Eurybia Shawl

After getting this shawl kit as a gift (full post details here) I was almost too touched to start it. I just kept looking at it and admiring it for all its beauty. I just wanted to do it justice. But somehow the urge to finish it made me start (does that even make sense?), also it really helped that I loved the color of the yarn. Since October it has been patiently waiting for me to begin. So one day this January I stepped into my closet got it out and was off!

I feel so proud not only of finishing it so quickly but also by how much more I learned!
Knitting it made me learn how to add beads with a crochet hook, which was easy, this was the first shawl project I had worked from tip to tip, and also I learned several new stitches.

It makes me feel so happy.

My very talented mom took the photographs for me.

The beads add such a nice little touch, and a subtle heaviness to the shawl. I really love the drape of this yarn. It hangs so beautifully.

The pattern is supposed to mimic waves, and since I have always loved going to the ocean it just makes it that much more special.

Perfect pattern. Perfect yarn. Perfect gift of kindness from Wendy.

Thank you so much Wendy again!

Granny Goodness

I have been dreaming of making a crocheted quilt-blanket-afghan-call it what you will.
Either way, I finally decided to do something about it.

I am making it from the book Gooseberry Patch Christmas All Through the House by Gooseberry Patch. The book says to use scraps but I chose to use Crystal Palace's Mochi Plus. I had a little left over after making this project, and loved the way it turned out. I also chose to do that since it is self-striping and I really don't enjoy weaving in all those ends otherwise.


I've just been getting a ball every once in a while... and so far have made 15.
Only 110 more to go!

Depending on how I am feeling when I have been crocheting it seems that my gauge is really loose, really tight or just right. This has resulted in three different sized hexagons. Rather than try and get all the same gauge all the time I thought it might be neat to do lots of different sizes of hexagons.

( Like in the blanket below. )
My hope is that it will look neat with all the different sizes.

I've always loved this blanket too, and want to make it someday.

The pattern is called Babette Blanket available from the Interweave Store.
Happy Wednesday!

XOXO, Callie

the magical bean

Rose Red Beret

I made this hat as a somewhat belated gift for my sister Jessica's birthday.

Instead of trying to guess what she wanted, I asked her. Luckily I only had to show her one pattern, Rose Red by Ysolda Teague, and she liked it right off the bat. I then went to my trusty local yarn store The Yarn Barn where Beverly helped me pick out the yarn, which I am very thankful for.

I used Debbie Bliss Cashmerino DK and Alchemy Haiku held double, made a gauge swatch and got started. I used a size 6 (4.0 mm) needles, held both yarns together, and began!

At this point, all seemed promising.

Somehow, (I’m guessing this might have been denial), I didn’t notice how big it was getting. I happily kept plowing along.

I finished.

Gave it to her.

And GASP!

It was big enough for almost two of her heads...
:(

....ripping it out wasn’t what I would call ‘fun’… .

I mustered up the energy (after letting it sit for two weeks or so), began again, ignoring gauge altogether this time, went down one size to make a small.

Luckily, this time it fits her 22 inch head, using the size 5 needles worked perfectly.

The pattern was really easy to follow, very well written, and the second time around it flew by.

She loves it and so do I! I almost didn’t want to part with it… ;)

Doesn't she look B-E-A-U-tiful? :)
Oh well! It was a bit late, but as they say better late than never.
Happy Friday!
xoxo, Callie
the magical bean

I'm back!!!!!

Why hello there! I'm back! :)

And wearing a headband no less.

My semester somehow came to an end, thank goodness, and I am able to breathe freely again. Whew!

So much work and projects one after another. That's not to say I didn't enjoy it, some classes were great. Especially my drawing II class was a blast. I had probably the best art professor I've ever had. It was very inspiring to be in her class. I made some pretty nifty stuff too. I can't wait to show you!

Well the first thing up is this little cowl/ headband I made.
I improvised the pattern Alpine Scarf from Interweave Crochet Magazine, Winter 2008. All I did to make it a cowl instead of a scarf was to join the ends once casting on, and the proceed working it in the round.

I made this in between working on a school project. I really shouldn't have been working on it but how could I resist! :)
Don't worry both were finished within the weekend.
I had bought the yarn last year as a birthday gift for myself, at Hill Country Weavers in Austin. I couldn't bear the thought of not making something with it before my next one. So I got to working...
The yarn specifics:
Great Adirondack Yarn Co. in sea mist colorway
100 yards
It is really warm to wear, and so far has not been cold enough for me to use.
Oh well!
I just love this yarn! It was so soft and fuzzy, and it was a pleasure to watch the colors change, and the glittery bits merge together as I went along. The colors are what really drew me in. The greens, purples, and oranges all fit so beautifully together!

