crawcraftsbeasties

Happy Beastmas!

Posted on December 24, 2018 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Life at Beastie Towers, Paddy and Plunkett

Hey everybody! We’re baaaaaack! It’s been a crazy couple of weeks, but we just wanted to swing by to wish you all…

A very merry Beastmas!

And while I’m here, how about a seasonal Beastmas tale? Pull up a chair, grab some mulled wine and a fistful of mince pies, and let me tell you all about…

Paddy’s Santa Trap!

‘Twas the night before Beastmas,
And up in Beastie Towers,
Paddy wasn’t sleepy
– He’d been awake for hours!

He’s thinking about Santa,
And reindeer, elves and toys…
And bringing all the Beastmas gifts
To Beastie girls and boys.

He says, “They need a helper
To aid them in their task.
But Beastmas is so busy!
There won’t be time to ask!”

So he thinks, “I’ll build a Santa trap!
That will slow him down.
And then I’ll ask him for a job,
While he’s stuck on the ground!”

He sets to work, and builds a trap
With hammer, nails and wood.
Four feet tall and eight feet wide
– It’s looking pretty good!

Now, carpentry is heavy work.
Paddy’s eyes begin to close.
He settles down beside the fire,
And has a little doze.

But while Paddy is dreaming,
A shadow moves and shifts.
Hey look! It’s Santa Beastie
With a big bag full of gifts!

He dodges Paddy’s Santa trap
– He doesn’t even stall –
He spots the cookies left as bait
And then devours them all!

But then he looks back at the trap.
Such craftsmanship! Such care!
And that’s when he sees Paddy
Who’s sleeping, unaware!

He pulls a parcel from his bag,
Leaves it by Paddy’s side.
Then vanishes, like magic,
As Paddy’s eyes spring open wide.

Paddy rushes to the Santa trap.
Oh no! There’s nothing there!
But when he opens up his gift,
He really doesn’t care.

“Come join me at the North Pole,”
The note inside it reads.
“Your building skills are awesome,
You’re just the Beast we need!”

So that’s how Paddy’s Santa trap
Made a Beastmas wish come true.
And if you ask, Santa Beastie
Might do the same for you!

Happy Holidays, everybody!

We’ll be back next week with new Beasties to kick off 2019 in style! See you then!

A Festive Beastie Weekend!

Posted on December 4, 2018June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Info, Knitted Beasties, Life at Beastie Towers

Hey there Beastie friends! It’s just a quick “hello!” from me today, because (and I might have mentioned this once or twice lately) we’re going full tilt here in Beastie Towers right now! But I really wanted to share some photos of the lovely market we went to this past weekend – a fun, festive affair in one of the beautiful Georgian houses that surround Merrion Square park in central Dublin.

Take the Beastie Tour!

I caught up with Woolly Jumper Beastie in the entrance hall…
Ooooh, look at that Christmas tree!

This building is home to the Irish Architectural Archive, and our Beastie friend took full advantage of their miniature Dublin skyline sculpture to do his best Godzilla impression!
Then I lost him for a moment – I could have sworn he was right next to this leaf and berry arrangement a second ago!
Aha! Found him. That’s some pretty good camouflage, though.

Now, upstairs to join your friends at the market!
That’s better!

We had a great time here, and many of the Beasties you see in the photo above headed off to new homes over the course of the day! We were also kept in good festive spirits by a kind gentleman who wandered the building for the duration of the market bearing a tray of complimentary mulled wine… How civilised!

I hope the Beasties behaved well enough for us to be invited back next year!

And speaking of markets…

I’ve a teeeeny favour to ask. A whole heap of Dublin markets have been made to close their doors this year, and the future of those that remain is looking a little wobbly.

The organisers of the Dublin Flea market are lobbying Dublin City Council to make some provision for market spaces in Dublin’s ongoing development plan. They want to ensure that markets and indie retailers aren’t squeezed out by the bigger players… And we want to support them! The Beasties and I love our markets, and we’d hate to see them become a thing of the past.

And even if you don’t live in Dublin, your signature still counts! Because you might want to visit at some stage, right? And wouldn’t it be nicer to travel to a city with its own unique identity?

