Tag Archives: Juniper Moon Farm

Sheep!

Posted on December 4, 2015 by | Comments Off on Sheep!

Sheep! post image

Sometimes, people have wonderful things–and then do good things with them.

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Susan Gibbs of Juniper Moon Farm and her husband Michael have created these wonderful sheep. They’re basic cutouts in sheep-shapes, which is pretty straight-forward, but then … you get to have fun with them. Wrapping them in yarn leftovers, for example, or turning them into wreaths or magnets or … the creativity is boundless! (Seriously–check out her blog to see.) There’s even a sweater pattern so you can knit them their own sweaters.

But, even better, when you buy them, a portion of the proceeds are being donated to Heifer International.

That’s right–there are hundreds of little flocks out there, and they’re not only adorable and fun, but they’re good for charity, too.

What could be better this time of year? The only possible problem, here, is that you could get so involved playing with your new flock, that you fall behind in your holiday preparations … but, really, that’s a risk I’m willing to take.

You can buy them from the farm’s Etsy shop or through Facebook.

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Pogona After One Week

Posted on July 7, 2014 by | Comments Off on Pogona After One Week

Because it’s been a busy holiday week (hope your’s wasn’t too busy!), I am not as far along on my pogona as I would like.

pogona in progress

This cormo is blowing my mind. It’s gorgeous, and with the alpaca, it is just downright decadent.

pogona in progress 2

I am doing the white in Fibonacci stripes, separated by two-row stripes of gray. I think the color contrast just adds to the texture of the piece.

It might bee 100 degrees out now, but I can’t wait to try this shawl on. Knitting this out of my handspun has convinced me that it’s worth spending more time spinning so I can knit with handspun more often.

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Baby Knitting and Webcam Photos

Posted on December 5, 2013 by | Comments Off on Baby Knitting and Webcam Photos

The problem with trying to blog near the winter solstice and working an 8 to 5 is that there isn’t much time to take pictures. And these days, blogs need pictures, but since I don’t have currently have a personal life during daylight hours, tonight we’re having fun with webcam photos!

heatingpad
Yes, I’m even wearing a heating pad, because my neck has a couple of giant knots in it hurts like the dickens.

highshot
Here’s a shot with with better light, where I just look tired. Growing a person is hard work. Did I mention I’m pregnant? I can’t remember, but if not, I’m almost 21 weeks! To celebrate, let’s talk about knitting baby things.

garterstitchvice
This is a Garter Stitch Baby Kimono in progress, knit in Vice Yarns Plain Jane. Click the link, because my webcam is not doing the colors justice. This sweater is going to be bright. I’ll never lose my baby when he or she is wearing this sweater. We’ll all be so distracted by this sweater, we won’t be able to divert our eyes.

Not everything I’m knitting for the baby is quite so loud. I’m working on a blanket, which I feel is an obligatory project for a baby, even though I’m not really the biggest blanket-knitting fan. It’ll be cute and totally worth it once it’s finished, but I am certainly not going to be the kind of knitting mother than knits her child many or large blankets.

The only other thing I’ve knit for the baby is a cabled Sunnyside Cardigan out of cormo yarn that I spun. The roving was my Juniper Moon Farm Spinner’s Share that I spun way before there was any thought of a baby. (This picture is also form October, hence the absence of webcam-ness.)

sunnyside
The sweater is still in this state, ends not woven in, buttons in a ziplock back next to it in a drawer. I still have 4+ months to finish it, right?

I’m trying to add to my list of baby things to make. Since this little one is due midspring, I am thinking I’ll need some hats and booties for cold mornings and evenings, but nothing too heavy. Is there anything else I should plan on making? I have to confess I love making sweaters, especially wee ones, but I realize that an April baby only needs so many sweaters. What are your favorite baby knits?

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Juniper Moon Farms Spring 2013 Yarns

Posted on April 8, 2013 by | Comments Off on Juniper Moon Farms Spring 2013 Yarns

KS: JMF Spring 2013

Mostly because I can’t help myself, I wanted to give a shout-out to Juniper Moon Farms for the Spring yarn collection.

First, the facts:

Yarn: Moonshine

Company: Juniper Moon Farm

Fiber: 40% Wool, 40% Alpaca, 20% Silk

Yardage: 100g/197yd

Weight: Worsted

Gauge: 5 sts = 1″ on US 7

The Patterns: Moonshine patterns from the new book.

