crawcraftsbeasties

A Very Beastie Birthday Surprise!

Posted on November 8, 2016June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Commissions, Knitted Beasties

Well, THIS has been a while coming! Today’s new Beastie actually left Beastie Towers back at the end of September… But since I devoted all of last month to Hallowe’en-themed monsters, this is really the first chance I’ve had to introduce you to this little lady! However, now that the days have suddenly got much colder, and tickets for the Six Nations have gone on sale, it seems like a good time for you all to meet Rugby Girl Beastie!
Rugby Girl Beastie was commissioned as a very special birthday gift for a devoted Munster Rugby fan! So of course she’s proudly wearing her team’s jersey…
… Featuring a hand-embroidered crest and a personalised number, to mark the occasion!

Rugby Girl Beastie’s new human friend also LIVES in her Converse trainers, so I made her a pair of her own to match!
And so that she can join in on the pitch if needs be, she got a hand-embroidered rugby ball too!
This Beastie girl’s new human buddy is a busy lady! When she’s not following her favourite rugby team’s exploits, she loves going to gigs and festivals… and so that Rugby Girl Beastie can tag along, I included a special VIP wristband to help her sneak backstage.
Then, as a final finishing touch, an accessory to celebrate her love of travel!
The hand-embroidered felt “stickers” are from some of Rugby Girl Beastie’s new friend’s favourite holiday destinations… and since she often travels to see Dublin band The Coronas play overseas, I’ve included a nod to them on there too!

Now I think we’re ready to hit the road!
Thanks so much to Katie for requesting this commission!

Oh, and thanks to all of you as well! Last week the BeastieBlog hit the 400 followers mark… And we literally couldn’t have done it without you. So… CHEERS!
Join us again on Friday for more overseas antics with Paddy and Plunkett… And don’t forget that this weekend we’ll be at the Creative Collective Ireland Craft Fair in Ranelagh, Dublin 6!

Paddy and Plunkett's New Buddy - H Crawford/CrawCrafts Beasties

On The Road Again With Paddy and Plunkett!

Posted on November 4, 2016June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Paddy and Plunkett

It’s been a while since we last checked in with Paddy and Plunkett… But after hearing from Grim Reaper Beastie and Fairy Princess Beastie over the last couple of weeks, I reckoned it was only a matter of time before the boys got in touch as well! I wonder where they are?

It seems like their latest adventure got off to an early start, anyway – here’s Paddy up and dressed before the sun is fully over the horizon!
Isn’t that sunrise spectacular? Now, time to explore the hotel!

Woooooah, that’s a lot of stairs to climb! Let’s hope the breakfast buffet is worth it…
Nearly there! Note the curious human onlookers at the top, too… Honestly, you’d think they’d never seen a Beastie before.
After stocking up on breakfast goodies – and filling Plunkett’s waistcoat pockets with extra snacks for later -the boys had every intention of hitting the beach. But then they found this!
Surely that’s just a wine glass with a plant in it? Nope, think again – it’s a private Beastie beach for one!

But the lads didn’t loaf around for long. After taking a refreshing siesta, they headed out into the neighbourhood… And discovered that perhaps they weren’t as far from home as they first thought!
They also bumped into some of the locals. This guy wasn’t particularly chatty…
…But it wasn’t long before they made a new friend!
Can anyone figure out where they are? If any of this looks familiar, let me know in the comments! Otherwise, we’ll have to wait until next Friday to find out more…

Hope you all have a fun weekend! We’ll be back on Tuesday with a new Beastie friend for you all to meet… See you then!

Market Stall Closeup - CrawCrafts Beasties

Monster Market Day – Hallowe’en Edition!

Posted on November 1, 2016June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Crafting, Knitted Beasties

Hallowe’en may be over for another year, but I couldn’t let it pass without sharing my special seasonal market setup with you all! On Sunday I did my first ever Hallowe’en market, and since I brought along some Hallowe’en-y monsters…
… It only seemed fair to modify my props to make them feel more at home! So I strayed outside my usual crafting comfort zone, and had a bit of fun with papier mâché and paint instead. Can you tell what I’m making from this in-progress shot?

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As well as a 3D gravestone, I made some simpler flat ones and a two miniature ones. As it happened, I found perfect headstone-shaped photo frames in Tiger, which cut down on my making time a lot!

So, after covering myself in glue, doing my best Banksy impression in the basement of Beastie Towers and a heart-stopping moment where it seemed like my painted details weren’t drying at all, it was time to set up!

