Hey there everyone! And WOW, is it hot here! Well, for Ireland… I won’t invite eye-rolls and derisive laughter from those of you who have been experiencing actual heatwaves over the last couple of weeks by citing temperatures. Let’s just say it’s been a little warmer than usual, the sun is out, and it’s not so bad that we can’t travel because the weather is already lovely right here at home.
And THAT was a pretty roundabout way to introduce this week’s new Beastie… A little monster girl who has a distinctly summery, sunshiney vibe. Oh look, here she is now! Hello!
Oooh, I love your dress! The geometric print makes me think of cartoon sunshines, or maybe sunflowers… Give us a twirl, there.
Very nice! I modelled this vintage-style dress on one owned by this Beastie’s human counterpart. The fabric is different, but I copied the full collar and slightly puffed sleeves of the original.
You might also have noticed that there’s been a bit of a change to the usual Beastie layout for this project. No stripey legs here! This little monster lady is rocking a pair of cute white knee socks instead.
Now, what next? Sticking with the retro style of her dress, we’re going to add a pair of cool red-framed glasses.
As usual, they’re completely removable, so she can pop them on top of her head when they’re not needed.
Very nice! And, like her sister who joined us for last week’s post, this Beastie also has magic magnetic paws…
… To help her hold on to all her awesome accessories…
… Like this Beastie-sized sunflower! My sources informed me that our Beastie’s human counterpart loves sunflowers, so I just had to include one in her accessory lineup.
It’s planted in a felt pot of 100% wool roving, which has helped it to grow nice and tall, with plenty of fresh green felt leaves.
And what else can she do? Well, I did mention a singalong, didn’t I? And good news – we get musical accompaniment!
Here you go, Miss Beastie – a teeny little ukulele for you, so you can play us a summery tune!
Has anyone any requests? Be sure to share your favourite summertime song in the comments!
And you might think that this haul would be plenty to keep a pair of Beastie sisters happy… But wait, there’s more! Join us next week to find out who joined them when they ventured forth from Beastie Towers into the wider world… See you then!
And not just any new Beastie – this one is a SUPERHERO!
Normally I’d pop magnets inside these so the Beastie can hold them securely… But since her human counterpart is still quite young, I went for elastic loops on the handles instead, just to be on the safe side.
As you can see, they still fit snugly into her utility belt, ready for action.
With a red felt mask and starry cape (inspired by her human counterpart’s passion for outer space), she’ll be able to head out completely incognito.
Just as Superhero Max never goes anywhere without her trusted bunny friend Hop, this Beastie has a cuddly rabbit companion to join her on her adventures, too. He even has the same uniform, including a removable mini cape!
I also had fun adding in special bunny details, like a fluffy white tail and carrot-inspired sidekick logo.
Up, up and… AWAAAAAY!
Yikes, she’s flown right out of the teeny photo studio! Um, can I ask everyone to please keep an eye out and report any low-flying Beasties in your neighbourhood directly to Beastie HQ? Thanks and see you next week!
Springtime in the Irish countryside is a very colourful time. The fields are full of blue…
… And white…
… And yellow!
Those gorgeous golden gorse flowers are always a treat. Take a good big sniff there, Explorer Beastie – being careful of those spines, of course!
“Mmmmm! It smells like… Coconut!”
Through the long grass and rushes, and up a staircase made of tree roots…
“Someone’s stopped here for dinner recently! It looks like they ordered escargots…”
Oh yes! Flat rocks and broken snail shells are a sign that a bird (usually a 
… BLOW!
So, what time is it?
Roslyn from the Ireland AM crew had the presence of mind to take a few photos of the setup, thankfully… I completely forgot! She also took this picture, which some of you might have already seen on social media.
Then, what seemed like microseconds later, we were live! My Dad very kindly photographed the TV at home while the segment was on and sent me these stills… Here I am, teaching the hosts Karen and Tommy how to knit!
They both picked it up incredibly quickly, I was super impressed!
(These are very easy, by the way… And so much quicker than knitting a scarf!)
The knitting revival – you heard it here first, folks!
If you’d like to see the complete piece, it’s currently up on the Virgin Media Player, here:
Um, can you maybe turn around so we can see?
Much better! That’ll keep you nice and cosy while we go exploring. Although it looks like we’ve been uncommonly lucky with the weather – you’d hardly know we’re in Ireland at all!
“Yes, and it smells AMAZING!”
“Hey, what’s over there?”
“I’ll stand next to them, for scale!”
It’s always nice to see their sunny yellow faces peeking out of shaded, Beastie-sized hollows in the hedgerows.
… But it’s not really a substitute for the real thing, is it?
“Possibly, Paddy… But how on earth are we going to get up there? Normally the humans leave their bags on the floor.”
“… I have a cunning plan!”
“Ouch! Paddy, you’re going to have to start going easy on the Full Irish breakfasts… You weigh a TON!”
“Success!”