Yarn: Sabine

Company: Juniper Moon Farm

Fiber: 40% Cotton/30% Royal Llama/30% Merino Wool

Yardage: 100g/218yds

Gauge: 4.75 sts = 1″ on US 7

The Patterns: Sabine patterns from the new book.

Yarn: Yearling

Company: Juniper Moon Farm

Fiber: 60% Merino Wool/40% Cotton

Yardage: 100g/109yds

Weight: Bulky

Gauge: 3.5 sts = 1″ on US 10.5

The Patterns Look: Yearling patterns from the new book.

Yarn: Findley Dappled

Company: Juniper Moon Farm

Fiber: 50% Merino Wool/50% Silk

Yardage: 100g/798yds

Weight: Lace

Gauge: 7.5 sts = 1″ on US 2

The Patterns: Findley Dappled patterns from the new book.

As a matter of full-disclosure, I’ve known Susan Gibbs, the woman behind this farm, since she started her Martha’s Vineyard Fiber Farm back around 2007/2008 and consider her a friend. My mother and I went to the first Shearing celebration of her flock in 2008, and I’ve been getting her CSA shares on and off ever since. I also test-knitted one of the sweaters in this Moonshine line (the one on the cover, in fact), and helped proof-read some of the patterns. In other words, I’m not exactly unbiased, but I’ve loved every one of her yarns that I’ve tried and am a big fan of her, her farm, and her blog (which you should be reading if you’re not already), so … even though these aren’t the kinds of books I usually review … I couldn’t help myself.

Oh, and for the record, knitting with Moonshine was a dream–beautiful and soft with a really gorgeous sheen. It was a delight. And Findley (dappled or otherwise) has become one of my favorite lace yarns. It’s smooth, even, has a gorgeous shine and blocks like a dream. Just saying.

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Cormo and Cormo and Spinning

Posted on November 20, 2012 by | Comments Off on Cormo and Cormo and Spinning

I have a set of pictures that might look fairly deceiving.


A pile of cormo top for spinning.


Some cormo yarn in the process of being spun.


The body of a cormo sweater.

Oh what progress can a girl make in a day!

Except that these are two different projects. The sweater is already spun Cormo yarn came from a sale at Juniper Moon Farm, while stuff I am spinning was my 2011 spinners share from the same farm. It’s delightful to work with. These two are both my first cormo projects, and I am completely in love with the fiber. It makes me want fleeces.

Well, that’s not new, everything makes me want fleeces. The only reason I don’t have more fleeces is that I don’t have a drum carder, or the patience to use hand cards day in and day out. Otherwise, my apartment would need no furniture because we would just luxuriate on fleeces instead.

mmmm…Sheepy.

Seriuosly though, I just figured out why I don’t spin more. You see, I used to have my wheel set up by my desk. My desk chair was the perfect height for keeping good posture and still spinning for hours. Except I never sit at my desk after dinner unless I have a major deadline. (After dinner is when most of the fiber progress happens around here.) And if I am at my desk facing a deadline, it is not usually spinning related. (To be fair, I have never had a spinning deadline, but I am looking to change all that.) No, after dinner, on any normal night, I am on my seat on the sofa, watching something British on the TeeVee. I can’t spin on the sofa, it’s too low and cushy, which are great qualities, I feel, in a sofa, but not so much for a spinning perch.

So what did I do?

Wait for it….

………

I sat on a pillow. And it was perfect!

I don’t know why it took me two years to think of putting a throw pillow under my bum, but there you go. Now all I want to do after dinner is spin. Of course, I don’t have anything dyed the right color, and dyeing can take days, but I’ve had this cormo share for a year, and it hadn’t told me what color it wanted to be yet, so I hadn’t dyed it, and I have never spun natural white fiber. Saturday I was itching to spin something and I had been working on that oh so cushy sweater, so I grabbed it on a whim and gave it a whirl. It started to speak to me then. This cormo wants to be a thin, dk-ish weight, three ply yarn, but it hasn’t decided on a color yet. I thought I would get bored with spinning the undyed stuff, but it looks so nice on the bobbin, and splitting it into one ounce little chunks makes me feel like I am spinning waaaay faster than I am–and I am having a blast.

