Free Crochet Pattern! Fine as Findley

by Lauria on May 24, 2013

I’m so pleased that in my first official week at JMF that we’re able to offer a crocheted free pattern. And not just any old crocheted free pattern, a crocheted sweater perfect for summer! Why am I so excited? Because when I first got interested in yarn, I was a crocheter. And not just any crocheter, I was a hardcore, diehard crocheter. And I lamented the lack of awesome crochet patterns. Or the crochet patterns that I just couldn’t afford. I could barely afford the yarn I purchased (and not the good stuff!), let alone patterns. So I figured things out on my own. And I did pretty well and I’m happy and proud of what I produced. And if I had all the time in the world, I would totally pick up my hook again and dust it off, like I did with Berzelius.

Fine as Findley1

But I don’t have time for everything. My poor Uma sweater is languishing in it’s handy shoe box. I accidentally left it at the theatre when I left there on Sunday and I didn’t realize it until today!! That’s how little knitting I’m doing. So I don’t think I’ll have time to crochet this awesome sweater. But I’m hoping that some of you will have time and I’m hoping that there’s some girl fresh out of college who sees this sweater and thinks, “Wow! I can totally make that! It’s free!”

Fine as Findley3

This is not a pattern for the faint of heart. This is one of the longest patterns we’ve published. It has a full page of glossary info. But that makes it all the more endearing to me. It’s got great new techniques and beautiful increases. I love the shoulder shaping. This is exactly the kind of pattern I wish had been available to me when I was really getting into crochet and devouring every piece of information that I could. I would have rocked this sweater so hard!

Fine as Findley2

Oh, what’s it called? I suppose that’s helpful if you want to find it on Ravelry. It’s called Fine as Findley and was designed and crocheted by Lindsey Stephens.

Fine as Findley

Lindsey Stephens is a crochet designer and Professional Member of the Crochet Guild of America (CGOA) as well as a member of The National Needlearts Association (TNNA). She has had her designs published in a national magazine as well as by yarn companies, and has taught needle arts and crafting classes in a variety of venues. Lindsey learned to crochet while on a three day road trip when her family relocated from her home state of Texas to Connecticut. When she first arrived in Connecticut, Lindsey owned 2 skeins of yarn. She has been steadily adding to her stash ever since.

You can download the pattern here, or at any time from our Free Patterns Page

{ 7 comments }

Today in Pictures

by Susan on May 23, 2013

My BFF Amy knows how homesick I am for my flock, so she sent me some pics this morning to cheer me up.Bertie of Juniper Moon FarmSweet Bertie

Cini of Juniper Moon FarmCini

Juniper Moon Farm

Lyra of Juniper Moon FarmLyra gets up close and personal.

Hannah of Juniper Moon FarmThe Lovely Miss Hannah

Juniper Moon Farm

Juniper Moon Farm

Pictures of sheep make every day better.

{ 10 comments }

Lemon Lavender Frozen Yogurt

by Susan on May 23, 2013

Lemon Lavender Frozen Yogurt

I was against using lavender in cooking until my friend Cherry took me to Blackbird Bakery on Bainbridge Island last year for their Lemon Lavender Sugar Cookies. The cookies were a revelation. The key to culinary use of lavender, I discovered, was using only a small amount. Too much, and your food winds up tasting like old lady perfume.

Since I just started the JMF Three Week Kettle Bell Challenge on Monday, baking with lavender seemed like a bad idea. Instead, I decided to pair lemon and lavender in a healthy frozen yogurt! The only problem? My Mama doesn’t have an ice cream maker. Luckily, when it comes to dessert, determination is my middle name. A little bit of experimentation yielded delicious results!

Ingredients:

1 large container of plain Greek yogurt (32 oz or 35 oz. depending on the brand)

1 cup lemon curd, home made or store bought

1 teaspoon lavender blossoms

Lemon Lavender Frozen Yogurt

To make a creamy frozen yogurt, you’ll need to remove as much liquid as possible from the greek yogurt. Line a fine strainer with a double layer of damp cheesecloth or paper towels and place the strainer over a bowl. Allow to drain at least overnight in the fridge, preferably two nights. After draining, the yogurt will have diminished significantly in volume and be very thick.

Lemon Lavender Frozen YogurtPlace the strained yogurt, lemon curd and lavender in the bowl of a stand mixer and blend for three to four minutes. In addition to combining the flavors, mixing will incorporate air into the yogurt, giving it a better mouth feel.