TA-DAAAAAAH!
Other new additions to the table included some spiderweb fabric, to add a bit of a spookier feel to my cheery bright red tablecloth, and I made some creepy flickering lanterns using LED nightlights and black tissue. It was also nice to have some fixtures to hang my banner from – I don’t always get to use it!

And the Beasties seemed happy enough with the changes too…
…Although on reflection, it might have had something to do with this.
Oh Pint Beastie, you know it’s not a good idea to mix your drinks!

At least it meant that everyone slept soundly on the journey home… Hopefully the sore heads will be a distant memory by the time our next market rolls around! We’ll next be popping up at the Creative Collective Annual Fair in Ranelagh, on the 12th and 13th of November – save the date!

I hope you all had fun this Hallowe’en! We’ll be back on Friday with an update from Paddy and Plunkett. Yes, they’ve been on holiday again! I’ll really have to get them to take me along next time… See you then!

It's Dracula Beastie! CrawCrafts Beasties

Beasties That Go Bump in the Night…

Posted on October 28, 2016June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Crafting, Knitted Beasties

Wooooooo! Hallowe’en weekend is finally here, and there are spooky Beasties about! Welcome to a special late-night edition of the BeastieBlog… Now, who’s that shadowy caped figure lurking up there?
It’s Dracula Beastie! And he’s really dressed to kill, in full evening dress and a red satin-lined cape…
But don’t worry, he doesn’t bite. In fact, why don’t we join him in the library? It might be late, but he’s expecting friends…
Oh look, here they are!
Hey there, Jack O’Lantern Beastie and Skull Beastie!
And now they’re ready to head out trick-or-treating! Hopefully they’ll be back in time to join me at my next market… If you happen to find yourself in Dublin this Sunday, be sure to join us at the Smithfield Market Fair from 12-7pm! It’s going to be spooktacular!

What are you all up to for Hallowe’en? And what will you be dressing up as? Let us know in the comments!

At The Bridge - L&P Döring/CrawCrafts Beasties

Guest Post – Fairy Princess Beastie’s Adventure!

Posted on October 25, 2016June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Commissions

We’re turning the BeastieBlog on its head this week! Last Wednesday, I got another update from a Beastie abroad – like buses, these things tend to come along in threes – and I just couldn’t wait to share it with you! On a sunny autumn day last month, Fairy Princess Beastie’s human family took her on a special day trip, and they were good enough to send me both pictures AND tales of her antics. So, without further ado, I’m going to hand you over to Louise – your guide for this monster day out! Enjoy!

Fairy Princess Beastie spent a lovely autumnal day out visiting Germany’s longest suspension bridge in Geierlay, Hunsrück (that’s in Rhineland-Palatinate if you know your German states!)

Before she set off on her big walk, she needed to build up her strength with a hearty lunch at a local beer garden. As there was no Beastie Menu, she settled for the Kids’ menu… schnitzel and chips (yum) and also some colouring pencils to keep her busy while she waited.
The 1.8km (that’s about 1.2 miles) walk to the bridge crosses over wide open fields and the views are dominated by various wind farms. Fairy Princess was intrigued and took a few minutes to check out the information panels on wind power…
Not only did they explain the link between the wind turbines and the bridge (this is fully financed by the income produced by the local wind farms), they also described some of the archaeological discoveries made in digs preceding their development. Apparently, the Romans traded with local precious ores.
Now there’s something a princess can relate to – sparkly precious stones!

After plenty of walking it was time for a well-earned break for Fairy Princess Beastie and her companion Isabel. This must have given her back plenty of energy because next thing you know she was off climbing trees – check out this cool oak tree forest!
And then, finally, they found the bridge! But would they be brave enough to cross? It hangs 100m above a deep valley, is 85cm wide and 360m long!
Quite an adventure – even for a big Beastie like this one! And as if that wasn’t enough – check out this hawk circling above for some tasty Beastie-sized treats, eek!
Fairy Princess Beastie summoned all her courage (and maybe cast a few anti-vertigo and protection spells for good measure) and was soon walking, jumping and even climbing on the bridge to get a good look down at the valley below! On the other side Isabel and Fairy Princess Beastie were amazed to see that the bridge has only been around since 2015.
(Careful now, Fairy Princess Beastie! It’s lucky your people are there to hold onto you!)

