Crafts – Page 20 – Beastie HQ

Taking Care of Beastie Business!

Posted on January 23, 2015June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Info, Knitted Beasties

Ah, January! Cold, dark days, nights that begin at 4.30 in the afternoon and the Christmas lights in the streets haven’t been taken down yet, but they aren’t being switched on any more either… Well, that’s what’s happening in Dublin, anyway. So, what better time for me to tackle one of my New Year’s resolutions head-on, and get the Beasties’ Etsy shop going again?

Ta-daaaaaah! My first three listings went live this morning, and I’ll be adding more over the next few days. If you have a spare second, please pop over and visit the Beasties in their new online home… Etsy’s such a massive place these days, I’m worried they’ll get lost in there! I’d also love to hear any feedback you might have about the shop, or your own experiences of buying or selling online… tell me all about it in the comments!

Happy Friday everybody, hope you all have a monster weekend!

Beastie New Year!

Posted on January 6, 2015June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Explorer Beastie, Knitted Beasties

Happy new year, everybody!

Well, nice as it’s been to put our feet/paws up and relax over the holidays, the Beasties and I are now ready to launch ourselves at 2015. Let’s see what delights it can offer to a lady and her ever-growing brood of woolly monsters!

But first, a quick overview of 2014 – looking back, it was a pretty eventful year! It saw Beasties venturing into uncharted waters…

… Catching up with old friends…

… Dabbling in the arts…

…And growing to new heights!

Together, we’ve been to markets, pop up shops and high street stores, so we’ve learned a lot about the best places to introduce Beasties to new human friends. And as a result, my little monsters have headed off to homes in some far-flung places, including Germany, the USA and Norway! I’ve also had fun making some personalised Beasties to order… This is Colm Beastie, who, like his namesake, enjoys running marathons and the odd pint of Guinness. I LOVED doing his hair!
I also made a sister for Explorer Beastie. She hit the road almost as soon as she was off the knitting needles, and was last seen enjoying Christmas dinner in Argentina!

And of course, Explorer Beastie has been popping up all over the place!

I’m intrigued to see where his travels take him in 2015!

And that brings us neatly back to the whole point of this post – what are we going to get up to this year? I figure that if I share some of my plans with you all on the BeastieBlog, I’d be that little bit more likely to actually DO them. So, in 2015, the Beasties and I solemnly swear to…

Keep in touch more often, with more photos, blog posts and Facebook updates
Revive and revitalise our Etsy store
Hang out at markets more, because we always have a great time there
Learn some new skills – just to keep things interesting!

Stay tuned to see how we get on… and thanks to everyone who stopped by to say hello during 2014. Hopefully you’ll stick around and follow us on more monster adventures! And we’d love to hear your plans for the coming year – how will you be spending 2015?

My London Yarn Haul

Posted on October 16, 2014June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Crafting

By popular demand (well, one person asked… thank you, The Snail of Happiness, for this idea for a quick’n’easy blog post!) I thought it might be fun to share my recent yarny purchases – souvenirs from the trip Explorer Beastie and I took to London recently.

By the way, let’s keep these delectable fuzzy goodies a secret from the Beasties – I’m going to be using this yarn to make something for ME!

First up are a couple of skeins of oh-so-lovely Mirasol Sulka… a tasteful mix of merino wool, alpaca and silk. How could I leave THAT in the shop?

Try as I might, I couldn’t get the photos to show off the incredible glossiness of this yarn – but at least you can get a feel for the colours. I love the bright orange, and when I pair it with the super-classy raven’s-wing black it will really pop! That’s this autumn’s neckwear sorted, then.

Because funds and suitcase space were limited on this trip, I had to curb my (natural) impulse to buy one of everything in the store. After much deliberation, I chose this little beauty…

I Knit stock a range of their own hand-dyed yarns, which I wouldn’t be able to pick up at home, so that was all the incentive I needed to put a skein into my shopping basket. I picked this one because its cheerful yellow hues look like spun sunshine… perfect for getting me through the Irish winter!

Ready for the extreme close-up?

Lovely stuff!

If Explorer Beastie is very good, I might consider making him a scarf out of my leftovers… Here’s another photo of him with one of the dogs at I Knit, just to keep this post vaguely Beastie-related!

Has anyone else some classy yarns that I need to know about?

Wool! Needles! KNIVES!

Posted on September 22, 2014June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Knitted Beasties

Anyone who keeps up with the Beasties through Facebook will already know that over the weekend, my Mum got in touch with me to tell me that she’s been having trouble visiting the BeastieBlog lately. Why? Because her ISP is blocking this site due to its references to (and I quote) “VIOLENCE and WEAPONS”.

I’ve been so tickled by this that I couldn’t resist mentioning it in my post today… and using it as an excuse to do a retrospective of some of my choicest armed-to-the-teeth Beasties. Those of a sensitive disposition should probably look away now… Here we go!

First up is one of my early creations – Guerrilla Woolfare Beastie, who left Beastie Towers more than a year ago. Although he isn’t armed, he is considered highly dangerous… Just look at that incendiary literature he’s carrying around with him!

