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.

Alabama

Feenat

Daisy

Delaware

Alabama again.

Feenat extreme close-up

Big Ernie

Delaware extreme close-up

Miss Hannah is as big as a house and she is bagging up! That means babies sooner than later.

Mrs. Doubtfire has a slightly smaller udder than Hannah.

And Nanny McPhee is just starting to show signs of milk.

Babies soon, y’all!

Check out this mud puppy next to Sabine.

As the snow melts, we move from winter into mud season, that short but seemingly-endless time between Winter and Spring.  Yuck.

Everyone is Jonesing for green grass, green leaves, green anything.

The ewes are knee-deep in mud and fed-up. How many days till Spring?

Sorry for the infrequent posting of late: our internet access has been whacked out for about a week, making it especially difficult to upload photos. The situation seems to be improving, though, so expect more pics all week.

In share news, we are prepping the undyed Fall Shares for shipment now. The first batch will be going out tomorrow!

I have been so busy dyeing yarn for the retail shop that I haven’t had any time to take new pics of the flock this week, so I’m posting some of my favorites from the last year or two. Some of these you’ve seen before but some are new to the blog. Enjoy!

We spent the morning outdoors today while Erin, Paige and Paige’s friend Brad built a new sheep shelter and I groomed the dogs. It was a beautiful day and it felt great to be out in the sunshine without freezing to death.

Tired of puppy pics yet?

I have been poking around on ravelry and checking out the FOs (finished objects) made with Juniper Moon Farm/Martha’s Vineyard Fiber Farm yarn. It’s so cool for me to see the fleece off our flock’s backs all knitted up! So cool that it inspired me to have a contest.

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 Sunday, January31st. (That’s to give you time to finish up any WIP.)

EDITED TO ADD: Spinners, you will not be left out! Send us pics of your finest JMF handspun. We’ll have a separate category just for you.

Questions? Post them in the comments.

Can’t wait to see what you’ve done with our yarn!

I left the house today for the first time since Thursday.

It was highly over-rated.

I’m beginning to think I would be the perfect candidate for house arrest.

Tomorrow I’m staying home.

Bring on the snow.

A friend called from D.C. to make sure we were okay and asked if I had arranged a plow service. I was completely baffled by the question. Then I realized that most people would probably want or need to leave their house at some point before the snow melts, whereas I am thrilled to be stuck at home with my flock, a roaring fire in the wood stove, a well-stocked pantry and my knitting.

The chickens wisely chose to stay in their coop today.

Liberty

Linda and Feenat

The ewes.

Big Ernie keeps trying to breed the ewes- he doesn’t know he doesn’t have the goods- so we had to move him into the baby pen.

The view from the breakfast table.

The wide view of the kitchen (breakfast table in foreground)

View from the kitchen window.

The living room is one of the few rooms in the house that is nearly finished.

We’re told that the wood stove in the living room heats most of the house in winter.

View from the back deck. The deck is huge- it runs the length of the house- and will be great for parties when we can afford furniture for it.

The pastures are on all four sides of the house and barn.

Have I mentioned that the owners of the house are absolutely lovely? They have been so sweet, emailing to make sure everything is okay with the house and even commenting on the blog. (Hi Ken and Diane!)

We’re having all the usual sorts of upsets that go along with moving but I honestly feel like this is where I am meant to be, that we have come home.

Tomorrow I’ll post some pictures of Linda and the rest of the goats and sheep in their new home.