Something happens when I start really getting into what I am working on. I start thinking big–huge even. Like, I should start a regular line of handspun yarns. Not like the one I have now, where I hand paint 100g of fiber and then spin it up into a ooak 100g skein. I am talking buying a fleece and spinning that into a whole fleece’s worth of yarn. And then selling that, dyed in upon request. I mean, I’ve already wanted to start processing fleeces and selling hand processed spinning fiber to spinners, and I sell mill-spun yarn to knitters and crocheters, but why not start and line of handspun? From types of wool that aren’t merino? (Nothing wrong w/ merino, most of my mill-spun yarn is merino, it’s just so ubiquitous, and frankly, not my favorite to spin.) And better yet, why not buy from local (meaning midwest–since that’s the region of the country I am from) farmers? Cause then I could help advertise those farms as well?

Sweet.

Let’s do it.

Only problem?

Still don’t have a drum carder. But I’m working on it.

I am still working out the wheres and the whyfores, but this is the sort of business I saw my one-lady yarn dyeing company evolve into eventually–I just forgot about it a little bit over the last two years.

I have been doing a lot of business soul-searching lately–a lot of realizing that I need to put a whole lot more energy into this machine if it’s going to keep on rolling. I am excited to do it, but it’s going to take some time to work out. So don’t expect a bunch of different stuff up tomorrow, but just know, I’m working on it.

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Mid Summer Pursuits

Posted on July 18, 2012 by | Comments Off on Mid Summer Pursuits

Did I mention I started a new job? A real permanent job? I honestly can’t remember. It’s a great job with an unambiguous title: Retail Coordinator. And I get to work for Kansas–not the government, which is all around pretty good in my book–but folks it’s a lot to learn and take over all at once. I can’t sleep at night my mind is so busy processing it all. I don’t feel rushed or panicked or unhappy–quite the opposite really–I am just behind–through no fault of my own. But the catching up is taking most of my brain power, and I forget to start writing a blog post until 5 minutes before it’s time to leave for work, and we’ve all seen how well that has been working out.

The rest of my energies have gone into the following pursuits:


These peaches became ice cream. I have been experimenting with ice cream making this week, which I have never ever made before. See, I used to be baker, but then I gave up wheat (and sugar, but am less strict about this)* and baking was no longer an option unless I wanted to spend a fortune on nut flours. Ladies and gentlemen, these last few months have seen me pretty much the definition of broke. Broker than I have ever been. Nothing was purchased that was not a necessity, and fancy flour-substitutes are the definition of luxury. Given dietary restrictions, I made my ice cream with cream, evaporated milk and peaches soaked in a couple teaspoons of honey. It was good, and now it was gone. Alas, no photographs were taken of the final product, but I will be continuing to experiment.

Tonight I attempted to make Mocha Gelato, but I am pretty sure I didn’t let the mixture cool enough before churning it. The upside is that with very few ingredients, milk, honey, cocoa, instant espresso, vanilla, I created a really great tasting chocolate / coffee soup that I am freezing never-the-less hoping it doesn’t turn into ice. Less sugary substance is better. Next, I really want to attempt making ice cream from coconut milk and get rid of the dairy all together. I don’t have trouble with dairy, but I know folks who do, and I think it would be fun. Plus, I. Love. Coconut.

While it is summer and ice cream making is the appropriate thing to do, I have been doing all sorts of inappropriate things with wool.


Like knitting sweaters in 100+ degree heat.

I finished the body of the surfer tee, and only have (cap) sleeves to knit and the neckline to clean up. I knit a size I thought I might shrink down to by October and it fits perfectly now. It will still look good on me in October if I continue losing weight at this rate. After that, I will probably rip it out and knit a different sweater, because knitting sweaters is fun and I have been impressing msyself with my new ultra-economic ways.

At the same time, I have been working on my sister’s belated birthday gift.

It’s a laptop cozy for her new computer that she is taking to CHINA. With fang buttons. She will love this. Even if knitting in garter stitch for that long was a horrible idea.

Then I started a completely insane project for July.

A thick, worsted weight cabled sweater. It’s already warm in my lap, but the squishiness of the cables and the roundness of the yarn and the fact that I will have the perfect sweater finished by the time I actually need it this year when the weather turns keeps my needles going. The sweater was in the most recent WEBS catalog I received, and when I saw it, I knew it was what my Cormo Rusticus (100% cormo) yarn would become. The sweater is Pearl Street Pullover, and the yarn was a one off, but I bet they might have something fun a Juniper Moon Farm.

Thursday I try my hand a teaching my first sock knitting class. Wish me luck.

