As crazy as this is going to sound, our Finished Object Photo Contest really is too close to call. And, for once, we can’t put the result down to my sub-par math skills. When I kept getting different results every time I counted the votes, I enlisted the help of three impartial individuals including an accountant. And their results? Too close to call.

So, without further ado, may I present the TWO winners of our first photo contest:

Joan Fernbach’s hand-dyed, hand-spun Jojoland Autumn Shawl

and

Amanda Boch’s #20 Cable/Rib Cardigan by Gayle Bunn

Nice work, Joan and Amanda! And all of the rest of you. This was so much fun but I learned one very valuable lesson: our next contest will be divided in to categories. So hats will be competing with other hats and sweaters with sweaters.

In addition to our fondest admiration, Joan and Amanda have each won a $50 credit to use in the JMF online shop.

Many, many, many moons ago, I announced a Juniper Moon Farm Photo Contest. Most of you are probably too young to remember the blog post about it, because it was so long ago, but you made have heard your grandparents speak of it and wondered if the contest would ever actually happen or if it was a myth. Well, at long last, I am posting all the entries and it’s time for you to vote.

I loved looking at every single one of these entries. We have some amazingly talented knitters, crocheters and spinners amongst us! Seeing a hat or a sweater made from fiber that was once walking around my pasture tickles me to death.

Here’s how you vote: Feel free to make as many comments as you like about any/all of the projects, but the LAST thing is your comment should be “Voting for _____”.  You must chose one project to vote for. This will make my life mucho easier when it comes time to tally the votes. Please vote based on the project, not the quality of the photos- we aren’t professional photographers here, after all.Knitters, feel free to lobby your friends and family for votes!  Voting will remain open until Friday, March 5th.

The stakes: The winners will receive a $50 JMF gift certificate. I have a feeling there might be a little something for the runners-up as well…

Without further ado, here are the entries.

Finished Objects:

Knitter: Deb Boyken

Weight/Colorway: Worsted/Saffron

Pattern: Original pattern called ‘Hoodwinked ‘

Knitter: Maggie Estrin of Little Grey Cat Designs

Weight/Colorway: Bulky/Blueberry Pie

Pattern: Original pattern called “Bounty”

Knitter: Andrea Beesley

Weight/Colorway: Various (from the September Surprise Sale)

Pattern: Earflap Hat Pattern Generator by Lucia Liljegren with Tessellating Skulls Wallpaper Chart is by Erssie Major.

Knitter: Ayelet Kuper

Weight/Colorway: Sock/Leaf Peepers “Cedar”

Pattern: Milkweed Shawl by Laura Chau

Crocheter: Janet Metzger

Weight/Colorway: Various (From ‘Widows and Orphans’ sale)

Pattern: Original pattern called ‘Glacier Rose’

Knitter: Tania Nuñez

Weight/Colorway: Sock/Maia

Pattern: Original

Knitter: Sara Barron

Weight/Colorway: Worsted/Blueberry Pie in our Kid Mohair/Cormo blend

Pattern:Claudia

Knitter: MJ Moriarty

Weight/Colorway: Bulky/Blueberry Pie

Pattern: Elfin by Wooly Wormhead

Knitter: Kat

Weight/Colorway: Bulky/?

Pattern:Based on the EDI Cowl

Knitter: BMarion

Weight/Colorway: Sock/Breezy

Pattern:Stephen Colbert Socks by Kay Gardiner and Ann Shayne, from ’Mason-Dixon Knitting Outside The Lines’

Knitter: Amanda Bock

Weight/Colorway: Aran/Farmstead

Pattern:#20 Cable/Rib Cardigan by Gayle Bunn, Vogue Knitting, Holiday 2004 (modified version)

Knitter: Joan Fernbach

Weight/Colorway: handspun and dyed from our Cotswold roving

Pattern: Jojoland Autumn Shawl

Knitter: Betsy

Weight/Colorway: Worsted/Hand-dyed by the knitter with help from Shelby B Designs

Pattern:Chinese Lace Pullover by Angela Hahn

Knitter: Hilary Detmers

Weight/Colorway:Sock/ Leaf Peepers Spruce and Leaf Peepers Aspen

Pattern: Original pattern called ‘Sock Yarn Faroese Shawl’

Knitter: Anna

Weight/Colorway:Sock/Verdant

Pattern: ‘Vog on by Aleta Fera

Knitter: Anna

Weight/Colorway:Sock/Verdant

Pattern: Breeze by Jennifer L. Appleby

Handspun:

Spinner:Maggie Estrin of Little Grey Cat Designs

Name: Cumulus

Fiber: hand-picked/combed kid mohair locks corespun around a commercial mohair DK weight yarn, wrapped in a commerical laceweight mohair yarn

Since Maggie was our only spinner to enter I herby declare her the winner of the Spinner’s Contest. Congratulations. Maggie! I love that yarn so much it hurts me.