Can you see the little shimmer of the metallic thread? I love that extra little sparkle it adds.

It has such a pretty stitch pattern too.

Well, I'm happy to be back. I've missed blogging. My etsy shop has been sorely neglected and it makes me very sad. I have some great things planned for it. Including a range of new prints that I have already started on. Hope to share soon.

XOXO, Callie

the magical bean

Tinsmith's Wife Anniversary

Last Friday was the second anniversary of my favorite yarn shop The Tinsmith's Wife out in Comfort. If you have been following my blog for a while you know how much I love going there. The owner Wendy is the best as far as I am concerned, not to mention her amazing parents Susan and Bill. They are kind, sweet, and all around good hearted. They are just wonderful and I really wanted to find some way to let them know it.

So I decided to give them a little gift in honor of their celebration. I had drawn this little sheep knitting (shown above) a bit ago and it just seemed perfect, so after framing it, my lovely mom and I set off on Friday to give it to them in person. Along the way there we got a flat tire, and a very nice old cowboy stopped to help us put on the spare (many thanks Brad!).
Once arriving I gave them my gift and I was so excited to see that they liked it!
Many hugs were shared and happy tears. It was a very happy moment. They then hung up the picture on the wall, right away! It was so touching.

( This picture is of Wendy and I laughing; and you can even see my picture hanging in the background, photographed by Susan)

Then after all that, Wendy did something extraordinary for me that really touched me even more. She gave me a gift in return. Can you believe I teared up again? It was their special anniversary pattern and hand dyed yarn, that even came with the beads!

The pattern is for a shawl called Eurybia by Melissa Goodale from Stick Chick Knits. The yarn that accompanies it is this deep shade of beautiful green that I really can't wait to work on! It was hand dyed by Hazel Knits in the Emerald City colorway.
.

The cup is the perfect size too, and a lovely shade of blue, just the right size for my cups of tea.

Then after all that Wendy did a post on her blog about it which really made my day, be sure to visit her blog and website for her shop.

Thank you Tinsmith's Wife!

This is a moment in my life that I will always cherish. Your generosity is outstanding. I'm so glad I got to be apart of your special and momentous celebration.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

You mean a great deal to me too :)

XOXO, Callie

the magical bean

Yarn Crawl 2010

So one word to describe the Yarn Crawl this year is--fun! It was a blast, really. My mom, Kaitlyn, Jessica and I planned it a little bit differently this year, separating up the shops into different days. Last year we did everything on one day... a little too much looking back. The first shop we went to was Nan's Needle works in Horseshoe Bay. We hadn't been to it before and I was really surprised how nice it was. The shop was located in a business center on the second floor but was worth the search. I found the most beautiful yarn that the owner, Cari Kojak, dyes herself. It is 100% silk and I don't know if I've ever been so smitten with a yarn right from the get go before. It's soft, oh so soft, and I just love the colors.

All in all I went to nine shops!

This years passport and bag were bright orange! Of course that made me very happy.

I really think this years free yarn was so great. I seemed to be drawn to the same colors though, as you can tell, greens, blues, and purples.

I got several great free patterns to accompany the yarn but somehow forgot to photograph them. Drat!

I visited Hill Country Weavers, Gauge, Nan's Needle Works, The Tinsmith's Wife, Rosewood Yarns, Yarnivore, Yarn Barn, Stonehill Spinning, and the Knitting Nest. I really treasured going by my favorite store in Comfort, The Tinsmith's Wife.

This is the second thing I bought this year: orange Silky Alpaca lace yarn from Classic Elite. I got it at Rosewood Yarns in Boerne.

I only bought four skeins this year! How's that for self-restraint?!? :)

Honestly, I almost didn't do the crawl this year, since I am making a huge effort to save more and more. So far it has been good, and I have been avoiding going to places I know will tempt me to spend, but this was the first time in a long time I have splurged a little.

I know I said this would be posted last Monday, but I spent the last week looking all over the house for a mysteriously misplaced camera cord that ended up being hidden under one of my quilts. No idea how it got there...

I just now found it last night.

So it is albeit late :)

Forgive me?

XOXO, Callie

the magical bean