Audrey Triple Wrap Shawl

I made the Audrey Triple Wrap Shawl, with Madelinetosh Lace yarn in the gilded colorway. This is the shawl that I have been meaning to show you since this past April since I just finished. I didn't manage to take any decent photos of it in the development stage but here it is finished!!! I finished it on June 16th,the following Tuesday I blocked it and today my mother was kind enough to take these photos of me. I just realized how many times I have said finished quite a few times but really I feel so happy. I feel so proud of doing it! It was my first time doing lace, reading a knitting chart, using a crochet cast-on, and also blocking something.

I thought at times it would never be done, but also at times I didn't want it to end. This shawl has gone with me everwhere in these past three months that led to it's completion. I worked on it literally everywhere. I have this strange feeling that as I look at it memories flow back to me of little moments caught here and there where I worked on it, from the moment I cast on in the class at the wonderful Tinsmith's Wife, to when I worked on it along the Guadalupe River while camping, to the times I worked on it sitting at the pool, or the times sitting in the car waiting for Jessica to get out of work, or while driving to the next adventure, or in the doctor's office.

I know it sounds funny but I even think of certain music when thinking about it, since I often listened to my ipod whilst working on it. Ingrid Michaelson, all the possible Camera Obscura songs, Band of Horses, Joni Mitchell, and so many more. For me this is one of the reasons I love knitting and crocheting so much. It would seem as if these little bits of time are trapped inside each little stitch. It is hard to explain to people that don't do either, and actually I don't think I would've really understood until I had done it.

This is by far my largest knitting project as of yet, but gives me hope for more to come and already I have started another shawl! As for the class I took, it was so wonderful. The shop The Tinsmith's Wife is one of my favorite yarn shops. I have to admit that I love coming here, it is a little treat everytime I make it out there. The yarn selection is amazing not to mention the staff. They are always so friendly and down-to- earth. The helped me so much, and are always so kind. I learned so much and loved the one-on-one atmosphere. I will definitely be back for more classes, or to just browse for much needed additions to my stash...heee heee :)

(P.S. Don't forget to enter my giveaway or my Crafty Goodness Swap!!!)

(P.S.S. This is the song that describes how I felt when I finished!! So funny! Kaitlyn showed it to me :) )

Crafty Goodness Swap 2010

EDIT: SWAP NOW CLOSED!

Crafts are good.

Right?

Right.

They make allow you to make something out of nothing. They allow you to express your inner artist. They are an expression of you. They make you feel good, happy, ecstatic even (of course sometimes when things go amok they make you livid but let's not go into that now shall we? ). My point is that crafty people are typically good minded spirits who like to share what they have made.

So...I was thinking it would be fun to have a crafty swap.

I have been wanting to do a crafty swap for some time, especially after I had had so much fun with Carly's swap during Christmas. So why not now??!! Summer is here and the hot languid days are perfect for crafting up all kinds of goodness.

Whether or not you are an absolute beginner, a long time crafter, a secret crafter, or have never crafted before (but been wanting to dip your toes in the water), or just love to make things, this is the swap for you!

So here's how it will work. You will be given a secret partner, and make something for them(with their interests in mind). Doesn't matter what craft genre you make it with, or how goood you are, the point is to share the love of crafting with one another. I know that crafting can be cheap or expensive so the tricky part is that what ever you make should cost $10-15 dollars if you were to sell it, not including shipping.

If you want to take part sign up here by leaving a comment with your name, email address, and whether or not you are willing to ship overseas. Then on Friday July 16, 2010 the swap will be closed. Then I will email you with the information on who your partner is, and the rest of the details. Your swap package should be sent out on August 19, 2010, giving you a little more than a month to whip something up.

Also if something comes up and you can't take part in the swap or have any questions, please email me as soon as possible, at

themagicalbean[at]live[dot]com

Interested? Good.

Then sign up and help to spread the love of crafty goodness.

I am so excited!!

XOXO, Callie

the magical bean

(PS: Look at the side of my blog to copy and paste the html to get the badge of the Crafty Goodness Swap for your blog.)

Edit: Sign up for this swap is now closed!

Check out what everyone made though below.

In order to make it easier for everyone to see what you made, or received please blog about them! In addition to that I made a link list from linky.com. Simply add your blog post on the list below, so that all the posts are in one place and easier to find.


For those of you that have a flickr account I made a group for it as well. It is called Crafty Goodness Swap, simply follow this url: http://www.flickr.com/groups/1474285@N24/ or click here to join the group, and upload your pictures. If you don't have a flickr account it is really easy and free to join, it doesn't take long either.

Giveaway For My One Year Blog Anniversary!!!

I really wanted to do a little giveaway to celebrate my anniversary of my blog turning one, which I blogged about here, to give back in thanks for all that blogging has given me.

So I did!

What I am giving away:

A toast pin,

A little drawing book with "IDEAS" written on the front,

A pencil for drawing in the above book,
A mini drawing of a party bird that I drew just for you :),

and a mini umbrella just because!!!

The little mini drawing fits in my hand! And a toast pin!

So you like what you see?!?

You want it?

Well, here's how to enter. Be sure to leave separate comments for each one of the following please!

1. Leave a comment saying your name and an email address so I can contact you.

2. Do a post about this giveaway on your blog, and leave a comment saying you did.

3. Or leave a comment saying something that made you smile today.

Whichever you choose to do, be sure to leave your contact (email and name) information!! Please!

