crawcraftsbeasties

Paddy and Plunkett’s Spa Weekend

Posted on December 1, 2015June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family

Sometimes you just need to get away from it all – even if you’re an adventurous little woolly monster! So when Paddy and Plunkett were offered the chance to spend a weekend in Leamington Spa, they thought it would be a super opportunity to catch up on a little R&R. And how better to start their break than with a sedate stroll around Jephson Gardens?

Aaaaah, that’s better! Jephson Gardens are named in honour of Dr Henry Jephson, a local doctor and philanthropist who did much to promote the healing properties of the town’s spa waters. As a result, the small town of Leamington Priors (as it was then known) boomed, and became known as Leamington Spa. The final flourish was the granting of a “Royal” prefix by Queen Victoria in 1838, and now Royal Leamington Spa is apparently one of the best places in Britain to spend your retirement!

So, after a wander around the duckpond, a visit to some of the park’s busier residents…

… And a look at the sculpture garden…

…The boys were feeling pretty chilled out!

But they can never stay out of trouble for long… Um, is that really a good idea, Paddy?

“Of course! I’m being very caref… AAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRGH!”

Oh no! PADDY!!

But thankfully, help came along in the nick of time – thank you, friendly passing elephant!

Maybe that’s enough “peace and quiet” for one day! Time to hop on a boat home, I reckon.

See you next week!

Beasties in a Giant Bird's Nest - CrawCrafts Beasties

Beasties, It’s Cold Outside!

Posted on November 24, 2015June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Knitted Beasties

Well, that photo might be a slight exaggeration. But even so, after a surprisingly warm start to November, it’s got mighty chilly here in Dublin lately!

And despite promises of a clear, bright day on Friday, low temperatures and teeming rain did temporarily stop play when Sweetheart Beastie, Christmas Gift Beastie and I headed out for another photoshoot with Eirin Torgersen! Anyone who has spent any time here ever will know that weather forecasting in Ireland is never an exact science, and at least it gave us an excuse to seek shelter in the Natural History Museum for a few minutes until it dried up a bit outside. Just enough time for the Beasties to make a new friend!

Once the sun came out again, we headed across the road to Merrion Square, which I’ve been meaning to use for Beastie photos for ages!

And it seems like there have been some changes since I last stopped in myself – a giant bird has taken up residence, for starters…

The Beasties were having a great time hanging out in this cosy nest, until I pointed out that each egg was bigger than both of them put together…

“Gaaaaaah! Wait for me!”

Where’s Sweetheart Beastie run off to?

Ah, there she is. But what’s she sitting on?

Ha! Looks like a giant shoe. But where’s the…

GIIIIAAAAAAANT! Eeeeeeeek!

First rain, now giants… will I EVER get any pictures taken?!

Luckily Beasties are expert escape artists…

…And charming enough to win over just about anybody!

But we needn’t have worried. Turns out giants are victims of bad press – this one was a real softie, and he even agreed to let his new Beastie pals dance around on his luxuriant eyebrows for these pictures!

And it’s not just giants who live in Merrion Square – the park has one very famous resident, who we went to visit next!

No, not her! Although if anyone was in need of some winter woolies that day…

Anyway, can anyone guess who this rather dapper foot belongs to?

If you guessed Oscar Wilde, then award yourself a first-edition signed copy of “The Picture of Dorian Gray”! This characterful sculpture lives on the north corner of the park, and from where he sits, he can look out into the street and (I like to imagine) make witty comments about the people who pass by.

I wonder what he’d have to say about the Beasties’ antics…

After that, there was just time to call in at the memorial to Dermot Morgan (of “Father Ted” fame)…

…Before we headed off inside to warm up. Brrrrr!

The Beasties and I will be back for more monster fun next Tuesday… December is going to be a busy month, so things are going to be a little quieter on the BeastieBlog for the next few weeks! If you need an extra Beastie fix in the meantime, be sure to check out Eirin’s photos from our visit to Merrion Square!

See you soon!

It's the Paddy and Plunkett Show! H Crawford/CrawCrafts Beasties

Sending Paddy and Plunkett to Coventry

Posted on November 20, 2015June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family

In my (now fairly distant) youth, I read a lot of Enid Blyton books. For the characters in these stories, the idea of being “sent to Coventry” was just awful – it’s a slightly dated idiom that describes the timeless playground punishment of completely freezing someone out, by pretending you can neither see nor hear them.

