Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Minnesota Knitters Days 2014



MINNESOTA KNITTERS’ DAYS
SEPTEMBER 26, 27, 28, 2014
Dear Knitters,

Welcome to Minnesota Knitters’ Days!    

We will gather at The Villa Maria around 5:00 in the front lobby for registration, find your room from the chart in the front lobby.  All meals are in Marian Hall in the lower level; our rooms are located on third floor along with our classroom called “The Lakeview Room” starting Saturday morning.  If you can not make it for dinner Friday evening, let me know 2 weeks before camp begins.  (They require an accurate count for meals.)

We will conduct our Annual Knitter’s Auction on Friday Evening.  Please bring an un-identified/anonymous wrapped item to auction that is related to knitting. This “knitting related” item need not be a hand knitted gift, camper’s choice.  Every year we have a wonderful variety of items and everyone seems to have a hard time choosing the item they prefer.  It’s a fun evening getting to know everyone in our group.  


Please bring projects for Show and Share scheduled for Saturday evening.  We would like to see what everyone is creating, for new ideas and inspiration.  This is just for fun, and is not a contest.  Every year we have a “knitting garage sale” of sorts…..so feel free to bring items to sell.  We will find a space for display.

Feel free to bring snacks to share.  The Villa is smoke free. 

The Villa’s phone number is (651) 345-4582, if you need to be contacted during the weekend.  The caller should be prepared to give the receptionist a name and number so you may return the call.  Address is:  29847 County 2 Blvd., Frontenac, MN 55026.  There is a website www.villamariaretreats.org. 

Attn: Dinner is at 6:00 Friday evening cafeteria style.  If you will be late let me know and a plate will be made up for you.  Saturday breakfast is 8:00, Lunch at noon, Dinner at 6:00.  Sunday brunch is 10:00.

Anne Bosch of Blackberry Ridge will be with us again this year with her yarns for sale.  Let her know what you may want to see, visit her website at www.blackberry-ridge.com to check out what she has to offer.  Then e-mail her with suggestions and/or questions that you may have,  
anne@blackberry-ridge.com.


Here are a couple examples of our Weekend Projects:  




 2014 MINNESOTA KNITTERS DAYS
SUSANNA HANSSON
Domino Scarf: Supply/Homework list
SUPPLIES
PRACTICE YARN
Small quantities of smooth, worsted weight yarn in 2-4 colors.
Needles to match your practice yarn. Aim for a gauge of 4.5-5 stitches/inch. Because you are working in modules, circular or shorter straight needles (8-10 inches) are easiest to maneuver imo.
CLASS PROJECT YARN
BETWEEN 2 AND 8 COLORS OF A FINGERING WEIGHT MOHAIR/SILK BLEND YARN.
NOTE: Some people like to do a lot of color play and have many colors on hand, others pretty much know from the start how many and what colors they want to use. If you fall into this latter category, you don’t have to bring extra colors just for the sake of bringing them. However, if you want to be able to play with different color combinations, having lots of color choices available makes playing that much more fun! Just make sure your LYS has a good return policy unless you don’t mind having single skeins of yarn left over.
My scarves are made with a 70% kid mohair/30% silk blend that is available from several yarn companies, the best known of which may be Rowan’s Kid Silk Haze, http://www.knitrowan.com/yarns/kidsilk-haze. There are others as well, including
Kid Seta from Cascade, http://www.cascadeyarns.com/cascade-KidSeta.asp
Kid Seta from Trendsetter, http://www.trendsetteryarns.com/kidsetaspecs.asp
and Silk Cloud from Shibui, http://www.shibuiknits.com/
If you want to add a sparkly or novelty type yarn to your scarf, bring that as well.
NEEDLES TO MATCH YOUR SCARF YARN.
The yarn should be knitted fairly loosely so you get the full “halo” effect. Depending on whether you are a tight or loose knitter, you will probably end up using a needle somewhere between 3.75 and 5.5 mm/US 5–9 so make sure you bring a selection of sizes.
NOTE: I find it easier to work with “grippier” rather than super slick needles with this type of yarn. In my experience, Addi Lace, bamboo, ebony and rosewood needles all work really well.
STITCH MARKERS
Please bring two ring stitch markers (I like the rubber kind because they don’t bounce off my needles) and one safety-pin style marker.
OPTIONAL SUPPLIES
If you have colored pencils to match your yarn, please bring them. If you don’t have any, don’t rush out and buy a set just for this class because I will bring plenty of colored pencils to share.
HOMEWORK
YES.
Using your practice yarn, please make a few (1-3) individual modular squares so that you can begin to familiarize yourself with the technique prior to our weekend. If you are experienced in the ways of modular knitting, you may be able to skip this step.
Cast on 31 stitches using the cabled or knitted cast-on (for videos showing these cast-ons, go here http://www.knittinghelp.com/videos/cast-on).
Foundation row (ws): Knit 30 stitches, purl 1. Turn your work.
Row 1: Slip the first stitch knit wise (as if you were going to knit it). Knit 13 stitches. Slip the next stitch knit wise (K) from the left needle to the right needle, knit the next two stitches together (K2tog) and then pass the slipped stitch over (psso). You have completed a double decrease (= decreased a total of 2 stitches). End by knitting 13 stitches and purling (p) the last stitch
Row 2: Slip 1 K, knit until 1 stitch remains and purl the last stitch
Row 3: Slip 1 K, knit 12, slip 1K, K2tog, psso, knit 12, purl the last stitch Row 4: Repeat row 2
Row 5: Slip 1K, knit 11, slip 1K, K2tog, psso, knit 11, purl 1 Row 6: Repeat row 2
Row 7: Slip 1K, knit 10, slip 1K, K2tog, psso, knit 10, purl 1 Row 8: Repeat row 2
Continue as established with one fewer stitches on each side of the center double decrease until you have completed a right side row and there are 3 stitches on your right needle.
Turn your work
Next row (wrong side row): Slip 1K, knit 1, purl 1
Final row (right side row): Slip 1 K, K2tog, psso.
Cut the yarn leaving a 6 inch tail but don’t pull the tail through the loop (put a stitch marker in the loop to make sure it doesn’t come undone)
Please bring your practice squares with you.
QUESTIONS?
Don’t hesitate to contact me at susanna.hansson@oneofsusannas.com
Susanna Hansson 2014

Villa Maria is located between New Frontenac and Lake City on County Road 2.  Coming south from Red Wing on Hwy 61/63, pass through New Frontenac and go 1.3 miles, and take County Road 2 left (North) for 1/2 mile.  Our center is located just after the bridge overlooking the marsh. 
29847 County 2 Blvd
Frontenac, MN 55026-1052
Phone (651) 345-4582
Fax (651) 345-345

ROSTER 2014




1. Nancy Ambrose
  
2. Anne Bosch

3. Marian Bystrom

4. Audrey Caine

5. Jean Christensen

6. Zoe Cohen

7. Betsy Cyson

8. Karen Cyson

9. Kathy Cvar

10. Cathy Ells      

11.  Barb Farrell

12. Betsy Foster

13. JoEllen Haustein

14. Sheryl Hill

15. Teresa Jensen

16. Kris King

17. Rosemary Knapp

18. Kathi Lautt

19. Ursula Mayr
 
20. Carol Reuter

21. Anne Rojas

22. Stacey Ross

23. Rosanne Rowen

24. Beth Schmeling

26. Rachel Sternisha

26. Tammy Vallant

27. Elizabeth Vindedahl

28. Janet Ungs

29. Karen Wanke


30. Instructor: Susanna Hansson


Revised: 9-25-14