Hey there everyone! I hope you’re all keeping well, and staying in if you possibly can!
On that note, I thought we’d take a break from Explorer Beastie’s Belgian travels and do some exploring closer to home. Why? Because of this little guy here.
The last time I saw that sweet teal-coloured Beastie in the red scarf was at the Christmas on the Square market back at the end of November. He was hoping to find a home to call his own, and he really lucked out! A few weeks later, I received a lovely email from his new family. They told me he was settling in well, and they’d called him Felix because he’d brought them so much happiness. Well, that Beastie has some serious happy-making powers, because hearing that made me smile too!
Now, Felix had high hopes of getting out and about for some adventures of his own, just like Explorer Beastie or Paddy and Plunkett. Unfortunately, quarantine restrictions intervened, and he’s limited to staying within 2km of his house.
But you can’t keep a good Beastie down, and it seems like Felix has been making the most of the lockdown anyway. He’s been getting to know his local wildlife by taking nature walks…
… Learning to ride a bike (I’m not sure how he’s working the pedals, but that doesn’t lessen the achievement)…
… And taking the family car for a spin.
Let’s hope he’s a better driver than our good friend Paddy!
It’s not all about travel, either. Back at home, Felix is the top goalie in the Back Garden Football League.
Well held!
And how does he relax at the end of a busy day of keeping his human family entertained?
Well, an ice cream would definitely be a good start. Hopefully he’s planning to share all that with someone… It’s nearly as big as he is!
Unfortunately, as often happens with our little woolly friends, being photographed as he goes about his daily business has given young Felix the impression that he is something of a celebrity. When he heard that I was keen to feature him on the BeastieBlog, he revealed that his ambitions extend beyond merely seeing the world.
Yes, he wants to be a rock star.
To further his career, he asked me to share this photo of him recreating a classic pic of U2 (image not my own, I should say), taken around 2000 in Dublin’s Grand Canal Dock.
I’m not sure if there is any music to accompany this promotional shot yet, but I’ll keep you posted!
Thanks to Brendan for sharing Felix’s antics with me, and for giving me the go-ahead to share them with you!
I wonder if any other Beasties out there been getting up to lockdown mischief these past couple of weeks…
Wow, 
I made these to tempt the attendees of the Dublin Cat Fair back in November, and thanks to a shout-out from the organisers on Facebook before the event, they sold out! From then on, I could barely keep up with demand, even when I was frantically making more behind my table on market days! I’ll definitely be adding these to my festive lineup for 2019.
And my All-Irish Beasties were still happy to down a tipple or two… Tea, anyone? Or would you maybe prefer a pint of the Black Stuff?
I also brought along a new Unicorn Beastie… It didn’t take them long to find a home!
And finally… Some of you might recognise this woolly little monster face from 
… SANTA BEASTIE!
Catch you next Tuesday!
Ooooh, look at that Christmas tree!
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.
That’s better!
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 
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!
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!
For the sports fans out there, a couple of Hurling Beasties joined the team – one in Dublin colours, and one who appears to hail from Kilkenny!
I’d hate for anyone to miss out on Frankenstein’s Monster Beastie, for starters! I have to admit that I kind of love the bolts in his neck and the random lines of stitching holding his sweet green face together.
And yes, I still make these!
