Beastie Family – Page 19

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!

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!

Paddy at Ballintoy Harbour - H Crawford/CrawCrafts Beasties

Paddy and Plunkett, Home Again… (Almost!)

Posted on September 2, 2016June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Paddy and Plunkett

It’s been quite a summer for Paddy and Plunkett! They’ve spent a glorious couple of months seeing all there is to see in Sussex and Kent, from white cliffs and lighthouses…
… To fantastic castles!
But it’s hard to get out of the way of travelling once you get started, so after the briefest of stopovers at home, they were back on the road again! This time, their wandering paws took them somewhere a little closer to home…
First stop, Ballintoy Harbour! This picturesque little town, situated a bit east of the famous Giant’s Causeway, may not ring a bell with all of you, but fans of “Game of Thrones” may find this place more than a little familiar. Careful, Paddy and Plunkett… You’ve ended up on the Iron Islands! And look, here come some of the locals!
Well, it turns out that only a couple of them were bona fide Iron-Born… the rest are visitors to the area, taking one of the many “Game of Thrones”-themed tours that have sprung up in the wake of the HBO series’ success. The use of out-of-the-way places in Northern Ireland as locations for Game of Thrones has been a huge lift to tourism in these places… and in the country as a whole. For the first time, people are getting out and exploring the natural beauty of Northern Ireland, rather than focusing on our troubled past… and I reckon that’s something to celebrate!
Here’s Paddy posing with some of that spectacular coastline, to give you a taster…
…And check out this amazing natural stone arch!
Back in Ballintoy, Plunkett’s well-publicised love of unusual architecture led him to seek out a local landmark!
This is Bendhu House, and it was the lifelong project of Newton Penprase, a lecturer from the Belfast College of Art. He started it in 1936, and he continued to add to it over the next few decades, earning the building a reputation locally as “the house that was never finished”. The fact that he taught fine art has really left its mark – each window perfectly frames a view, and apparently Penprase brought his students up here to teach them about composition. He was also responsible for the sculptures you can see on the exterior, which add to its unique look!
Penprase died in 1978, and his house was sold and subsequently fell into disrepair. However, in the early 90s, it was bought by its present owners, who have made it their mission to sympathetically restore this incredible, one-of-a-kind home.

And speaking of home, Paddy and Plunkett are off to put their paws up for a while! I think they’ve earned some down-time, don’t you? Of course, please feel free to share your own weekend plans in the comments – you might just inspire them to start planning their next day away!

Paddy and Plunkett on the Beach - H Crawford/CrawCrafts Beasties

Paddy and Plunkett – Last Day of the Holidays

Posted on August 26, 2016June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Paddy and Plunkett

Is it just me, or is there a whiff of change in the air? The sun, when it finally makes it out from behind the clouds, is shining with a more mellow light, and the breezes feel a little cooler than they did this time last week. It seems like summer is coming to an end – although how I’m able to notice this when it never really got started is anyone’s guess! But with the shops filling up with “back to school” supplies, and the evenings starting a little earlier each day, it’s time for a pair of adventurous little woolly monsters to think about heading for home.

But not before they’ve hit the beach one last time! This one looks nice – but where are Paddy and Plunkett?
I suppose these pebbles would provide perfect camouflage for them. Helllooooooo?

Oh, wait… there they are!
They really couldn’t have asked for better weather on their last day – look at that sky, reflected in the perfectly still water behind them!
Unfortunately, at this stage their budget has pretty much completely run out, so the boys will be foraging for lunch.
Is that sea kale? Let’s hope so! Sea kale actually did enjoy a brief spell of culinary popularity in the early 1800s, when a lot of people started growing it in their gardens. Although it’s easy to cultivate, it bruises easily and is best eaten soon after cutting, which is why you’re unlikely to see it in your local supermarket. Still, that doesn’t affect Paddy and Plunkett, who will be tucking in straight away!

And after lunch, perhaps it might be nice to snooze in the sun for a while…
“Hey Paddy, what’s that noise in the background?”

“Ah, don’t worry about it, Plunkett…”
“…It’s just the Dungeness B nuclear reactor.”

