39th ANNUAL MINNESOTA KNITTERS’ DAYS
September 28th – October 1, 2023
Dear Knitters,
Welcome to Minnesota Knitters’ Days!
We are gathering at the Franciscan Retreat Center for the weekend, located in Prior Lake, MN. All meals are in the Dining Room, which is located off the Lobby area. Our meeting room is in the Marion Lounge. Our rooms are in two of three separate hallways off the Chapel area. The Franciscan Retreat has three wings, St Claire right wing, St Francis left wing and the Marian Wing center. Each wing has shared suites, which are 2 bedrooms with a shared bathroom and sink/shower in between each room. Plan to arrive Thursday around 4:30pm. Find your Room Assignment listed in the Roster below.
Annual Knitter’s Gift Exchange is on Thursday Evening. Please bring an un-identified/anonymous wrapped item to the exchange that is related to knitting. This “knitting related” item may or may 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 trading the gift they prefer. It’s a fun evening getting to know everyone in our group.
Friday Evening: Show and Share. Bring what you have recently knitted. We would like to see what everyone has created for new ideas and inspiration. This is just for fun and is not a contest. This is an evening to inspire others and be inspired!
Saturday Evening: Slide Show to share from Beth Brown Reinsel
Sunday Morning: 8:30-11:30am, Estonian Roosimine Technique
Snacks and Coffee. As always, feel free to bring any snacks to share with the knitters. There is a large table at the back of our classroom for snacks. Again this year, we are brewing our own coffee. If you have a favorite coffee that you would like to brew, please feel free to bring your coffee to share. We need a couple coffee pots for brewing. Let me know if you can bring one for the weekend.
No smoking in the building or around entry ways. Alcoholic beverages are not allowed on the grounds. If you have any questions, please email me.
All meals are provided: Breakfast 8:30, Lunch 12:30, Dinner 5:30. Thursday Dinner to Sunday Breakfast.
Attention! If you will be late Thursday for 5:30 dinner, let me know and I will prepare a plate of food, and it will be available for you when you arrive.
Evening programs will be at 7pm. We are always very flexible; these times are approximate.
The Swedish North Halland Pullover – First Class Friday and Saturday
Class Description:
The lovely red and black Swedish sweater from the Halland region can be dated back to the late 1800s. In this class, a small sweater will be knitted circularly compiling a variety of Swedish construction techniques: three different cast-ons, a choice of patterned or corrugated ribbing, two-color geometric pattern knitting, "seam" stitches, the traditional neck construction and front slit, purling on the wrong side with 2 colors, the Norwegian purl, two shoulder joins, two types of sleeve construction, plus a discussion on designing. A slide show of some of these historic garments will also be shown.
Length: Friday and Saturday
Level: Intermediate- must be experienced using double pointed needles.
Supply List:
• 3 oz. each worsted weight yarn (preferably wool) in red and black
• One set 7-8" (20 cm) long (or shorter) dp needles each, US sizes 5 and 7 (3.75 mm and 4.5 mm)
• One 16" (40 cm) circular needle US size 7 (4.5 mm)
• St markers, st holders, scissors, sticky notes or magnetic board to keep your place on the chart, tapestry needle
• Crochet hook, size D
Homework: None.
Class #2: Estonian Roosimine Technique (New Class from Beth)
Sunday 8:45-11:45am.
Course Description: The beautiful Roosimine inlay technique of Estonia, from the 1800s, is traditionally found on gloves and socks, but can be used to embellish any garment. In class a sampler will be knitted with a Roositud motif so the student can gain familiarity and experience with the process of reading the charts and working the technique. We will knit wrister warmers, learn to create, the twisted cord, and the Roosimine technique. There are two sizes for the wrister, using DK for the larger size (8-8.5") or fingering weight (6.75 - 7.5").
Level: Ability to knit in the round on DPNs (or Magic Loop or two circulars).
Skills Covered: Reading Roositud charts, managing and manipulating the yarns, a twisted cord technique for added embellishment.
Sizes: 6 3⁄4-7 1⁄2 (8-8 1⁄2) inches wrist circumference
Gauge: Fingering: 14 sts = 2 inches / 5 cm (DK: 12 sts= 2 inches/5 cm)
Materials
There are two sizes of the cuff, by choosing DK or fingering weight yarn, and needles that are smaller or larger.
Yarn
DK weight, such as: Rauma Strikkegarn: 100% Norwegian wool, 114 yds / 105 m; 13⁄4 oz / 50 g Fingering Yarn, such as:
Rauma Finullgarn: 100% Norwegian wool; 191 yds / 175 m; 13⁄4 oz / 50 g
Jamieson & Smith Jumper Weight: 100% Shetland wool; 188 yds / 172 m; 13⁄4 oz / 50 g
Main Color (MC): approximately 100 yds / 91 m
Contrast colors (CC): Several yards of one to three colors, or your choice.
Needles
For fingering weight: US 1 and US 2 / 2.25 and 2.5 or 2.75mm, For DK weight: US 4 and US 5/ 3.5 mm 3.75 needles.
Notions
Highlighter tape.
Optional: colored pencils which correlate with your chosen yarns and an eraser.
Homework: None
LOCATION:
Franciscan Retreat Center
19385 St. Francis Lane
Prior Lake, MN 55372
ROSTER and ROOM ASSIGNMENTS 2023
St Claire Hall
Right Wing
1-Audrey Caine 3-Nancy McElmurry
2-Jan Raaf 4-Deb Hegstrom
5-Pam Soderholm
6-Alison Walsh 8-Anna Anderson
9-Janet Ungs 11-Stacey Ross
12-Bill Matey
13-Kris King. 15-Ann Buttermann
16-Beth Brown-Reinsel – Guest Instructor
19- Dawn Lundquist
Marian Hall – Center Wing
Center Wing
41-Sheryl Hill 43-Jamie Schlenk
42-Ursula Mayr
45-Anne Bosch
46-Karen Lehman 48-Linda McShannock
49-Jennifer Clark. 51-Gayle Gansch
50-Maggie Groteluschen 52-Peg Baker
53- Ellen Baker-Merrigan 55-Mary Baker
57-Linda Pashby 59- Martha Baker
54-Julie Muehlberg 56-Karen Meade
