Instructor: Lorilee Beltman
Skill Level: Advanced Beginner
Knitters must be comfortable working knitting, purling and following pattern directions. Prior experience with charts and cabling is helpful but not necessary.
Description:
Do you love gorgeous cable knits? Do you find that working cables slows you down a lot? Even if you are new to cable knitting, this class is for you. We will learn how to cross those cables in various configurations without the assistance of a cable needle.
If you learn this technique you can cut out that step where you have to look up the text translation of the charted symbol. Imagine cabling without having to glance over at the words all the time. You may even introduce fewer errors as you work.
A tidy appearance is important, too. In your ribbing and cables have you noticed that the left-most knit stitch looks sloppy? We will learn why it happens and then teach that stitch to behave!! Class also includes tips for keeping track of when it’s time for that cabling action row.
What we’ll learn is nothing new to knitting. The photo accompanying this course description is an illustration from a decades-old Estonian knitting book. Fascinating!
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Homework:
Rows 1 and 3 (RS):
(P3,k2) twice, (p3,k4) twice, (p3,k6) twice, p3.
Rows 2 and 4 (WS):
(K3,p6) twice, (k3,p4)twice, (k3,p2) twice, k3.
Bring homework to class on the needles with yarn still attached
Instructor: Beth Brown-Reinsel
Skill Level: Intermediate
Knitters must be comfortable with double-pointed needles. Working with Magic Loop or two circulars is possible, if necessary. The ability to knit English style (yarn held in right hand) is very helpful, but not required.
Description:
Curious about the 400 year-old Swedish technique of Twined Knitting? This unusual method of knitting produces a very warm, firmly elastic fabric and motifs not possible in any other type of knitting.
In this class, we will knit a pair of wristers while learning a traditional cast-on, twined knitting, twined purling and motifs that combine these such as the “O” stitch, the Crook stitch, and the Chain Path.
Learn how to manage your yarn so that untwisting becomes a cinch! Reading Twined Knitting charts will also be included.
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Instructor: Cecelia Campochiaro
Skill Level: Advanced Beginner
Knitters must be able to cast on, bind off, knit, purl, increase and decrease without help, and should be able to read their knitting. If you can make a 4×4 ribbing swatch without laddering, you will be fine.
Description:
This is a project-based class to make a Winterview scarf or shawl. Winterview uses sequence knitting to create a beautiful textured triangle, and a woven slip-stitch pattern to create the decorative edging.
In class, we’ll discuss how to work the pattern, yarn quantities, and ideal yarn characteristics so you will be ready to cast on right after class.
The Winterview Scarf pattern is very flexible. It can be worked as a neckerchief using 400-450 yards of fingering or a large shawl using 700-900 yards of fingering. It works best with light weight (fingering) and drapey fibers. The sample was worked in an alpaca silk blend. Regardless of size, a small ball, fewer than 20 yards of contrasting color is needed. This can be the same weight as the main color or lighter weight.
Included in the Class:
Digital Winterview Scarf pattern (will be emailed approximately two weeks before class)
Supplies Needed:
Homework:
Instructor: Romi Hill
Skill Level: Intermediate
Knitter must be able to read charts
Description:
There’s colorwork with yarn, and then there’s colorwork with beads!
Beaded patterns can look subtle or flamboyant, and you can use different geometric or natural patterns without worrying about long yarn floats! Join me, Romi Hill, for a class on adding some bling or subtle beauty with bead patterning.
We’ll be talking about suitable beads, pre-stringing them, and knitting up a beaded swatch.
There is a $8 additional supplies fee, payable at registration, which includes enough beads for three swatches, a big eye beading needle for stringing beads, dental floss threaders for stringing beads and placing beads, and also superfloss for placing beads
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Instructor: Margaret Holzmann
Skill Level: Advanced Beginner
Knitters must have basic knitting skills, including a knitted cast-on, knit stitch and knitted bind-off. Familiarity with decreases (k2tog, ssk, cdd) and picking up stitches along straight and diagonal edges is helpful. All techniques will be demonstrated in class.
Description:
In Pinwheels, students will explore movement, color and structure through a playful yet sophisticated design featured in Margaret Holzmann’s book The New Color Work (December 2025.) This class dives deeper into geometric knitting by examining two different construction approaches for the same striking motif – offering knitters valuable insight into how design choices shape both process and finished fabric.
The Pinwheels pattern includes two construction options. One relies entirely on geometric, modular shapes, while the other blends geometric construction with a small amount of garter-stitch intarsia. In class, students will knit both versions of the motif, gaining hands-on experience with each method and learning how subtle changes in construction can dramatically affect the knitting experience and visual outcome.
As the pinwheel forms take shape, Margaret will guide students through the logic of modular, geometric assembly – demystifying complex looking designs and making them approachable and enjoyable to knit. By the end of the class, students will feel confident continuing on to knit the full blanket, with a clear understanding of how the pieces fit together and why they work.
In addition to construction techniques, Margaret will share practical guidance on choosing color palettes for knitted homeware projects, whether working from a curated yarn line or from stash. She will also present animated constructions of several of her blanket designs, offering rare behind-the-scenes insight into her design process and helping students develop a stronger design eye of their own.
Techniques Taught:
Geometric knitting methods, shaping, and garter-stitch intarsia to create the distinctive spinning pinwheel motif with minimal post-knitting assembly. Finishing techniques include duplicate-stitch weaving and mattress stitch for garter stitch, along with a demonstration of knitting backwards on wrong-side garter stitch.
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Supplies Needed
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Instructor: Bristol Ivy
Skill Level: Advanced Beginner
Experience needed: knitting, purling, increasing, decreasing
Description:
Intarsia often conjures up images of voluminous ‘80s sweaters covered in puppies, chicks and Laura Ashley florals. But the technique itself is super easy, super fun, and lends itself incredibly well to modern, linear, and graphic shapes. In this class, we’ll learn how to work intarsia flat, then how to shift stitches and even talk about how to work intarsia in the round.
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Instructor: Brienne Moody
Skill Level: Advanced Beginner
Knitter should be comfortable casting on and binding off, able to knit and purl confidently, and understand basic knitting terminology. No prior design experience is necessary.
Description:
In this hands-on workshop, knitters will learn how to turn a simple swatch into the foundation for a well-fitting sweater. Students will explore how gauge, fabric characteristics, and body measurements work together to inform shaping and construction decisions.
We will evaluate purposeful swatches, accurately measure stitch and row gauge, translate body measurements into stitch counts, and begin drafting a personalized sweater blueprint. Students will learn how designers move from swatch data to schematic planning, and how those early fabric decisions impact fit and proportion.
Throughout the class, I will share sweater samples from my own design work and walk students through how the swatch-to-sweater process informed specific shaping and construction choices. This behind-the-scenes look will help students connect the math to finished garments and better understand how to apply these principles to patterns they knit or modify in the future.
Students will leave with practical calculation tools, a clearer understanding of sweater architecture, and increased confidence working within or beyond published patterns.
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Instructor: Laura Ricketts
Skill Level: Intermediate
Knitter must know how to cast on, decrease, knit and purl in the round, and do color work.
Description:
The Sámi are Scandinavia’s only UN-recognized indigenous people and have a culture rich with fiber traditions. In this class, students will be introduced to Sámi mittens and four characteristics which set them apart: cuffs, thumbs, decreases and braids (with or without tassels.)
We will create a sample swatch by practicing each of these elements and leave with the knowledge to translate our skills to a full-sized pair of mittens.
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Our 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.)
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!
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!
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)
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)
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)