So, please take a sec to click through and sign their online petition here.

Alrighty, back to my crafting table I go! We’ll be back next Tuesday with a quick reminder about our last market of the festive season. See you then, and have a great week!

A Happy Beastie Family - CrawCrafts Beasties

A Whole New Beastie Family!

Posted on November 27, 2018 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Commissions, Knitted Beasties

Hey there Beastie friends! We’re broadcasting a little later than usual, because as we all know, proximity to the holiday season wreaks havoc with the best-laid plans of mice and monster-makers. Buuuuut I’m optimistic that I can make it up to you by distracting you with a whole family of new Beasties!

They actually left Beastie Towers some time ago, but only reached their new home over the weekend. So I’m really happy that I can finally share them without spoiling any surprises! Look, here comes the first one now… Hello there!
Ooooh, nice dress… Care to give us a twirl?
Lovely!

Now, I think this little fellow is also part of the family.
Uh-oh! He’s missing his mum… Time to hand him back!
You might just be able to see that she has special velcro paws, so that she can hug him extra tight.

But we can’t stay home all day – it’s time to get to work! Mama Beastie is also a doctor, so I’ve got her white coat pressed and ready to wear.
And with Baby Beastie peacefully napping in the nursery, Dad Beastie just manages to nab a quick cuddle as Mama Beastie dashes out to the hospital!
Let’s chat to him next. Hey, Cool Dad Beastie!
Looks like he’s about to tuck into some lunch! A slice of pepperoni pizza…
… Topped with lashings of every Beastie’s favourite spicy sauce – Tabeastco!
Let’s hope he doesn’t accidentally get any on that nice checked shirt! Very stylish.
Now, how about one more family portrait before we go?
Beautiful!

Big congratulations to baby Michael who celebrated his christening on Sunday, and to his proud parents David and Naomi! And thank you to Louise, Peter and Isabel for knowing that a full-family Beastification is the best way to mark such an important event.

And while I’m doing thank yous – cheers to the lovely people I met at the Dublin Cat Fair this past weekend! I so enjoyed chatting to you all, and hopefully I’ll see you at next year’s fair. I promise I’ll bring more Tree Kitties next time.
Aaaaand finally – the wonderful Georgian houses of Dublin’s Merrion Square are throwing open their doors for Christmas on the Square this coming Saturday, and the Beasties will be there! Find us in the Irish Architectural Archive at no.45 from 10am-5pm. Full details are here if you need ’em!

Hope to see you there! And if not, I’ll be back with a quick post next Tuesday… Possibly even at the usual time!

Cat Sweater Beasties, by CrawCrafts Beasties

Beasties! Cats! Gin!

Posted on November 20, 2018June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Crafting, Knitted Beasties, Life at Beastie Towers

It may only be Tuesday, but it seems like we’re already in party mode here at Beastie Towers! Come and join us as we pick a name for the 2018 sloe gin batch, as promised last week, and give you a sneak peek of some of the other kitty-inspired goodies we’ll be bringing to the Dublin Cat Fair this Sunday! First up…

It’s Sloe Time!

Thanks to all of you who contributed pun-tastic name suggestions for this year’s Beastie Towers Blend sloe gin! The only downside was that they were all so good that I couldn’t choose one purely on merit, and I decided to hand over the reins to chance instead. Well, chance and a couple of Beastie assistants.

First, I gathered up all the suggestions, wrote them on slips of paper, folded them neatly and… Fed them to Crablet.
Then I called on Explorer Beastie to pick a winner.
This didn’t exactly go according to plan.
But Explorer Beastie is made of sturdy stuff. Look, he’s got one!
Who is it?
Taaaa-daaaaah! 2018 is the year of “Sloe on the Uptake”, courtesy of Tammie!
Of course, Explorer Beastie would have to pick the most messily-written slip of the bunch! But an excellent result. And now I can finally get those bottles labelled!
Thanks, Tammie… And to all of you who took part! I reckon I’m all set with sloe puns for at least the next decade!

Now, how about another…

Cat Fair Preview!