* I keep meaning to write a short post about how, after half a decade of struggling with my weight, I am finally losing it again. The easiest way to say it is that I gave up grains (yes grains, not just wheat) and sugar. I don’t think that blog post is ever going to happen in a way that I will be satisfied with. I don’t think food should be religion, and every time I try I sound like gluten-free evangelist. If you want to know how I modified my lifestyle and am losing weight, check out Mark’s Daily Apple. The lifestyle that website describes is pretty close to what I am doing, and full of great information.

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Big White Role Model

Posted on May 25, 2012 by | Comments Off on Big White Role Model
In case you haven't been keeping up with Susie Gibbs' blog where Vanni and Tella's little brothers are getting bigger and cuter with each passing day, here's their latest developmental milestone:  Solid Food.


Looks like they're going to need a little bit of practice to master the whole Eating Out of a Bowl thing. (And mightn't we all die from the cute while they do?)   But like any responsible big brother, Vanni is here to show them the way:


See, little brothers?  Not so hard.  The hard part is defending your dinner from the blankety-blank chickens.

In other Vanni news, we got a quick visit from our pal Gail, who's been putting in so many long hours that she hadn't had any farm time in ever-so-long.  Vanni made sure she didn't leave without the Full Farm Treatment.  How wise was she to wear white to snuggle the Maremma?


Our dogs are just weapons-grade Awesome.


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I Love What I Do!

Posted on March 18, 2012 by | Comments Off on I Love What I Do!

This evening while eating dinner in our office, I turned and looked at my husband and said, "This is really gonna happen..."  We were eating at the table I purchased for classes in the shop and it just hit me that starting a yarn shop was no longer a dream, it's a reality!  I have all of the larger "fixtures" for the store, and the rest will all be incidentals.  Of course, there's all that fun business stuff that needs to be taken care of before we open, but that's just a matter of time (and paperwork).

My goal is to get a lot of things second hand or "found" in nature.  I've come across things like hat boxes, interesting dress forms, some cool artwork, or even pieces that speak to me.  I a battered suitcase for decoration, a metal milk jug, and plenty of baskets.  My mother is also giving me a lot of her old baskets that she used to make when I was younger!


In the mean time, I've been knitting like crazy for both Sock Madness and what is to be the first knit along.  Round 1 for sock madness started out with a pair of socks that require a set of dice to choose at random whether or not you will C2F every 4th row.  The result is a pair of "mismatched" socks with cables randomly happening along the instep and leg.  I took (bad) progress pictures along the way and to submit at the end of the round.

I dyed the sock yarn with
Black Cherry Kool-Aid!

At the end of each day of frantic sock knitting, I'd spend my evenings "resting" by starting the All the Stops dress, a great pattern in Juniper Moon Farm's Findley Dappled booklet.  I'll be able to post a few pictures in a few days, as we've got terrible lighting in the house and pictures are not turning out quite right.  I want to be able to do this yarn justice because the variegated Findley Dappled is breathtaking, no matter what colorway you're using!  It feels like pure silk as I knit (it should, it's 50% silk and 50% merino wool).

Peanut, my son, checks out the shelves I plan
to use for Juniper Moon Farm yarns.  :)


It was first hard to imagine how this dress was going to turn out, but it became apparent quickly that the two stitches surrounded by stitch markers are where the shoulder seam is to be.  From there, you work your way down in three sections - left front, back, and right front.  I am now to where dart decreases are made.  I've sewn darts before, but have never knit darts, an interesting concept, but they serve the same purpose - to tailor the bust line. So far, it appears that I may be the only one who's documented doing this pattern (other than the tester), so I hope someone joins me in this project soon.  My dress, once complete, will be displayed in the shop and I'll also be wearing it on a cruise in January 2013, assuming I don't gain a massive amount of weight before then.

 Last, but not least, I got permission to share an appreciation photo from the layette set I designed and made for my hubby's boss.  I know I posted it on Facebook, but here's the little boy wearing the hat and socks from the set.  I was also told that they're giving me a copy of him in the whole outfit once they get the pictures from the hospital photographer.

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I Love What I Do!

Posted on March 18, 2012 by | Comments Off on I Love What I Do!
This evening while eating dinner in our office, I turned and looked at my husband and said, "This is really gonna happen..."  We were eating at the table I purchased for classes in the shop and it just hit me that starting a yarn shop was no longer a dream, it's a reality!  I have all of the larger "fixtures" for the store, and the rest will all be incidentals.  Of course, there's all that fun business stuff that needs to be taken care of before we open, but that's just a matter of time (and paperwork).