However, Paddy and Plunkett are complete strangers to the work of Ms Blyton, and being generally optimistic little creatures, they jumped at the chance to be sent to Coventry for their latest adventure! Their first stop was in the oldest part of the city – although much of Coventry suffered severe bomb damage during the Second World War, some buildings did survive. Let’s take a walk, shall we?

On the left of these photos, you can see the shell of the old St Michael’s Cathedral. Most of the cathedral was destroyed in the Coventry Blitz, but the spire (apparently the third tallest in England) still stands… in fact, Paddy and Plunkett were treated to the sounds of bell-ringing practice while they strolled around!

Next, they went to take a peek at the new St Michael’s Cathedral, which is just next door. It was opened in 1962, and looks very different to its 14th century predecessor. Paddy and Plunkett were hoping to catch up with St Michael himself, but when they found him he looked a little busy…

Never mind, there’s plenty more to see! Paddy has a bit of a thing for classic cars, so there was one place the boys definitely had to go…

Plunkett had to pose for the photo, because Paddy had already run off to have a look around.

The Transport Museum isn’t just for car buffs, either! From the very earliest days of two-wheeled travel, Coventry was a veritable hub of bicycle manufacture, so you can find all sorts of crazy bikes in here…

… As well as the cars Paddy wants to see! Here are the lads enjoying the rather morbid display of hearses.

And Paddy was thrilled to be able to see ThrustSSC, current holder of the land speed record!

He was just about to climb aboard and take it for a spin, but fortunately Plunkett was able to distract him by appealing to his inner showman…

That’s the way to do it, indeed!

And after checking out every vehicle in the whole museum, the boys were finally able to find a Beastie-sized one to drive home. Thanks for the lift, Brum!

See you next time!

Victorian Explorer Beastie With Hippo - CrawCrafts Beasties

Beastie SOS!

Posted on November 17, 2015June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family

Have you seen this Beastie?

Victorian Explorer Beastie has been a pretty regular contributor to the BeastieBlog over the years. You might remember the trip we took to Bray, Co Wicklow last Spring…

… Or have fond memories of our visit to the Natural History Museum, where he fitted right in with the old-fashioned diplay cases and hand-typed information cards. I know I do!

This Beastie’s thirst for adventure led him to be adopted by a fellow globetrotter, and it wasn’t long before he jetted off on the journey of a lifetime… to see South America!

Here he is in Argentina, enjoying Christmas dinner southern-hemisphere-style, accompanied by Explorer Girl Beastie!

Unfortunately, this is the last known photograph of Victorian Explorer Beastie. One day, while out on the road, he took advantage of the long journey to catch forty winks in his travelling companion’s backpack, which was stolen while he dozed inside!

So, fellow travellers, I’d like to ask a favour. Please keep an eye out for Victorian Explorer Beastie as you jetset around the world… and if you do spot him, be sure to share a photo! Or, if he looks like he’s in need of rescuing, pick him up and bring him home with you. He can be treated for any injuries in my Beastie Hospital, and then he (or another Beastie of your choosing) will be yours to keep.

Thank you all, and good hunting!

PS WordPress tells me that the Beasties and I have been hanging out on the BeastieBlog for TWO WHOLE YEARS now! Thanks to all of you who read, like and comment on my tales of monster mayhem… you make this blog a really fun place to be!

Reader Beastie… Or Cowboy Beastie?

Posted on November 13, 2015June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family

It’s widely assumed that bookworms tend to be stay-at-home types, who like nothing more than curling up on the sofa and losing themselves in a good story. Not so for Reader Beastie! Since moving to Canada earlier in the year, he’s really flung himself into the life of a ranch hand… although as you can see from the photo above, he’s yet to find a proper pair of cowboy boots in his size!

However, there are other ways for a Beastie to get about…

…And it looks like he’s waaaaay better at horseriding than I ever was, too!

We’ve just caught him on his way out to the community pasture, where he’ll be checking up on the livestock. This huge stretch of land (around 6000 acres) is owned by the Saskatchewan government and is leased by a group of local farmers every summer. It’s a great opportunity for the cattle to stretch their legs and raise their calves in the great outdoors! Everything seems to be in order here, anyway…

…And it’s also fun to catch up with all the gossip at the water cooler.

You never know who else you might meet out here… Hey there, baby hawks!