This morning I assembled a sampling of my Cat Fair specials together for a pre-market photoshoot. Care to take the tour?

First of all, I thought some snow-white kitties for the tree would be a good addition to the lineup! The grey ones from last week got a good response, so let’s see how these work out. Do you have a favourite?
I also turned my hand to making some stitched embroidery hoop pictures. I’ve been meaning to do this for years! There’s a small (4in/10cm) version and a large (6in/15cm) one.
And of course, the Beasties had to get a slice of the action! First up, I made some Beasties in cosy, smiley cat sweaters.
And there will also be Beasties with their own felty, feline friends, like this guy!
Plus I reckon a few other little woolly monsters will stow away in my Beastie backpack on market day… I’ll see how much space I have!

And on that note, I’d better get back to my sewing table! Join us for more Beastie shenanigans next Tuesday, and in the meantime, have a great week!

Old Wall, New Market Season Beasties - CrawCrafts Beasties

The Calm Before Market Season

Posted on November 6, 2018 by crawcraftsbeasties in Info, Knitted Beasties

Hello everybody! There’s heavy weather forecast for Dublin later today, so as I write I’m looking out the window and enjoying the bright sky and autumn colours before the storm sets in! And it seems doubly apt, because with market season on the way, right now is the calm before THAT particular storm kicks off too.

So, I thought it would be the perfect moment to share some sunny snaps I took on a bright, crisp Saturday a couple of weeks ago, when I let a few Beasties off the leash in the gardens at the Irish Museum of Modern Art!

First of all, I had to get them there. And that wasn’t easy, with every other tree presenting them with a tantalising climbing challenge and colourful photo opportunity!
Although it turns out that urban scenery appeals to them too.And interestingly, Aran Beastie has stumbled upon The River That Google Maps Forgot! This is the River Camac, whose name took some pretty intense searching to find… Possibly because it has been sent underground in several places along its course to avoid various roads, canals and other man-made features, and then it trickles unobtrusively into the Liffey at the end of its journey. Around here, though, its rushing waters made a pleasant soundtrack to our wanderings.

Now, onwards! We’re almost there.

Inside the gate, we found a rustic stone wall that was crying out for some Beastie action!
And a faded alcove at the entrance to the formal gardens made an excellent spot for a group photo.
But when I turned the Beasties loose in the hedges, they really started to have fun!
They also enjoyed walking down the tree-lined avenues, and marvelling at how tall their shadows looked in the sunshine!
As the sun started to set, it was time to think about heading for home. But wait a sec, isn’t there someone missing?

GAAAAAAAAH! PANIC!

Fortunately, Gift Beastie’s lovely bright pink complexion was easy to spot among the green grass and fallen leaves.
“I just stopped to look at this leaf… Check out that yellow! You should get some wool this colour for next year.”

And with that, all the Beasties piled into my bag and let me carry them home. Thanks, lads.

Back at Beastie Towers, I was able to put these pics to good use… As market season promotional shots! I sent them off to the nice folks at the Dublin Flea Christmas Market, and my profile on their site went live this morning! See which photos made the cut here.

And don’t forget to join us again next week, when I’ll be confirming my final lineup for Market Season 2018!

See you then!

A Bevy of Hallowe'en Beasties, by CrawCrafts Beasties

Happy Hallowe’en!

Posted on October 31, 2018 by crawcraftsbeasties in Knitted Beasties, Life at Beastie Towers

Woooooooooooo!

We couldn’t resist popping in an extra post to celebrate the Beasties’ favourite holiday!

Soooo…

Have a spooktacular Hallowe’en!

And here are some seasonal monsters to get your own festivities started!
First of all, we’ve got Dracula Beastie stopping in for a bite!

Then Ghostie Beastie’s going to drift through later on.
And who knows… If the party starts to quieten down, Frankenstein’s Monster Beastie might well be on hand to bring it back to life!

Well, as long as nobody lets this guy in.

Have a monster time… And don’t forget to tell us all about your own Hallowe’en plans in the comments!

Paddy and Plunkett in the Woods - H Crawford/CrawCrafts Beasties

Beasts in the Woods!