The new year ushered in a new crowd of bad-to-the-bone Beasties! We started out with Pirate Beastie, whose razor-sharp felt cutlass could probably do some serious damage…

…Then Ninja Beastie made an appearance! He refused to settle for “just” having a sword, and insisted I make him a pair of sai and a shuriken (throwing star) as well!

Oh, and then he called for reinforcements.

You’d think that would be enough, but…

…Soon afterwards, Rambo Beastie came to town. That’s a close-up of his knife in the picture at the top of this post – a lethal-looking piece of feltwork, I’m sure you’ll agree. And who could forget Viking Beastie, recently off the longship and ready for battle with his round shield and prestigious Ulfbeast sword?

Hmmm… is it possible that the powers that be are right? Even my Chef Beastie is carrying a knife!

I’d better keep an eye on these critters… if they weren’t so gosh-darn cute they could probably land me in some serious trouble!

Thanks for checking out BeastieBlog… officially the most violent knitting blog on the whole internet!

Making Sweet Beastie Music!

Posted on September 10, 2014June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Ideas, Knitted Beasties

Yes, I know Indie Rock Beastie already got a good bit of airtime in my post last week. But I figured that since he is currently involved in helping out with some fundraising, that more than justified giving him a second guest appearance on the BeastieBlog. Plus, we really didn’t get a chance to talk about his guitar.

Guitars are one of the most labour-intensive Beastie accessories to make… every piece is hand cut and hand sewn, and their small size makes this one fiddly task! Also, no two guitar-toting Beasties have ever been given the same instrument. My first one got a bright pink flying V…

…Then I had to make a more Robert-Smith-esque guitar for my Robert Smith Beastie!

I had originally intended to use the same basic template for Indie Rock Beastie’s guitar, but somehow it just didn’t look right. Since I am a stickler for such things/a masochist/insane (delete as applicable), I decided to embark on some research. And I came across this…
Gibson ES 325

(Image from en.audiofanzine.com)

It’s a Gibson ES325, as played (and, I found out later, smashed onstage in a fit of pique) by Kings of Leon frontman Caleb Followill. The one shown in the image above perfectly fitted with my idea of what Indie Rock Beastie should play… and the colour of the body rather conveniently matched some felt in my crafting stash too! How could I resist?

I started by modifying my template to reflect the deeper, more symmetrical shape of this guitar…

… and raided my scraps bag for teeny pieces of felt to make the details! When I’m cutting out felt, I always keep any offcuts – they’re so useful for projects like this one because I can trim them to the right shape by eye, rather than cutting out tiny circles and rectangles from a larger piece of fabric.

Once the guitar body was finished and lightly stuffed, the last stage is to add the strings!

These are run from underneath the piece of grey felt at the end of the guitar’s body, and tied off along the headstock. Then all that was left to do was to place it carefully in the paws of my finished Beastie, and let him do the rest!

Sweet Charideeee…

Posted on September 4, 2014June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Info, Knitted Beasties

A UK-based Beastie enthusiast contacted me recently to ask if the Beasties and I would like to help her out with a little fundraising. She’d already done all the hard work, by taking part in this year’s RideLondon, an 86-mile long road cycle through London and Surrey, to raise money for three charities that are especially important to her – Ebony Horse Club, North West Air Ambulance and The Injured Jockeys Fund. Despite occasionally torrential rain, she managed to smash her target time of 8 hours, making it home in just over 6. Even reading about it made me feel exhausted, so I was happy to get involved in a more crafty, sofa-based way!

So, where do the Beasties come in? Well, if you pop over to Suzanne Allen’s Ride London, you’ll see that she’s very generously offering donors the chance to win prizes… one of which is Indie Rock Beastie, pictured above! Indie Rock Beastie has been out and about on the festival circuit for the entire summer, and figured this was a great opportunity to give something back.With his artfully tousled mop of black hair…

… And awesome hand-sewn checked shirt and guitar…

… he’s sure to draw a crowd to his first-ever charity benefit gig!

Anyone who donates a unique amount between £5.01 and £29.99 will be entered into the prize draw, and Indie Rock Beastie is looking forward to heading to his new home already! Go on, try your luck!

Gimme a “B”…

Posted on August 26, 2014June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Knitted Beasties

Hooray! It’s time for some new Beasties!

The latest arrival at Beastie Towers is Cheerleader Beastie, a bubbly little monster who is sure to win herself more than a few fans! Check out her cute hand-stitched felt uniform, complete with Team Beastie logo…

…Bouncy blonde ponytail…

…And of course, a set of pure wool pompoms!

While Cheerleader Beastie entertains the crowds with feats of gymnastic skill that should be beyond the capabilities of her short little woolly legs, this more contemplative Beastie has taken up residence in a quiet corner… Meet Artist Beastie!

Artist Beastie likes nothing more than donning his smock, grabbing his palette…

…And painting to his heart’s content! With his exuberant moustache and classic black beret, he certainly looks the part…

…Although it seems to me that more paint goes on his smock than the canvas.

Luckily for him, that smock is removable…

…So he can take it off and relax at the end of a hard day’s work!

I haven’t quite managed to convince him to put his paintbrush down, though.