“WHAAAAAAAT?!”

Hmmm, how DO they end up in these places? Paddy spent the rest of the day trying to keep Plunkett away from the internet, so he couldn’t read about the many setbacks this power station experienced, both during its construction and ongoing maintenance! By the end of the day, both of them were all tuckered out…
…So they thought it was best to get an early night.

I wonder where they’ll be off to next? And how will you be spending the last days of summer (or winter, for those of you in the southern hemisphere)? Let us know in the comments!

Plunkett at Samphire Hoe - H Crawford/CrawCrafts Beasties

White Cliffs and Teeny Trains

Posted on August 5, 2016June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Knitted Beasties, Paddy and Plunkett

Paddy and Plunkett’s tour of the southeast of England continues! Today they’re down by the famous White Cliffs of Dover, which are shining brightly in the sunshine. In fact, Plunkett seems to be quite dazzled by them!
While they were here, the boys decided to have a look around Samphire Hoe Country Park. It’s a relatively new attraction in these parts – when work on the Channel Tunnel began in the 1980s, this area was given the (questionable) honour of being the dumping ground for all the chalk they dug out of the sea bed. The soil was used to reclaim 30 hectares of land from the sea, and a wall was built offshore to create an artificial lagoon. Then Mother Nature was left to recolonise the park as she saw fit!
There are a variety of different habitats to explore, and the lads even met a sunbathing adder on their travels – unfortunately they just weren’t quick enough with the camera to get a picture!

Then in the afternoon, it was time for something completely different!
Oooh, look at that lovely old train! But all is not as it seems…
Welcome to New Romney station, on the Romney, Hythe and Dimchurch heritage railway line – home of Britain’s largest model railway! Even Paddy and Plunkett felt like giants among these miniature landscapes!
They especially liked this part – well, who wouldn’t want to enjoy a monster day out for all the family?
But what really got Paddy’s attention was waiting just outside – real trains, scaled down to one third their usual size! Perfect for a little woolly monster… Let’s just hope Plunkett managed to stop him from taking one for a test drive!
We’ll be back on Tuesday with more monster antics! In the meantime, have a super weekend… and please get in touch immediately if a small green monster in an Aran sweater careens past you in what looks like a stolen miniature train!

The Beastie’s Tale

Posted on July 15, 2016June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Paddy and Plunkett

“Yes, we’re still on holiday! See if you can guess where we are today…”

Paddy and Plunkett started their tour by getting lost in this Beastie-sized lavender labyrinth. Mazes like these used to be laid out in tiles in front of the city’s cathedrals, and walking the paths supposedly helped you to rack up extra “pilgrim points”, which would fast-track you to the good parts of heaven.
This place really was a hotspot for pilgrims back in the day… people came from all over Britain, and even further afield, to visit the shrine of Thomas Becket. In fact, although it’s is now one of England’s smallest cities, in pre-Plague times it fell just inside the top ten largest, and was known throughout Europe as the “home town” of a number of recently-canonised saints of the era. The flood of pilgrims making this journey even inspired one of the earliest examples of real English literature, at a time when most literary works were in French or Latin.

Did you figure it out yet?

We’re in Canterbury! Here are the boys posing in front of Canterbury Cathedral, their first port of call after Plunkett managed to extract Paddy from the maze…
Canterbury Cathedral was founded in 597, and is now part of a UNESCO World Heritage site. The city itself dates right back to Paelolithic times, and contains landmarks left behind by a pick’n’mix of past residents – it seems like everyone from the Romans to the Normans made their mark on Canterbury!

While the cathedral is mostly a hive of activity, where a pair of Beasties risk getting trampled underfoot, there are quiet spots nearby where they can spend time exploring and posing for the camera. This shady herb garden has been planted in the old dormitory of the Cathedral – perfect for a picnic lunch!
And then they took a stroll to help settle down their hearty meal of… salad leaves. Well, if you want to spend the entire summer travelling, it’s important to save money where you can!

Plunkett spotted eight of these incredible lumpy plane trees as they wandered around the city.
He wanted to photograph all of them, but someone kept getting in the way…
Now boys, no fighting please!