Posted on October 30, 2018 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Paddy and Plunkett

Hello everybody! How’s your week going? We’ve been enjoying some beautiful crisp Autumn days here recently – the bright sun and cool air really helps clear the cobwebs. So, it will be no surprise to hear that Paddy and Plunkett have been out and about, and a little closer to home than usual, too. Let’s join them for a wander in the woods!

At the edge of the forest…

Ah, there they are! About to hop over the gate and go inside.
Uh-oh! Looks like excitement has got the better of Plunkett!
Fortunately, Paddy’s ninja-like reflexes saved him from a nasty tumble. But maybe next time they should go through the turnstile at the side, the way human visitors do.

Paddy has already spotted something interesting up ahead – that big white wedge-shaped stone!
“Hey, look! We’re in Canal Wood!”

Canal Wood is pretty young, as woods go. Volunteers from the Woodland Trust, a British conservation charity, planted the first trees to mark the millenium. Then, in 2014, extra funding allowed a few spiffy new features to be added, like better paths, a boardwalk over the marshy areas… And this sculpture! These leaves in the centre were designed by local schoolchildren – they show things like the wildlife you might meet on your visit, and the hand tools used to build the railway line and canal that border the woods.

To Paddy’s delight, it also features a Beastie-sized train and canal barge!
But as you go deeper into the woods, it’s easy to forget that these busy thoroughfares are close at hand. It’s so peaceful here! Plunkett is really in his element.
But peace and quiet isn’t really Paddy’s deal. It wasn’t long before he started looking for mischief… And he found it, in the shape of an unattended tandem.
He had high hopes of whizzing along the towpath of the Newry Canal on a bicycle made for two… Except that this one isn’t exactly made for two Beasties. Better just hop in one of the paniers and let the humans do the legwork when they come back!

Next stop, Poyntzpass!

This small village originally grew up around a crossing point in the surrounding marshes. Later, it became an important port on the canal, a link in the Belfast-Dublin railway and hosted a large monthly cattle market. It’s a little quieter now, but this beautiful metal sign celebrates its busy past. Plunkett had a closer look while Paddy dashed off to get some coffee – because of course, Paddy needs more hyperactive energy.
As well as the cattle market, horse-drawn barge and railway, the sign also shows the old schoolhouse and celebrates the awarding of the Victoria Cross (the most prestigious military decoration in Britain) to a locally-born man. Plunkett couldn’t resist getting a little closer – but then…
Oh no! He’s been bartered for a prize cow!

Will he ever find his way home? You’ll have to join us next week to find out!

Sloes Featured - Foraging - CrawCrafts Beasties

A Beastie Foraging Feast!

Posted on October 23, 2018 by crawcraftsbeasties in Explorer Beastie, Life at Beastie Towers

Hello there Beastie friends! How was your weekend? Ours turned out to be surprisingly fruitful, when we went for a late autumn walk in the Irish countryside! Join us as we head out foraging in nature’s larder… Well, if Explorer Beastie can be coaxed out of the flower beds.

A Sloe Day for Foraging

We honestly weren’t expecting great results from our wanderings… Although it’s been a super year for blackberries, birds and other free food enthusiasts had long since stripped the best pickings from the hedgerows. And our other quarry, the humble sloe, didn’t seem to enjoy the unusually warm weather this summer as much as the rest of us did. All our usual picking spots were turning up bare!

But fortunately, Explorer Beastie stopped to check out this cushiony bit of moss growing among the spines of a blackthorn…
… And turned up some sloes clinging to the branches of its neighbour!
For those of you who are unfamiliar with sloes, they’re the fruit of the blackthorn tree. And although they’re related to plums and damsons, and look mighty like blueberries, you reeeeealllllly don’t want to just eat them. They’re unbelievably bitter, and biting into one will leave your mouth feeling like you’ve been wandering in the Sahara for a week! No, we have other plans for these… More on that later.

Continuing with our walk, we decided to check in on some four-legged friends further along the road.
This little lady calf was especially keen to come over and say hello. But wait a sec, what’s she spotted over there?
– GASP! –

It’s a monster mushroom!
What a beauty! And we were so sure that mushroom season was over!