My goal is to get a lot of things second hand or "found" in nature.  I've come across things like hat boxes, interesting dress forms, some cool artwork, or even pieces that speak to me.  I a battered suitcase for decoration, a metal milk jug, and plenty of baskets.  My mother is also giving me a lot of her old baskets that she used to make when I was younger!

In the mean time, I've been knitting like crazy for both Sock Madness and what is to be the first knit along.  Round 1 for sock madness started out with a pair of socks that require a set of dice to choose at random whether or not you will C2F every 4th row.  The result is a pair of "mismatched" socks with cables randomly happening along the instep and leg.  I took (bad) progress pictures along the way and to submit at the end of the round.
I dyed the sock yarn with
Black Cherry Kool-Aid!

At the end of each day of frantic sock knitting, I'd spend my evenings "resting" by starting the All the Stops dress, a great pattern in Juniper Moon Farm's Findley Dappled booklet.  I'll be able to post a few pictures in a few days, as we've got terrible lighting in the house and pictures are not turning out quite right.  I want to be able to do this yarn justice because the variegated Findley Dappled is breathtaking, no matter what colorway you're using!  It feels like pure silk as I knit (it should, it's 50% silk and 50% merino wool).

Peanut, my son, checks out the shelves I plan
to use for Juniper Moon Farm yarns.  :)
It was first hard to imagine how this dress was going to turn out, but it became apparent quickly that the two stitches surrounded by stitch markers are where the shoulder seam is to be.  From there, you work your way down in three sections - left front, back, and right front.  I am now to where dart decreases are made.  I've sewn darts before, but have never knit darts, an interesting concept, but they serve the same purpose - to tailor the bust line. So far, it appears that I may be the only one who's documented doing this pattern (other than the tester), so I hope someone joins me in this project soon.  My dress, once complete, will be displayed in the shop and I'll also be wearing it on a cruise in January 2013, assuming I don't gain a massive amount of weight before then.

 Last, but not least, I got permission to share an appreciation photo from the layette set I designed and made for my hubby's boss.  I know I posted it on Facebook, but here's the little boy wearing the hat and socks from the set.  I was also told that they're giving me a copy of him in the whole outfit once they get the pictures from the hospital photographer.



Don't forget: Noro Ayatori yarns are here in 6 great colors!  It's DK, 60% wool, 40% silk and absolutely wonderful. I almost felt like it was my birthday 3 months early when I got the big package on Friday.  It ships same day and you won't want to put this yarn down.

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Good Things to Come

Posted on March 9, 2012 by | Comments Off on Good Things to Come
This weekend marked the beginning of a lot of work for me and my family.  I signed the lease to our retail space, started Sock Madness (a fun sock knitting competition on Ravelry.com), started planning the first knit along, and met with another yarn rep.
The future home of Midwest Yarn!

The retail space should be opening to the public in June as long as there are no hiccups along the way.  Currently, there's a lovely little art boutique there.

I've started collecting furniture and other pieces for the shop, which will have a modern day country cottage/rustic feel to it.  I plan on having artwork and other vintage/antique items on display to decorate the store.

So why am I doing Sock Madness in the middle of this busy time for Midwest Yarn?  I promised myself last year that I'd join the competition, especially since I'd missed last year's by a few days.  It's a great way to learn new knitting skills and have fun talking to over 100 other people knitting the exact thing you are.  I learned Judy's Magic Cast On and Jenny's Surprisingly Stretchy Bind Off both of which were easy techniques to pick up.  I'm in the midst of round 1, so wish me luck!

I'll be hosting our first knit along on Ravelry.com.  This will start as soon as there is enough interest in the knit along.  In fact, I'm starting on my pattern early because I couldn't resist the piles of silky soft Findley Dappled yarn.  I'm knitting the All the Stops Dress, featured on the cover of Juniper Moon Farm's Findley Dappled booklet that was just released.

To get ready, stop by Midwest Yarn's website and pick up the yarn and pattern books for a Juniper Moon Farm project.  I have Findley Dappled and Sabine yarn/booklets in stock for the projects and can order more if there are enough people interested.  Special orders for Yearling and Yearling Booklets can be made too.

You can use the Grand Opening coupon code WELCOME20 for 20% off yarn, the booklets, and other supplies you'll need for the knit along.  Then follow here or on Midwest Yarn's Ravelry.com group (Friends of Midwest Yarn).  Don't forget to email me if you have questions or need help with your project.

Coming soon...I just ordered fingering weight/sock yarn in 13 colorways from Claudia's Hand Painted Yarns.  They'll be available for purchase as soon as we get them in!

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