If you do all these you will have been entered three times.

I am willing to ship overseas. The giveaway will run from today to next Thursday July 1st, 2010. Depending on how things go I might include something else as well.

Good luck!!!!!

XOXO, Callie

the magical bean

(P.S. Thanks for all the sweet comments about my anniversary!)

One Year Blog Anniversary!!!

A year ago last June 13th, I began to blog.

This blog has been an amazing place for me to come and share my newest creations, inspirations, and so much more. I feel happy with all that this blog has brought me. It has been a sunny place for me to come after a hard day. It has been a shining light in my life.

Through it I have made friends, been inspired by other bloggers, gotten closer to my own sisters, and made connections.

In essence, I feel blessed to have it, and while I know I haven't been the best blogger in the world. I am proud of all that I accomplished because I did it.

I would like to express my sincerest thanks to the blogging community for welcoming me and taking the time to write about me and my work. Also I would like to thank my sister Jessica for pushing me to start it in the beginning, when I was too timid to, and then helping me to figure it all out. Love you sissie. Also thanks to my mom, and sister Kaitlyn for proofreading my posts and helping out! You're the best ever guys!!!

So how exactly does one crafty kinda gal celebrate a one year anniversary? By making cupcakes of course, with Jessica's help. We made totoro cupcakes to be precise. Since I love My Neighbor Totoro!!!

This past year has been life changing for me. In a very good way. And I feel like this blog helped me do that.

So thank you once again for rockin' my world.

XOXO, Callie

the magical bean

(P.S. You might want to come back tomorrow for something really AMAZING!
Hint hint hint, cough, cough, maybe there might be a giveaway...)

Amigurumi Elephant

Well, I know you've seen him once before here, but he is back for more :)

I love this little amigurumi I made and thought he deserved some better pictures.

So here he is!

Have a great weekend!!!

XOXO, Callie

the magical bean

Granny Square Pincushion

I finished this little pincushion on last Thursday. It is made from old squares I had made back when I was first learning to crochet.
I actually was planning to make a quilt but ended up using all the yarn on other projects such as Maxamilliano.

It fits in the palm of my hand.

I can't even tell you how great it felt to finish it finally... a surge of hope, pride, and happiness all at once. I had this hazy good feeling until I looked at the list of other projects. And just began another.

Have a great Tuesday!!!

I love this song. Thanks to Kaitlyn :)

XOXO, Callie

the magical bean

Vacation Time

We went camping along the Guadalupe River on Memorial Day weekend. It was fun and hot :)

I got to spend time with my family and swim in the river.

We made so many smores that I got somewhat sick but in a good way of course.

Smores are one of the best things about camping.

The water was so cold it was a shocking reprieve from the hot day.

We went fishing, talked, I knitted on my shawl, and painted watercolors.

One thing I always look forward to seeing when we come here is this tree with its roots spreading along the riverbank. It brings back so many memories.

Vacation time well spent in my book.

Elephant Reading Drawing

I drew this elephant, which turned out to be similar to this amigurumi I made, although I didn't try to. It just worked out that way :)

He makes me smile.

What made you smile today?

XOXO, Callie

the magical bean

1. Matrioshkas for Elvi!, 2. Ida, 3. dell stewart, 4. Hexillow, 5. Unseasonable!, 6. german matchbox label, 7. Dolo strong man, 8. Misako, 9. Untitled, 10. yummy, 11. german matchbox label, 12. waiting pom-poms, 13. Untitled, 14. french press slippers, 15. poney candy, 16. Happy cloud painted shoes, 17. Monster, 18. knitted wedding, 19. Untitled, 20. Untitled, 21. Wall of Apak, 22. amigurumi Pooodle and Chicke friend, 23. 31-decorusoculi-wm, 24. COOK-IE -food collection, 25. #121 sold

Here's the truth.

This past few weeks I have been working like mad trying to finish projects. So many projects that if I dared to tell you exactly how many I have unfinished it is a little baffling. I had so many that I couldn't think straight because every time I turned around lo and behold there was another unfinished project laughing maniacally at me.

It doesn't help that I have quite a few hobbies and that is obvious from the assortment of projects waiting to be done. Not everyone can have three unfinished crochet amigurumis, an unpainted block of wood, an old wooden hanger (to be painted of course), a scarf, a few quilts (ahem!), a few granny squares, a couple *cough cough* drawings,a half painted canvas,...and the list goes on. This doesn't even break the ice.

Going through them has been baffling, hard, surprising, and at the same time good. Some projects I have just let go of, not really seeing the same inspiration that I did when I started, some I have taken note of and begun, some have been finished (WOO HOO!!), some I'm not sure why I didn't finish at the time. All in all, I have realized one thing . I have found that these unfinished projects were an exact replica of how my life felt unfinished, un-done, half-done...These projects weren't helping.

They were hurting.

The moment I realized that I knew what I had to do. I had to finish what I started. I had to take a deep breath and finish.

Somehow I have convinced myself that this is for the best, and therefore I have vowed not to start any new projects until these are finished. All of them.

Mind you, saying that is really hard for me especially since every time I turn around I feel like I want to start another project.

At least not until a few are done...hee hee.

I hope everyone is having a fantastic day!!

xoxo

Callie