“Look! It’s nearly the same size as me!”
Yum! But what should we do with it?

Back in my own Unphotogenic Kitchen…

Explorer Beastie supervised while I chopped the prized fungus into wedges, and we made up the numbers with a couple of large brown mushrooms from the greengrocer.

Then, with a little monster magic (and an onion, some ready-made puff pastry, crème fraîche, gruyere cheese and a smidge of bacon)… TA DAAAAH!
Mushroom tart à la Beastie! It was really rather good, even if it didn’t photograph particularly well. I don’t think the food bloggers out there have to worry about this turning into a cookery blog anytime soon!

And as for those Sloes…

Those other fruits of our foraging trip are destined to become sloe gin!

These bitter little berries undergo a marvellous transformation when they’re soaked in gin, sweetened with sugar and left alone for 3 months. (But then again, who wouldn’t respond favourably to such treatment? Ha!)

The end result is a fruity, bright pink liqueur which is delicious by itself, or topped up with sparkling water and some ice. I’ve been making a batch every autumn for the last few years, and I’ve amassed quite a collection. Feast your eyes on the wondrous Gin Gallery!
As you can see, every batch gets a pun-tastic name. Previous (long since departed) incarnations include Sloe Learner and Sloe Train to Oblivion, and that Vintage Reserve on the left is now a whopping 5 years old! Apparently the brew improves with age, so I’m going to see how long I can keep it.

But this year, a name is yet to suggest itself. Oh no! But I know there are a few of you out there who share my appreciation of a good/bad pun, so I’m opening the naming question to the floor. Leave your choicest boozy puns in the comments, and my favourite will grace the bottles of the 2018 batch!

Have any of you enjoyed foraging success this autumn? Share your food-for-free stories with us below. And also, pleeeeeeeease be super-careful when foraging for yourselves, especially where mushrooms are concerned!

Good hunting!

Tae (Tea) Beasties, by CrawCrafts Beasties

Beastie News Roundup!

Posted on October 16, 2018 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Info, Life at Beastie Towers

Hello there Beastie friends! How’s your week going? This week’s post is going to be a bit of a mixed bag, as we catch up with a few snippets of Beastie news that I’ve been meaning to share for a while.

So, without further ado, let’s start the show…

Beastie Autumn Fun Worldwide!

Explorer Beastie isn’t the only little monster who’s been out and about enjoying the fall colours. Before he even stuck a paw outside, tierneycreates Beastie was enjoying the great outdoors with her mini-miniature schnauzer Mikelet!

tierneycreates Beastie and Mikelet - T Hogan — Picture sneakily borrowed from https://tierneycreates.com

This woolly little lady was so excited to change into her handknitted Aran sweater and kick through the fallen leaves… Although be advised that this post contains – SHOCK – Beastie nudity! You have been warned! Be sure to skip over to Tierney’s blog and check out the full post – it really made me smile.

If you’re in the mood for something more blood-curdling though, you might want to swing by Tammie Painter’s site and see what Finn McSpool encountered on his autumnal wanderings.

Finn McSpool at Hallowe'en - T Painter — Image spirited away from https://tammiepainter.com

Portland, Oregon is already gearing up for Hallowe’en, and the city is sporting some truly spine-chilling finery! Finn caught up with some celebrity spookies at City Hall, but the true horror was lurking in someone’s garden on the walk home. And if that wasn’t enough to turn you into a gibbering wreck, Tammie also used my October calendar page as the basis for a tale of Beastie terror that will scare the stuffing out of even the most courageous woolly monster!

Spooky Beastie Colouring - T Painter — Image Beastie-napped from https://tammiepainter.com

And Also in the Blogosphere…

Now, I usually like to keep things nice and upbeat here on the BeastieBlog. I mean, life is serious enough, right? But wow, this year September was tough! A couple of side projects that I’d invested a bit of time in came to nothing, and then I found out that I’d managed to completely miss the application call for my favourite Christmas market. Disaster!
Fortunately, I stumbled on some good readin’ among my fellow bloggers that helped perk me back up again. It was super cool to hear all about Weekes finding her creative feet again, and how taking photographs helped Paula of Typewriter Girl discover that she has an artistic streak after all! So thanks to both of you for making me smile!

