Monthly Archives: February 2014

With a winter of endless snow, it’s hard to imagine that spring will ever be here; that we’ll soon have gamboling lambs in the pasture and the ground will be full of lush, green grass instead of white, white snow. Spring on the farm is a time of hope, new life, and high spirits. The days are longer and woolen scarves and mittens get put away for a season. But there’s still plenty of knitting to do! And we’re so very thrilled to introduce a yarn for our friends that love knitting and perhaps looking at sheep, but cannot work with the wool. Or our friends further south for whom alpaca is simply overkill. Or our friends who want a lighter yarn to work with as the temperature rises.

“What is this marvelous yarn,” you ask? Well, I’m happy to tell you! It’s Zooey, a cotton-linen blend in a DK weight. It’s machine-washable yarn and has a lovely thick-and-thin texture.

Our sample knitters had this to say about working with it:

“It does not pool and therefore creates a beautiful and lightweight fabric in both stockinette and garter stitch.”

“The finished fabric is lovely with a  nice sheen and drape.  I would definitely use it again.”

“The yarn is nice to work with and not too splitty, even for my very pointy needles.  I had absolutely NO problems with breakage (it is quite strong, actually), pilling, or showing wear while working.  It blocks like a dream!”

“Due to the cotton/linen nature I expected to have some soreness in my hands as has been the case when using other fingering/sport weight cotton but to my surprise this yarn didn’t act that way.”

It softens up considerably in the wash for a soft, comfortable fabric that will not leave you overheating in the summer. And summer is exactly what our designer, Mari Chiba had in mind when designing for this yarn.

In fact, each of the patterns are named “summer” in a different language – German, French, Mandarin, Arabic, etc. These patterns and fun and flirty and should be worn while sipping a lemonade in the shade. From a cowl to keep the AC off your neck, to skirt for an afternoon of shopping, or a tunic that is equally at home being worn as a swimsuit cover up, under a slip dress, or with leggings and a cami, you’ll feel fresh and carefree while wearing them. We recommend that you start knitting them as soon as possible so that you can daydream of warm days while knitting and so that they’re ready for the instant the sun starts shinning and you start to crave some cool snow.

The Collection

Xiaji tunic
This beautiful lace tunic dress can be worn alone as a pool cover-up, over a slip as a fun and flirty summer dress, or with leggings and a tank as a tunic. Try wearing it with a bright colored slip for a playful look, or with a matching slip for a more sophisticated outfit for going out.

Knit by: Deb Terrio
Yarn:  Zooey
#02 Toasted Coconut

Natsu cardigan
This lightweight summer cardigan was inspired by the lovely layers that the women in Japan wear to keep their fair skin covered no matter the heat and humidity. Made with linen, this is a perfect outer layer to keep the chill off in warm weather.

Knit by: Sarah Johnson
Yarn:  Zooey
#05 Cumin
#09 Cacoa

Amar skirt
Amar is a top down skirt that is worked seamlessly in the round. It’s a breeze to knit and a perfect skirt to add to your summer wardrobe. The flirty ruffle ensures that this skirt works seamlessly from day to night.

Knit by: Andrea Brooks
Yarn:  Zooey
#01 Sea Salt

Sommer sleeveless top
This lovely sleeveless top has an easy fit making it perfect for warm weather or a great layering piece for cooler weather. Worked in the bottom up in one piece it looks simple but makes the most of texture for a challenging knit that will quickly become a wardrobe staple.

Knit by: Lara Muse
Yarn:  Zooey
#06 Sel Gris

Yaz capelet / cowl
This lovely lace caplet is a stylish way to cover your shoulders when wearing a sundress or tank top. It adds a little modesty and warmth to your shoulders while still showing off your clothes underneath. It can also be worn scrunched up into a cowl. The shaping of the caplet ensures that it won’t slip off your shoulders, and is achieved by changing gauge.

Knit by: Jennifer Linde
Yarn:  Zooey
#02 Toasted Coconut

Garmi top
Garmi is a lovely, easy-fitting top with lace on the top making it extra cool for hot weather. The lace top is worked first, and the sleeves are bound off then the body is worked in the round in one piece.

Knit by: Melody Cowan
Yarn:  Zooey
#01 Sea Salt
#04 Taro

El Seyf multi-wrap cardigan
This versatile cardigan is a breeze to knit and wear. It can be worn in many ways. To see more of the possibilities, visit junipermoonfarm.com/el-seyf.

Knit by: Tracy Lowen
Yarn:  Zooey
#07 Cardamom

Ete knit top
Ete is a fun summer top that is simple to knit and wear, but with a surprise in the back. The bow detailing on the back is simply constructed, yet adds a little “je ne sais quoi” to this lightweight summer sweater.

Knit by: Shannon O’Leary
Yarn:  Zooey
#03 White Pepper

About the Designer

Mari Chiba started knitting while serving in Armenia with the Peace Corps. It was cold and lonely in the winter and knitting helped keep her sane. Her passion for knitting has continued to grow. Her styles feature clean lines, figure flattering silhouettes, with a bit of whimsy. Her designs have been published in Interweave Knits, Knitscene, Twist Collective, and Clotheshorse. Most recently, her Ginny’s Cardigan was features on the cover of The Unofficial Harry Potter Knits. Although she now lives in Raleigh, NC she’s also lived in Armenia, China, Japan, and grew up in Portland, OR.

To see all the patterns, along with the yardage information and extra information you’ll need to get knitting, please take a look at our look book.

“How do you get your hands on these patterns and yarn,” you ask? I’m happy to tell you that you can find them at retailers across the US by visiting our distributor Knitting Fever and using their store locator for a store near you. Those in Canada can visit our Canadian distributor Diamond Yarn. The patterns are sold as leaflets with as many pictures as we could cram in the limited space, schematics and charts (where applicable), as well as written directions. Mari did a fantastic job with these patterns and we hope you’ll love them as much as we do!

To celebrate the pattern release, we’re giving away 2 balls of Zooey in color #04 Taro. That’s enough to make Yaz, or the smallest size of Ete or Sommer! To enter, please go to Ravelry and favorite or queue at least one of the Zooey patterns, then come back here and leave a comment telling us which one your favorite is. If you post about this on facebook or pin a pattern, you can comment again for an additional entry. Entries open through Monday the 24th with the winner announced on Tuesday the 25th here on the blog.

We would be remiss in not thanking some of the people that made Zooey possible:
Our models: Rachel Policare, Emily Karasz, Maddie Dreher, and Alexis Di Gregorio
Our photography support crew: Tanya Brooks, Cris Ferguson, Amy Karasz and family, Lisa Richey
Jen Fariello for allowing us to use her studio during the polar vortex 2014
Our one-of-a-kind tech editor: Alison Green
Pattern Leaflets Graphic Designer: Jonas Estevan
Look Book Graphic Designer: Michelle Lukezic
The staff at our yarn distributor Knitting Fever Inc
And of course our patient and detail-oriented sample knitters, listed above.