After some more relaxing (and more tree and rock climbing)…
… It was time to head back over the bridge for the journey home. As her fairy wings had been left at home, the Beastie was very glad of a piggyback and a big drink after a successful adventure. The beer garden even had a traditional German beach chair for her and Isabel to relax in.
To keep everyone entertained, Fairy Princess Beastie waved her wand to perform a spontaneous fashion show before it was time for the long drive home – this girl loves her accessories!
What a great day! Thanks again to Louise, Peter and Isabel for bringing Fairy Princess Beastie along, and for sharing your adventure with us!

And to keep with the topsy-turvy theme of the week, I’ll have new Beasties to share on Friday… Join us then to meet them before they head off to Smithfield Market Fair (Gothic Edition!) on Sunday 30th!

A Fitting Backdrop for a Grim Reaper Beastie! N Depping/CrawCrafts Beasties

Grim Reaper Beastie Gets Away From It All

Posted on October 21, 2016June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Knitted Beasties

Hey there everybody!

It’s been a while since I last received word from a globetrotting Beastie, so you can probably imagine how delighted I was when Grim Reaper Beastie got in touch earlier this week! As it happens, he’s been to Hawaii… but of course he had very little interest in going to a luau or hanging out on the beach in a brightly-coloured shirt (hilarious as that would be). I think you’ll agree that he looks much more in his element here…
… Because as we all know, the Hawaiian islands are a (literal!) hotbed of volcanic activity. And it seems that Grim Reaper Beastie is quite the amateur volcanologist – here he is again, scrambling around among the lava fields around Kilauea on Big Island!
I think he looks right at home here, don’t you? However, not all of the rocks were suitable for such up-close inspection… For starters, there’s quite a lot of red hot liquid lava around.
And if you think that’s awesome, you should see it after dark!
It also helps to get a bird’s eye view… If you look really closely in the bottom third of this photo, you can see a few fine orange specks where the lava is meeting the sea – and the clouds of steam this produces!
Fortunately, the lava around here moves pretty slowly, so Grim Reaper Beastie could watch it bubble up from the centre of the earth without having to worry about getting his toes burnt. Here, have a look for yourself!

Can anyone else see a monster face appearing in the hot lava towards the end of the video, or is that just me?!

But not every volcano in this area of Big Island is active. Grim Reaper Beastie finished up his tour at Devastation Trail, which was last affected by the eruption of Kilauea Iki in 1959. Here, shrubs and flowering plants have gradually started to recolonise this stark landscape of stones and cinders!
A perfect end to a perfect day of exploration!

Thanks to Nicole for letting Grim Reaper Beastie stow away in her suitcase, and for sending me his holiday snaps – it looks like you had a super trip! And be sure to join us again on Tuesday to meet some new Beasties, then next Friday we’ll be sharing more Beastie adventures abroad! See you then!

Beer Drinkin' Barcelona Beastie, by CrawCrafts Beasties

Bon Voyage, Beastie!

Posted on October 18, 2016June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Commissions, Knitted Beasties

Hooray! It’s new Beastie time again… Although today I will be taking a surprise break from the Famous Monsters theme of the last couple of weeks. I’ve been struck down by one of the delightful plagues that’s been doing the rounds lately, so I’ve spent the last few days binge-watching “The Killing” on Netflix and… um… precious little else. Fortunately I got this little monster completed before I buried myself under a heap of blankets on the sofa! He also headed off to his new home in sunny Barcelona this morning (lucky thing!) so what better time to introduce him to you all?
Why hello there!

A friend of mine, who has been living in Dublin these last couple of years, decided recently that it was time to head back home to Spain… Well, who can blame him? I’m sure most of us would choose sipping Sangria by the beach over battling through the wind and rain on a dark November morning! But he did want to take home a reminder of his time in Ireland, and so he requested a special little monster Mini-Me!

So, this guy is made from 100% Irish wool… and of course, he had to be green!
His lustrous locks are made from a different yarn, though… a wool and alpaca blend, so they’re super-soft!

My friend also discovered the joys of a good IPA while he was living here, so his Beastie buddy was obviously going to get one of those, too!
YUM!

Then to complete his look, I kitted this little woolly monster out in the style of his new human friend – a sharp-looking shirt, hoodie and jacket combo!
Look, he can even wear his hood up… Although I’m sure he won’t need that so much where he’s going!

I can’t wait to see how he gets on in his new home in Barcelona! Good luck, Beastie!
“Cheers!”

And it’s a surprisingly good time for Beastie travel at the moment – drop back in on Friday, when we’ll have an update from a Beastie abroad! See you then!

Explorer Beastie with Rosehips, by CrawCrafts Beasties

Autumn Fun With Explorer Beastie!