Hopefully they’ll be back next Friday, with the next instalment of their magical monster mystery tour. And I’ll have more new Beasties to share on Tuesday too!

Enjoy your weekend!

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Paddy and Plunkett have a Picnic - H Crawford/CrawCrafts Beasties

A Quiet Stroll in the Countryside… Or is it?

Posted on July 8, 2016June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Paddy and Plunkett

At last! The sun has broken through the clouds and it feels like summer again! Not that it matters to Paddy and Plunkett, whose extended holiday is still ongoing… let’s find out where they are today!
It certainly seems nice and peaceful, anyway. And look, Paddy’s spotted some distant Beastie relatives – well, they are all made of wool, right?
But all is not as it seems!

“Hey Plunkett, what’s that building up there?”
“Glad you asked, Paddy – I’ve been reading up on this! That’s part of the remains of Battle Abbey. Can you believe that we’re standing on what is believed to be the site of the Battle of Hastings? Look, there’s a stone slab here to mark the spot where the English leader King Harold is supposed to have fallen!”
“Yikes! What happened to King Harold?”

“Arrow through the eye, apparently – the famous Bayeux Tapestry captured the whole thing…”

The Death of King Harold at the Battle of Hastings - Photo from historytoday.com — The Death of King Harold at the Battle of Hastings – Photo from historytoday.com

“In fact, Paddy, forget what you’ve been seeing on Game of Thrones lately… The Battle of Hastings was a pretty gruesome episode in English history! Casualties on both sides were so numerous that the leader of the victorious invading Norman army, who later became known as William the Conqueror, was ordered by Pope Alexander II to atone for this immense loss of life. So he built a church here – it was finished in around 1094. Then in the late 13th century, it was remodelled into Battle Abbey.”

“Wow, that’s some history! How on earth do we follow that?”

“How about some lunch?”

“Good thinking, Plunkett!”

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Beach Beasties Take a Weight Off - CrawCrafts Beasties

Summertiiiiiiime… And the livin’ is Beastieeeee!

Posted on July 5, 2016June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Commissions, Crafting

Happy Tuesday, everyone! And look, I’ve some new Beasties for you to meet!

I’m delighted to introduce you to Beach Babe Beastie and her new Beastie hubby, Outdoor Adventure Beastie!
The person who requested these two little monsters wanted them as a wedding gift for a couple who she described as “summer people” – when the sun starts to shine, they’re the first to dash outside to soak up some rays on the beach or seek out adventure in the countryside! So rather than dress their Beasties up in stiff, formal wedding garb, we decided to go for outfits and accessories that would reflect their love of those long, hot summer days.

Ready for the guided tour? Great – ladies first, then!
With her sunkissed blonde hair and Beastie-sized bikini, Beach Babe Beastie is all set to spend her honeymoon basking on golden sands somewhere in the tropics. And look, someone has brought her a cocktail to sip as she sunbathes!

Then once the sun slips below the horizon, she can pop on a cute floral-print skirt and head out for a relaxed dinner with her Beastie Beloved!
I also gave her a little tote bag, to hold her sunscreen – she needs to preserve her lovely rose-pink complexion, after all.
And of course, she needed a pair of film-star sunglasses to complete her look!
Now, where’s that husband of hers got to? Oh, there he is!
He’s a real outdoors enthusiast, who loves keeping fit and camping under the stars. All this activity has helped him grow a bit taller and musclier than your average Beastie!
While I was making these Beasties, I thought it might be a good opportunity to redesign my Beastie backpacks – the new-style ones close with Velcro instead of snaps, and I think they’re a better, more realistic shape and more sturdily constructed.
They still hold everything an adventurous Beastie needs for a day away, too – in this case, a big bottle of water and a tasty cheese sandwich!
And finally, this guy had to have a pair of sunglasses!
All we need now is a bright sunny day for them to enjoy! But until then, they’ve managed to find a decent substitute…
Hurry up, summer… I need my desk back!

Hope you’re enjoying less apocalyptic weather where you are – my must-have summer accessory this past week has been my umbrella! What do you keep in your beach bag or backpack?

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