These Beasties have just joined their friends down in the Creative Collective Shop in Dalkey’s Castle Street… Be sure to drop in and say hello!

Come dive with me…

Posted on August 6, 2014June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Info, Knitted Beasties

Every now and again, Beastie development takes a bigger-than-usual leap forward – often when I take on a commission, which pushes me out of my comfort zone and gets me thinking of new methods and accessories. And this was definitely the case with Diver Beastie! He taught me a lot about diving equipment, and encouraged me to experiment with some new materials in my quest to shrink human-sized tanks, regulators and dive masks to Beastie proportions. So, without further ado, I’m delighted to introduce Diver Beastie! Let’s take a look at all the cool stuff he has…

Diver Beastie lives in his wetsuit. You can just about see the snazzy yellow flashes down the side of his legs in this picture! The red thing hanging from his belt is a line cutter – although he’s also carrying a dive knife (inspired by every James Bond film I’ve ever seen), knives aren’t permitted in some diving sites. The line cutter is a safer tool, which can be used to cut through tangled or snagged lines. It’s always best to be prepared! Diver Beastie is also very proud of his watch/dive computer, which you can see on his left wrist. He also has…

… Felt flippers…

… An air tank…

… A dive mask and a regulator! Put all that together and you get…

One Diver Beastie, ready for action!

Then it was time to send him off to his new home… in Texas! He was very keen to swim there himself, but I managed to talk him out of it… the last thing I wanted was for him to end up as a shark’s lunch. Also, going by plane is a lot quicker. And it looks like he arrived safely! He now lives with two fellow diving enthusiasts, and enjoys borrowing their equipment…

…Marvelling at their enormous human-sized dive tanks…

… And scooting around in a conveniently Beastie-sized Landrover, which also came over from Ireland!

Thanks to Tracy for sharing photos of Diver Beastie in his new home! And to everyone else for keeping up with the Beasties and their adventures – talk to you again soon!

Exciting News!

Posted on July 29, 2014June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Info, Knitted Beasties

Oh dear! I have been a rather lazy blogger these last couple of months! But there has been a lot going on behind the scenes, and now I have news aplenty to share!

First of all, a while back I selected an elite Beastie crew, which included most of the monsters you can see in the picture above, and sent them off on a top-secret mission. After bundling them up in bubble wrap to protect them from the whims of the Irish weather (and also to keep them entertained on their journey)…

…and tucking them in with plenty of colourful tissue paper…

…we were ready to take a trip on the Dart!

The team was dropped off at a strategic location, and then all I could do was sit back and wait to hear whether or not their mission had been successful. There were tense moments, sleepless nights… but hurrah! On Friday I received word that all has gone according to plan.

And what was this top-secret mission, you ask?

Only a move into the world of high street and online retail! The lovely people at Opening Minds are now selling Beasties on their website, and will be introducing them into their Dun Laoghaire store in the next couple of days! I could not be more proud of my little monsters!

Meanwhile, all has not been quiet on the home front either. Because Beastie Towers has relocated! Beasties, Boyfriend and I have been settling into our new home in a surprisingly quiet part of Dublin’s city centre. We are now enjoying an unprecedented amount of natural light (excellent for making fiddly Beastie accessories), greenery and – SHOCK – birdsong instead of traffic noise! I’ve also finally been able to liberate the rest of my crafty supplies from storage, giving me so much more fabric and yarn to play with. I can’t wait to get started!

Speaking of which, my knitting needles are calling… I should have a heap of new Beasties to share with you soon!

More New Beasties…

Posted on July 4, 2014June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Knitted Beasties

Holy moly! It’s been another busy week… this summer is just zipping by! At least I’ve been able to find a couple of spare minutes to finish off a few new Beastie friends. Yesterday, I sent a top secret Beastie commission to his new home – I’ll share pictures once he reaches his destination successfully!

I also thought that the Creative Collective shop in Dalkey could use a bigger Beastie turnout. Beasties are naturally gregarious creatures, and they’re happiest when they’re hanging out in a big bunch. So I used that as an excuse to add the final touches to some monsters who have been living in my “In Progress” box for a while.

First of all, meet our cover star… Rugby Beastie!

Rugby Beastie is the newest addition to the Irish squad. He’s shown up for training this morning with his own rugby ball and old-school rugby jersey, and he’s taped up his ears to prevent long-term damage…

Uh-oh! Looks like he’s a little too late on that one. And because he’s my first Rugby Beastie, it was obvious which number he should get…

Cheering him on from the sidelines is a lady who usually prefers to stay at home with a good book – Book Club Beastie!

With her mop of blonde hair and natty print skirt, she can easily be spotted lugging another huge bag of purchases out of her local bookshop or enjoying a good read in her favourite cafe. What’s she reading right now, you ask?

“The Great Knitsby”, of course!

Thanks for stopping by… have a monster weekend, everyone!

	tierneycreates: a fu… on We Wish You A Merry Beast…
	crawcraftsbeasties on We Wish You A Merry Beast…
	quietwatercraft on We Wish You A Merry Beast…
	crawcraftsbeasties on We Wish You A Merry Beast…
	The Hidden Spain on (Mer)Made Just for You!