Oh, and my mood lifted completely when I learned that the market I thought I’d missed out on had added an extra weekend, so I’m in! Hurrah! Full steam ahead on the Beastie-making!

And Looking Further Ahead…

While we’re on the subject of Christmas markets, I’m in the process of confirming a few for this coming festive season! Check out my scedule so far!

The Dublin Christmas Flea is the big one, and, all being well, I’ll be there with bells on for the second weekend (that’s the 13th-16th December inclusive). If you’re in the neighbourhood, come on over and say hi! Entry is free, and there is always SO MUCH GREAT STUFF THERE! (Besides the Beasties, obviously.)
I’m also going to be selling at the Dublin Cat Fair for the first time! So I’m currently working on a few feline sidelines that will be exclusive to that event, as well as some cat-themed Beasties. That’s on the 25th November.

There are a couple more in the pipeline, which I’ll post about as soon as the details are finalised.

Phew! Beastie news roundup complete! So I’d better get on with some crafting now, or those market stalls are going to be a little bare!

How about you? Are you prepping for festivities, or planning to remain blissfully in denial until the 15th of December? Be sure to let us know in the comments!

Autumn in Dublin's Parks - CrawCrafts Beasties

Dublin in Autumn

Posted on October 9, 2018June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Explorer Beastie's Dublin, Knitted Beasties

Hello there, Beastie friends! How’s your week been? I’m juggling a couple of ongoing monster projects just now, but unfortunately none of them are at a publishable stage yet! So for today’s post, I thought I would share some pics of Dublin’s parks in their autumn finery instead. Care to wander with us?
Living in the middle of a city is great – if you feel like walking, there’s always somewhere interesting to walk to. And in Dublin, we’re lucky to have several beautiful parks right in the city centre! So anytime I’m in town, I’ll usually find an excuse to take a toddle around St Stephen’s Green, at least. It’s probably Dublin’s most famous and busiest park, since it’s just a stone’s throw from Grafton Street, one of our main shopping districts.

Explorer Beastie is posing in one of my favourite bits of St Stephen’s Green – an avenue of lime trees that leads away from the main gate. Lush and green in spring, shady and cool in the summer… And in Autumn, a riot of yellow leaves!

We would have taken more pictures here, but the downside of being in a popular park is that a Beastie could easily get trampled underfoot. Time to cut across to the far gate and seek out a hidden gem only a few streets away!

Much better! This is Iveagh Gardens… It may not be a truly secret garden, but it certainly feels that way. Two of the three main entrances are set well back from the street, and the park is full of quiet walks and crumbling statues.
Explorer Beastie also likes this big heap of rocks, which provides the perfect mountaineering challenge for an adventurous Beastie!
And from the top, you can enjoy the spectacle of the trees glowing in the Autumn sunshine. (Or catch your breath a bit, whichever fits!)

On this walkabout, we had an ulterior motive – to audition potential candidates for a holly-packed Beastie calendar page for December! Explorer Beastie threw himself into the challenge with gusto – braving the prickly leaves to help you all to better organise your busy lives.
Actually, those prickles don’t seem to be bothering him much at all…
And with the photoshoot complete, we were able to enjoy kick back and enjoy the morning sunshine.
Explorer Beastie really appreciates how tall he looks in the slanted sunlight – well, his shadow at least!

We even had a chance to meet some of the park’s residents…
… Although some of them were a little camerashy!
So, have your paws taken you anywhere interesting lately? And how is Autumn (or Spring) in your part of the world? Be sure to tell us all about it in the comments!

Oh, and don’t forget to grab your free Calendar Pages for the last three months of 2018, and see which photos made the cut for November and December.

See you again next week for more monster adventures!

	tierneycreates: a fu… on We Wish You A Merry Beast…
	crawcraftsbeasties on We Wish You A Merry Beast…
	quietwatercraft on We Wish You A Merry Beast…
	crawcraftsbeasties on We Wish You A Merry Beast…
	The Hidden Spain on (Mer)Made Just for You!