I started Jared Flood’s Girasole blanket back in February of 2011. I have fond memories of the project. I knit most of it in my first Amsterdam apartment. My Girasole nights were filled with wool, chili, beer, and macbooking.
I used a yarn called Retrosaria Beiroa that I ordered from a shop in Portugal. It’s a beautiful natural single ply light worsted weight yarn with random dark streaks. I love it!
I put aside my unfinished Girasole and got distracted by about 500 other projects. I finally picked it back up last month and decided to finish the lace motif I was on, work a few garter ridges and call it quits. Another two weeks went by and then I blocked it. It dried today so I took some pretty photos, but I still have two ends to weave in. I’m sure I’ll get to that sometime this year…or next.
Here’s my abbreviated Girasole…
I’ve been organizing my apartment recently (by apartment I mean yarn and knitting projects) and making some tough choices on what to keep, what to finish and what to give away. It feels good to recognize when a project isn’t meant to be finished or made how I initially planned. I’ve been working with a lot of stash yarn recently and combining colors that were intended for something else. I let go of what I thought they should be when I purchased them. Now I can let my past yarn choices play together and inspire new ideas and fabric possibilities. It’s a very fun way to work.
Most of my designs use skeins from my yarn cabinet so the size of a scarf or garment is usually predetermined by my previous color choices and the yardage amounts. Knitting from stash immediately gives me limitations to work within. That’s probably one reason why I have so many striped and color blocked designs. I often get just one or two skeins of a certain yarn so if I want a big scarf, I need to combine colors. Also, my friend’s yarn shop, Penelope Craft, is only a short bike ride away.
I pretend it’s my backup stash.
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I’ve had a very-nearly-complete Girasole sitting in my closet instead of beautifying my apartment for, quite literally, years now. All I need to do is knit the border. Maybe you’ll be my inspiration for finally getting it done!
Penelope looks absolutely incredible. Nice project too!
That’s awesome. I know it feels good to get something that’s been hanging round like an old groupie off your needles and out of the WIPs. It really is beautiful in that yarn…
I’ve been doing something similar with my stash — frogging some things and finishing others. I have sorted through the stash and paired materials with patterns in ziplock bags and queued them all in Ravelry — the hope being that I will realize I have more than enough to do at home and slow down the yarn purchases… (I think I just heard my LYS owner crying…)
But it’s a new year and a new approach to Stash! Glad to see you back in the blogosphere…
Yes, I’ll continue working through my stash and also warmly welcoming new yarns to join the party.
Imagine having your own LYS as backup stash! How delightful!
if 7 skeins, or rather plates of plotulopi can be called “stash” then yep, I’ve got stash
girasole is the higher lever of magic still, but who knows?
Instant FO! Love it.
My New Year’s Eve was spent ripping and reassigning yarns, and I even got in some time on my multi-year Girasole. But it was mostly in preparation for starting Leaves of Grass on New Year’s Day. At least you learned, which is more than I can say for myself.
So beautiful! I love to see what people around the world are knitting with Beiroa and this is one of my favorites so far
I made a Girasole for my step-mom about 3 years ago. My dad helped me choose the color – royal purple turns out to be her fav. Then off to the Woolie Ewe to pick out some yarn. Because my stepmom is definitely knit-worthy, a Zephyr Wool/Silk blend was chosen. Because she lives in TX, I went for the lace-weight even though sock or thicker is my speed.
Well, I knitted and knitted and then knitted some more. Finally bound off with a grateful sigh, gave it a bath, blocked it and sent it on it merry way.
I knew it would wrap her in love and warmth which was entirely the point. However, the best laid plans and all that. Her Girasole is prominently displayed above the never lighted fireplace. You just have to love family.
Oh, I’ve just finished my knitting place organisation and so glad about it. How could I live without it? http://www.ravelry.com/projects/EkaterinaKadyrova/my-knitting-area
Unfortunately, my current stashes are not large, and all are in one cabinet
Your Girasole looks so warm and cozy.
K