025! The website has been updated with videos from teachers on classes. Go to the website for the full calendar of events, information regarding hotel registration, and more. Click on the below link for the full weekend schedule and all the information you need! There are same day registration for classes that do not require homework – if you have not registered for a class but have changed your mind and want to come, we have room for you!

2025 Yarnover Knitting Event

We are excited about the lineup of Marketplace vendors. We have many favorites returning as well as many new vendors. Vendors are displayed on the Marketplace Vendor page. More vendors will be added as Yarnover approaches.

This year, Yarnover has not one but TWO contests to cast on for! Be sure to start your shawl and/or mittens as our wonderful sponsors have donated fantastic prizes for the contests. Please keep our generous sponsors in mind when planning your next project.

And your Yarnover committee continues to add to the weekend fun. The Midwest Machine Knitters Collaborative will be coming to demonstrate Friday night at the Kick-off Party. Come watch our sister Textile Center fiber enthusiasts in action!

Visit the Yarnover webpage for more information about the weekend activities, classes, and shopping opportunities. And be sure to register soon – you don’t want to miss out on anything!

Yarnover Volunteers Needed!

2025 Yarnover Weekend is Friday, October 3rd and Saturday, October 4th. Volunteers are a crucial part of a successful event; we have various positions we’re looking to fill on both days. Whether you’re looking to volunteer at your first Yarnover or you’ve been volunteering with us for years, we’re thrilled to have you!

This year we’re asking volunteers to tell us 1) the total hours you’d like to volunteer and 2) the time periods that you are able to volunteer for each day. This will allow us maximum ability to schedule volunteers where they are needed most, based on your availability. While we try to keep your preferences in mind for location / task, our aim is to maximize the number of unique volunteers helping at Yarnover. This may mean you do not get your first choice.

Fill out the survey to volunteer. If you have any questions about volunteering at Yarnover, please reach out to our Volunteer Coordinator, Jess Dahlberg, at yarnovervolunteers@knitters.org.

We can’t run Yarnover without volunteers, so thank you for your interest in volunteering for us!

Fall Fest at Galewoods Farm – volunteers needed!

Volunteers are needed for demonstrating and teaching kids how to make pom-poms at the Fall Fest! Visit the MKG website for sign up information! The event is on Saturday and Sunday, October 11th and 12th – 10 am to 4 pm. We have 2 hour shifts available on both days. The MKG table is set up inside the barn and out of the weather – great opportunity for MKG members to teach children how to make pom poms, show off your knitting samples and the MKG mini-ornaments on our tabletop tree. Sign up for shifts on the dashboard of the MKG website after you log in – questions? email membership@knitters.org

YarnOver 2026 – Steering Committee volunteers needed

It’s never too early to start the process of planning for next years event! Volunteers are needed to join a steering committee for our 2026 Yarnover. Here is what we are looking for:

  • New ideas? What are we missing to make this an extraordinary event? 
  • What do you look forward to?
  • What do you wish we could add to our weekend of knitting fun?

The first meeting will be scheduled late October/early November 2025. Please email president@knitters.org

September Yarn Store of the Month: Yarnology

We are excited to feature Yarnology of Winona as our September Yarn Shop of the Month. Yarnology is located in downtown Winona, Minnesota where you can visit their shop Tuesday through Saturday or check out their inventory anytime in their web store.

Owner Kelly started knitting in her 20s when she saw a hat in a magazine and really wanted to make it as she couldn’t afford the $120 price. She reached out to a coworker, who taught her to knit. As her craft grew she started working at a yarn store when she was living out west. She moved to Winona and met her partner and starting a shop of her own came to life.

The store tries to carry a focused inventory that makes shopping accessible for all and not overwhelming. They carry all of your favorite brands and enjoy featuring local Minnesota dyers like Palmer Yarn Company, Fiber McGyver and more. Join them at the shop for Makers Morning every 3rd Satruday. Or join the Palmer Yarn Club to get your monthly or quarterly freshly dyed yarn fix.