Lemon Lavender Frozen YogurtPut the yogurt mixture into a plastic container and freeze.

Lemon Lavender Frozen Yogurt

 Between two and three hours in the freezer produces the creamiest yogurt, but everyone’s freezer is different, so test it after two hours. This frozen yogurt is best eaten the day you make it. If you have any leftovers that must be frozen overnight, allow time for the yogurt to thaw a bit before serving.

{ 7 comments }

Spring has really come to the Northeast. We’re just past the disgusting pollen-laden season and right now everything is so green and beautiful and bright and sunny and happy. (Well yesterday and today have looked a bit cool and stormy, but that’s just nature reminding me that it’s spring and not summer!) So I toured through my file of favorites to see what people are making in our spring yarns!

This Runa in Sabine (12 Sirius) was made by kkuncl. She writes that it used some new techniques that she wanted to try. I love to learn new things while knitting, don’t you?

 

 

kkuncl's Runa

MelissaNCgirl knit this gorgeous Shirley Sweater in Findley (Poppy) super fast! I love the tie at the front and the fun lace details.

 

MelissaNCgirl's Shirley sweater

SaraLeila knit this as a chemo cap for the Hope Lodge. I love the idea of Moonshine (Blackberry) giving someone a bit of comfort through their difficult journey. This pattern is called Molly.

SaraLeila's Molly

redsocksrules (hm… can you guess where she’s from?) made good use of Yearling (10 Leafy) by knitting Short Sands. I’m really digging oversized lace like this!

redsocksrules's Short Sands

Also in Yearling (see note above about digging oversized lace!), is this lovely Storm Fir Shawl, knit by sageb in Blue Blue Sky. Two balls of yarn, one day, and BAM! lace shawl!

sageb's storm fir shawl

This lovey sweater knit in Sabine (Posy), is reverisible. Some people wear it with the V in the back, and some with the V in the front! mclaugan shows the Joule pullover with the V in the front but added a little extra detail to the other side.

mclaugan's Joule pullover

A reminder that clicking on the picture will take you directly to the knitter’s project page where you can learn more about their garments!

 

 

 

{ 2 comments }

Probably something you would like…

May 22, 2013

The art of ‘cappuccino painter” Kazuki Yamamoto is spectacular. I’m not much of a jewelry person but these wax seal rings are lovely and neat. $65-$80. Zucchini Lasagna sounds great and just in time for zucchini-from-your-neighbor’s-garden-whether-you-want-it-or-not season. These Rose and Ginger Cupcakes from Martha Stewart are lovely. I’ve never thought of pairing these two flavors! ZOMG! How [...]

Read the full article →

Roasted Shallots

May 21, 2013

One of the things I learned in culinary school is an appreciation for shallots. Like garlic, shallots are members of the genus Allium, but their flavor is much sweeter and milder. In fact, shallots are often mistaken for a type of onion. They aren’t, but they can be used in place of onions when you’re [...]

Read the full article →

Tell Me Something Good Tuesday!

May 21, 2013

Last week’s TMSGT post was exactly what I hoped it would be. So full of optimism and wonder– I swear, reading your entries fueled my soul for the rest of the week! Here we are again back at Tuesday and I want you to tell me something good! It doesn’t need to be or dramatic [...]

Read the full article →

Sending our love to Oklahoma

May 20, 2013

Juniper Moon Farm has a whole lot of shareholders and friends living very close to Moore, OK, the site of yesterday’s horrible tornado. It looks as if we got lucky– I’ve heard from the people we love and they are all okay. More than any other weather, tornados terrify me most, probably because I grew [...]

Read the full article →

WIP: Sarah’s OJAI Hooray Sweater – Sleeves and Buttons!

May 20, 2013

Hello friends! Sarah here with an Ojai Hooray Cardigan  update! In my last post, I talked about picking up for the button bands. Since then I spent some relaxing time knitting an oasis of 2×2 rib! (By the way, have you ever seen a more luscious green? The more of this sweater I get knit [...]

Read the full article →

Great News!

May 20, 2013

Today is a very exciting day for me because today, Lauria comes to work for Juniper Moon Farm full-time! Lauria Kincaid has been a great friend to the farm for last five years. She and our friend Suzy actually helped me ship some of the very first shares we ever sent out, back when the [...]

Read the full article →