Posted on October 14, 2016June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Explorer Beastie

Oh, poor Explorer Beastie! We were hoping to get out and about this week, but both the weather and my work schedule were against us… Still, at least we have some great photos from previous years to look back on. I hope you all enjoy this trip down memory lane as much as we did!

First up – Explorer Beastie and Garcia Beastie hanging out in the olive trees at Kew Gardens a couple of years ago!
They also took a stroll through the first fallen leaves of the season…
… And some of the leaves that hadn’t fallen yet, too!
Here’s another photo from later that year, when Explorer Beastie found a perfectly Beastie-sized toadstool. This has to be one of my favourite monster pictures!We got lots of other great shots on that trip, too!
Then last Hallowe’en, he bravely ventured into an isolated graveyard!
Yes, okaaaay, it was daylight… But all the same! We really enjoyed this view from the wall – it was so peaceful!
And nothing could have put him and Crablet off dressing up later on for some trick or treating…
… Not even a furry gatecrasher!
I wonder what we’ll get up to this year? Hopefully we’ll have some new photos to share with you soon – weather permitting, of course!

Here’s wishing you all a super weekend… We’ll be back on Tuesday with another new Beastie! Care to guess which Famous Monster will be joining the gang here at Beastie Towers this time around?

Ghostie Beastie Closeup - CrawCrafts Beasties

She Ain’t Scary… She’s My Beastie!

Posted on October 11, 2016June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Crafting, Knitted Beasties

Wooooooooo!
Hallowe’en fever continues to ramp up here in Beastie Towers, with the arrival of another spooky Beastie! Look who flew in through the window earlier, giving me the fright of my life – it’s Ghostie Beastie!
Although she’s a little less colourful than the other Beasties, she makes up for it by being surrounded by a haze of netting ectoplasm, which I presume is what helps her to fly.
Fortunately, I was able to manoeuvre her towards a darker background to allow you all to see her a little better…
…And unlike most of her phantom friends, she seemed perfectly happy to pose for more photos!
So there you have it – concrete proof that ghosts exist! And, reassuringly, that they are woolly and cuddly!

Do you believe in ghosts? Let us know in the comments!

Aaaand … Not content with giving us a feature in the “Handmade in Ireland” section of their latest issue, the awesome ladies at Olann And also gave me and the Beasties the nicest shoutout on their recent podcast! I’m so glad I finally found a quiet moment to sit down and watch it all – it’s like having a couple of friends over for tea and a chat. I’d definitely recommend giving it a watch, especially if you enjoy the craftier, yarnier things in life!

Flashback Friday – My First Beastie Hallowe’en

Posted on October 7, 2016June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Flashback Friday, Knitted Beasties

As you may have noticed, I’ve been having fun recently putting together a couple of Hallowe’en-themed Beasties. And regular readers will already have met this charming Frankenbeastie on Tuesday… but he wasn’t the first seasonal monster I’ve ever made! Over the last couple of days, I’ve been chatting to Ivonne at Aurian’s Blog about Hallowe’en accessories she could give to her own knitted and crocheted creations, and that made me want to look up some of my first ever Autumnal Beasties. Perhaps you’d like to meet them too?

First up (since we’re not quite at Hallowe’en yet) is Autumn Leaves Beastie!
This was one of the last Beasties I made before I moved back to Dublin. As you can see, he’s being helpful and clearing up the fallen leaves from the garden… and his armful of foliage contains maple, oak and ginkgo leaves!

As it happened, Boyfriend was working in a small indie bookshop at the time, which made the perfect backdrop for some more photos…
…On more than one occasion! Skull Beastie really enjoyed looking through these macabre titles…
…And with his mouthful of little pointy teeth, he’s definitely one of my spookier creations!
At around this time, I also made a Beastie with a little felt pumpkin, and I was hoping to share him with you today as well. But, despite combing my monstrous Beastie photo archive, I haven’t been able to track down a single picture of him! I’m sure there’s one out there somewhere – probably stashed away in the memory of a defunct mobile phone – but at least my knitting journal remembers everything! I was able to find my preliminary doodle, and samples of the yarn I used to make him.
So if anybody happens to see a purple and yellow Beastie clutching a Jack o’lantern when they’re out trick-or-treating this year, be sure to take a photo and send it to me!

How about you? Do you like changing up your crafting to reflect the seasons? Let me know in the comments! And we’ll be back on Tuesday with another Famous Monster… see you then!

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