Things were so nutso-bananas last week that I feel like some things may have slipped through the cracks. Just to be sure no one misses out I’m going to recap a bit.

Apropos of nothing. I just love this picture.

-Last week, I asked y’all what you thought about diverting some of the money we had been raising for the Heifer International to a Haitian Earthquake fund like the Red Cross. Although most of you agreed, Susan in Katonah pointed out that Heifer has it’s own Haiti relief fund. I think it’s a fantastic suggestion! We get to support Haiti and Heifer at the same time. I hope y’all agree.

-I am extending the deadline on our Finished Objects Photography Contest after hearing from some of you that have a special project very nearly finished.

Send us your pics of the coolest/prettiest/most lovely sweater/scarf/socks/whatever that you knitted up with Juniper Moon Farm yarn. We’ll chose a pool of finalist for all the blog readers to vote on and the winner will receive a $50 Juniper Moon Farm Gift Certificate.

The fine print: At least 75% of your project must be Juniper Moon Farm to qualify for entry. By sending us your photo you’re giving Juniper Moon Farm permission to publish your photo on our website. Send your photos to susie AT fiberfarm DOT com. PLEASE put “photo contest” in the subject line of your email. If you used a published pattern you MUST include the name of the pattern in the email so that we can credit the designer; if it’s an original pattern, indicate so. If you remember the name of the color and which yarn you used please include that info in your email as well. Also include the name you would like to be used with your photo on the site. You may enter as many FOs as you like but please include all the info above for each photo. All photos must be received by February 15th, 2010. Spinners, you will not be left out! Send us pics of your finest JMF handspun. We’ll have a separate category just for you.

-Big Shepherding Camp/Farm Stay news! After much conversation and planning, Paige and I have decided to convert Erin’s former room into another guest room for Shepherding Camp and Farm Stays. We are really excited because a second room will allow us to host families with children and larger groups. We will be taking more reservations this year than in the past, and offering weekends that focus on yoga, cooking, cheese making, photography and more. We’re lining up the instructors now and will publish a schedule ASAP.

If you prefer a more private weekend, we can arrange for private spinning, dyeing and knitting classes, as well as private yoga instruction and massage for an additional fee.

Reservations for Kidding and Lambing Season- March through May- are filling up fast. For more info, email paige AT fiberfarm DOT com.

-The 2010 Shearing Day Celebration will be April 24th. Mark your calendars and make your reservations.

- We still need YOUR suggestion for names for our 2010 kids and lambs. Please leave your entry in the comments on that thread so we can keep them all organized.

-I was a little bummed that this blog post about eating meat got lost in the shuffle last week. I was really enjoying hearing your thoughts and I’d love to hear from more of you.

-Finally, Juniper Moon Farm will be taking on one, possibly two spring/summer apprentices this year. These are unpaid positions but room and board will be provided. To apply, email me at susie AT fiberfarm DOT com with a resume and cover letter explaining why you’d like to live and work at Juniper Moon for a few months. We are especially looking for individuals with production garden experience but will carefully consider all applicants.

Patrick and I are very excited to finally find a use for a little church up the road that he bought about 15 years ago. We toyed with the idea of using it for weddings, but it’s pretty small and parking would be an issue. We even considered turning it into a little B&B for people hiking on the adjacent Appalachian Trail, but there is no septic system, and it would be hard to put one in because of the slope of the land and the little graveyard behind it.

We need to come up with a name for the yarn shop and I need your help. And, because I love a contest, there will be a prize for whoever comes up with the winning name. The winner will get two skeins of our beautiful kid mohair/cormo blend worsted weight yarn.

Ready for the big new? Are you sure your ready?