Reader Beastie decided not to hang around until mum came back, though. He figured it was probably safer to take a break a little further down the road, where his buddy the cowdog could keep sketch…

…While he took a weight off in the sagebrush…

…And enjoyed the view!

All in a day’s work for this intrepid little monster… at this rate, he’ll be able to write his own book!

Thanks to Nicole for sending me pictures from Reader Beastie’s latest adventure. I love to see what the Beasties get up to once they leave Beastie Towers, so keep those photos coming!

Have a great weekend, everybody!

Mame-Chan and Friends - CrawCrafts Beasties

Monster Market Day!

Posted on November 10, 2015June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Info, Knitted Beasties

Oh woweeeee! What a super weekend we all had at the Creative Collective Ireland Craft Fair! I’ve been working flat out since I came back from my holidays, and I think I assembled one of my best-ever teams of Beasties…

…With some super accessories!

I also brought along some Beans (which are fast becoming a market day staple!) and an order form for my Beastie 2016 calendar!

And if that wasn’t enough excitement for one day, my Beastiebuddy Eirin stopped by to take some photos of the stall for a project she’s working on!

She got some great shots of my monster Christmas tree, complete with Jingle Bean decorations…

… Beasties playing hide and seek…

…And even some of me.

You can see more photos on her Facebook page, or check out her website!

What I love most about markets is that it gives me a chance to leave Beastie Towers for the day and introduce my little monsters to the world! I still get such a kick out of seeing people’s reactions when they meet the Beasties for the first time, and I was especially chuffed to talk to people who remembered us from the last time we did this market, back in 2013! So thanks to everybody who stopped for a chat, or decided to bring a woolly friend home with them. I also lucked out with my neighbours – cheers to Kate and Andrew from Baressential soap and Aoife from Diplodocus Books for Beastie-sitting when I went on a caffiene run! Aoife even adopted a Beastie of her own…

Meanwhile, I think I showed admirable restraint… I only bought myself a couple of teeny treats! Explorer Beastie seems pleased with them too…

Clockwise from top left: Hand-bound Crow notebook by Diplodocus Books, Ruth Turpin‘s homemade mince meat, chamomile and juniper natural soaps from Baressential, Ye Old Town Candles‘ Winter Time tin and felt bowl by Teri Collins.

I’m hoping to do a couple more markets before Christmas… hopefully I’ll get to see some of you there!

Pirate Beastie Full Length - CrawCrafts Beasties

Postcard From Pirate Beastie

Posted on November 6, 2015June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family

Diligent BeastieBlog readers will surely remember this cheeky little ruffian! Pirate Beastie has been an important part of the crew here at Beastie Towers for a while, and I was wondering if he’d ever get a chance to set sail and see the wider world. But while I was on my holidays, I got a message on Etsy from Noémie at FocalHeart… Turns out her son is quite the pirate enthusiast, and he couldn’t wait to welcome Pirate Beastie aboard! Piggy banks were frantically raided, and Pirate Beastie was dispatched that very same day… Then last week I received a message in a bottle (an online bottle) to say he’d arrived safely, and it included PHOTOS!

It seems that Pirate Beastie has really landed on his feet – he’d barely arrived before he started gathering up treasure!

A lot of treasure.

He also got a new custom-built pirate ship, carefully constructed by his new shipmate!

And that’s not all – a couple of days later, he was invited to a pirate party!

Another great opportunity to gather up a few pieces of eight…

… Rub shoulders with famous scurvy sea dogs, like Captain Jack Sparrow…

…And have a swig of grog with some mysterious maidens!

Yaaaaaarrrrrr!

Thanks so much to Noémie and Thom for giving Pirate Beastie such a good home, and a new name! He now answers to James – Captain James to us landlubbers, I’m sure. And I’ve been super-impressed by Thom’s photography skills… he’s responsible for a lot of the pictures I’ve used in this post, so thank you for letting me use them!

You can read the full story of James the Pirate Beastie’s arrival (including unboxing video!) and big Hallowe’en night out on Noémie’s own blog. And make sure you stick around to check out her awesome handknits and paintings!

Oooookaaaay, time for me to head below decks and get ready for my market tomorrow! Have a super weekend, everybody!

The Post-Holidays Post

Posted on November 3, 2015June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Explorer Beastie, Info

Hello everybody! After a couple of weeks away (which seemed to vanish in the blink of an eye, by the way), we’re back in Beastie Towers and ready for more woolly monster fun! Our “holidays” actually ended up being pretty action-packed, so I’ll have lots to share with you over the next few posts.

