Beastie Family – Page 22

Don’t Fear the Reaper (He’s on Holiday)

Posted on January 15, 2016June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Knitted Beasties

Here’s one Beastie who has truly landed on his paws! Grim Reaper Beastie had barely arrived with his new family before jetting off to enjoy the big blue skies in Mexico over Christmas! He certainly seems to be lapping up the sunshine in the photo above. Let’s hope he remembered to pack his sunscreen… something tells me his ghostly pale skin isn’t used to catching rays!

He does look strangely at home among the Mayan ruins, though!

During his trip, Grim Reaper Beastie visited Tulum and Coba – two major Mayan sites on the Yucatán peninsula. Back in pre-Columbian times, Tulum was the main port for the city of Coba, which is just under 30 miles away. Coba has several large temple pyramids, and visitors are still allowed to climb the 124 steps to the top of the tallest of these, Nohoch Mul. Even with human-sized legs, that’s a bit of a haul!

I wonder if he was able to make the whole climb by himself, or if he had to cheat a little and hitch a lift!

While he was there, Grim Reaper Beastie happened to hear about the Day of the Dead (Día de Meurtos) festival… Apparently the idea of this Mexican national holiday has piqued his interest, and he’s already hoping to make another trip sometime to join in the festivities! Watch this space…

Thanks to Nicole for sending me photos of Grim Reaper Beastie’s Mexican adventure, they’re much appreciated! Hope you all have a super weekend… we’ll be back on Tuesday with another new Beastie and news of a monster giveaway!

Monster New Year!

Posted on January 1, 2016June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Info, Knitted Beasties

Phew! I might already have mentioned how busy December was for me and the Beasties, but with Christmas now under our (considerably tighter) belts, it’s time for us to start looking forward to another year of monster mayhem!

There’s going to be plenty going on over the next couple of months… starting with a veritable deluge of new Beasties! They’ve all had to keep their identities secret up until now, for fear of spoiling Christmas day surprises, but it’s finally time for them each to have their star turn on the BeastieBlog. I’ll be introducing you to a fresh Beastie face every Tuesday, so be sure to stop by! To whet your appetites, here’s an oatmeal stout-swigging Pint Beastie who made it to his new home in the UK just in time for Christmas!

2015 was a great year for Beasties abroad, and I’m so grateful to everybody who shared photos of their little woolly friends exploring the furthest reaches of the planet! When I said “hey, send me photos of your Beasties”, I never expected to see them gadding about in Canada…

… Enjoying ice-dripped coffee in Taiwan…

…Polishing off Christmas dinner in Argentina…

…Or scaling cliff faces in France!

Please please PLEASE keep them coming! I’ll be sharing photos every other Friday, in my Beastie Family posts! And that leaves two other Fridays each month for…

…Explorer Beastie!

He’s had a bit of a quiet time in 2015, but this year I’m hoping we’ll get out and about more to show you a few of our favourite places around Dublin. And of course Paddy and Plunkett will be back with more tales from further afield… Last I heard, they were heading off somewhere in search of some winter sun. I can’t wait to see pictures – they’ll be the perfect antidote to the blustery drizzliness of an Irish January!

So, that’s what you can expect from the BeastieBlog this year… Plus we have lots of other schemes, capers and new ideas in the pipeline. I can’t wait to share them with you all!

But what do you have lined up for 2016? Be sure to share your hopes, dreams and plans for world domination in the comments! And now all that’s left for me to do is to wish you all a happy new year… may 2016 be your beast year EVER! Cheers!

Piemaker Beasties Get to Work!

Posted on December 8, 2015June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family

Wow… Looking at this picture, it really seems like a very long time since I sent these two off to their new home in the UK! Check out how green everything is outside!

Anyway, despite the pre-Christmas rush, the Piemaker Beastie Girls have found some time to send me a couple of photos of themselves. They’re working hard for fellow pie enthusiasts Farmhouse Direct…

… Or so they say. To me, it looks like they’re gadding about in a pie-filled wonderland!

While one Beastie poses next to a mountain of pies stacked as high as her head, the other is lounging around on a gigantic pastry-based sofa… YUM!

OK ladies, breaktime’s over! Time to show off the human-sized pies that inspired the Beastie versions I made for you…

…And tell everybody about the special offers!

That’s better. All in a day’s work for these two!

Thanks to Suzanne for taking these photos – I always love getting updates from Beasties abroad. And now I think it’s time for lunch! I could really go for a pie today, for some reason… See you all next time!

Paddy and the Crocodile - H Crawford/CrawCrafts Beasties

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!

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!

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!

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?

Beasties Love Yew!

Posted on October 2, 2015June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family

Those of you who regularly check in with the Beasties’ Facebook page might remember Explorer Beastie’s trip to the Bee Garden at Moneypenny’s Lock back in July. The awesome all-you-can-eat bee buffet is just one part of an ongoing project to restore this stretch of the Newry Canal…

But Moneypenny’s Lock is also home to another incredible plant – and this one has been around a lot longer. Meet Moneypenny’s Yew!

And exactly how long has this tree been standing guard over the Lock-Keeper’s Cottage? Well, here she is as a young lady, in 1886…

Imagine all the changes she’s witnessed in her lifetime – the busy canal becoming quieter, falling into neglect, then being given a new lease of life in the last few years by a group of enthusiastic volunteers.

Paddy and Plunkett are big fans of this special tree, too!

That’s why we’re all hoping you might take a minute to give Moneypenny’s Yew your vote in the Woodland Trust’s Tree of the Year Competition. She’s up against some stiff competition – including the celebrity trees of the Dark Hedges (as featured in Game of Thrones). But I think it’s high time this tree, in a quiet part of the country, got her moment in the sun!

You can cast your vote here, on the Woodland Trust’s website.

Good luck, Miss Moneypenny – the Beasties and I are rooting for yew!

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