If you are getting excited for some fall knitting, check out the great yarn bundles for the Lakes V-Neck Pullover or the Esther Sweater.

Service Knitting – Save the Date for the Upcoming Yarn Sale!

Sunday, November 2nd – 11:00 am to 1:00 pm

Textile Center – 3000 University Avenue, Minneapolis

Service knitting items can be dropped off while you are shopping the MKG Yarn sale! See you there!

Minnesota Fiber Festival in Cambridge – October 18th

  • Minnesota Fiber Festival
    • October 18, 9 am to 5 pm
    • Isanti County Fairgrounds, Cambridge
    • For more information visit the website: www.minnesotafiberfestival.com

drawing of a sheep knitting

Knitting Around Town

Upcoming dates at Textile Center in the library:

Friday, September 26th – 1:00 to 4:00 pm

Friday, October 24th – 1:00 to 4:00 pm

To verify times and dates for Knitting Around Town events, please check the MKG calendar on our website.

Sip & Knit Dates and Locations

Knit and socialize with your fellow MKG members! Service Knitting donations are accepted as well.

Unmapped Brewery 

Dates: October 18th – 10 am to Noon

Address: 14625 Excelsior Blvd, Minnetonka 55435

Venn Brewing

Date: November 1st: 10 am to Noon

Address: 3550 East 46th Street, Minneapolis 55406

NOTE: NO Sip & Knit in October at Venn Brewing as that is Yarnover Weekend!

 

 

October Guild Meeting – Sunday, October 5th at Yarnover

Reminder! Our October meeting is live and in person! It will also be streaming on social media, but I hope that you can join in person for the Fair Worthy review. Remember to also send Nikky photos and descriptions of your fair worthy items – whether you can attend in person or not! If you have questions, email Nikky directly at programming@knitters.org

Sunday, October 5th – 10 am to noon

Crown Plaza Hotel – 3131 Campus Drive, Plymouth, MN 55441

Fall is upon us – all the social media posts declare that it is now sweater knitting weather. Sorry – when was it not? I love bumping into MKG members at events, the Textile Center or yarn shops around town. Cheers to enjoying Yarnover and having fun at all the events this fall!

Meg Schmidt Duncan

President

Minnesota Knitters Guild

Recent Posts

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 2)

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

(Term 1, Year 2)

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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Maria

Technology Director

(Term 1, Year 1)

Maria learned to knit from her grandmothers nearly 20 years ago and knit off and on through her teenage years, but really got hooked during graduate school. Since then, she has embraced the "never not knitting" mentality and has been spotted knitting on backpacking trips, on a seaplane, and at concerts to name a few. She has also just taught herself to spin. Maria is a recent transplant to the Twin Cities with her husband and two cats, and they enjoy hiking, running, and embracing the Minnesota lake culture.

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vrantisus

Nikky

Programming Director

(Term 1, 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 2)

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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Meg

Membership

(Term 1, Year 1)

Meg learned to knit in Bloomington, Indiana at the age of 7 or 8 when her Aunt Anneke who worked in a local yarn shop had to take her along to work. Now a St. Paul denizen, she follows in the tradition of her grandmothers Pauline and Cornelia as a passionate knitter of sweaters. She loves colorwork, bright yarn and meeting new members. Meg is an extrovert and is always happy to connect!

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dotmeg

Kathryn

Treasurer

(Term 1, Year 1)

Kathryn taught herself to knit in grad school, which is a terrible time to pick up a highly addictive hobby! She has since taken many classes, learned from master knitters and explored numerous techniques like brioche, double knitting, bead work, and more. She always has at least four projects on the needles but mysteriously, her yarn stash never seems to go down. Her favorite projects are shawls and socks. In addition to knitting, she does some crochet, tatting, spinning, and weaving. She was inspired to volunteer for the Guild after her first Great Guild Getaway and is excited to give back to this community of incredible knitters!

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KDBren

Kendra

Secretary

(Term 1, Year 3)

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 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

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