First of all, let’s do the shameless plug… My first craft fair of the Christmas season is coming up this weekend! I’ve been busy assembling an elite squad of Beasties to bring along, and there will be some other new characters joining them at my stall as well. So if you should happen to be in Dublin, we’d love to see you… be sure to drop in and say hi!
And of course, the Beasties and I couldn’t let Hallowe’en pass without celebrating a little…

And with spookily apt timing, look who came to join the party…

Hey there, Gizmo! He was happy to strike a pose for the camera, as long as I made him an honorary Beastie for the day.

Later on, Explorer Beastie and I were looking for somewhere interesting to take a few seasonal photos. So Boyfriend suggested we take a trip to Lissonuffy Cemetery – perfect!

You’d be forgiven for thinking that the Beasties and I spend all our time hanging out in graveyards, but Lissonuffy is really worth a look.

It’s small, and you could almost say it’s a close-knit community in its own right. You’ll see the same family names cropping up time and again on the headstones, and some of the grave markers are really, really old. I wonder what this one used to say?

It’s also incredibly peaceful out here, since the graveyard is surrounded on all sides by farmland.

There’s also a ruined church in the centre of Lissonuffy, which has some interesting tombs in its walls…

…Some of them perfectly suited to this time of year!

Then there was time for a quick break under the yew tree before we headed home to carve the pumpkin!

Hope you all had a super Hallowe’en! We’ll be back on Friday with news from Pirate Beastie, who set sail from Beastie Towers a couple of weeks ago in search of adventure. See you then!

Explorer Beastie Relaxes in the Heather - CrawCrafts Beasties

Time For a Break!

Posted on October 20, 2015June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Info, Knitted Beasties

Phew! What a busy year it’s been – it really seems to have flown by! But I’ve had some good news from Other Work… it turns out that with everything else I had going on, I forgot to take any holidays!

Of course, I felt that this was a problem that required my immediate attention.

That said, “holiday” might be a bit of an exaggeration for what I have planned for the next couple of weeks. There’s still market stock to be made, and Christmas commissions to be finished! So with that in mind, the Beasties and I will be taking a short vacation from the blogosphere as well – just to give us a moment to enjoy the season…

…And catch our breath before the Christmas madness starts!

I’m also hoping it will give me a chance to read a few more of your awesome blogs!

We’ll be back at the beginning of next month, with some new woolly creations and monster adventures to share. In the meantime, keep in touch on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest!

Helen's Bay Beach - H Crawford/CrawCrafts Beasties

Paddy and Plunkett’s Seaside Adventure!

Posted on October 16, 2015June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family

Autumn may be in full swing, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a day by the sea! And this isn’t any old seaside – Paddy and Plunkett took a day trip to my childhood stomping grounds, where I spent many happy hours (at all times of the year) clambering over the stones and poking around in rock pools. Come and see for yourself!

Our tour starts at the local railway station. Getting here from Belfast only takes about half an hour, and then it’s just a short walk to the beach!

See?

Plunkett’s certainly enjoying the view!

The next stop if you carry on along the coast is Crawfordsburn Country Park. Formerly a private house and grounds, the park is now open to the public year-round, and is great for walking, cycling and picnics! It’s also home to all kinds of wildlife, since it contains a variety of different habitats – you’ll find seashore, woodlands and meadows here. Paddy and Plunkett bumped into a couple of the local residents at the Countryside Centre when they dropped in for a quick cup of tea!

Since it was such a lovely sunny day (we’ve really been enjoying some very un-Irish weather these last few weeks), the boys decided to carry on walking. There’s a coastal route that takes you all the way around to Bangor, a seaside town which was a popular local holiday destination back in the day. Of course, there’s a proper human-sized path you can use to get there, but the lads thought it would be more fun to take the scenic route…

Much later (they do only have little short legs, after all) they arrived at journey’s end! They resisted the urge to set sail on one of the swan boats at Pickie Fun Park…

… But they were really kicking themselves when they found out that
they could have done part of their travelling on the Beastie-sized Pickie Puffer train!

Oh well, at least they still had time to enjoy the walled garden at Bangor Castle before they had to head for home!

All in all, a great day out! Where was your favourite childhood haunt?

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