Hi there everyone! I have to say, it’s not really hiking weather out there today… But I’m sure the new Beastie we’re about to meet would happily give it a try anyway. After all, I did kit her out with everything she could possibly need for a day of strolling in the hills!
So, say hello to Hiker Beastie!
I created this Beastie as a very special birthday gift for an active lady who loves to spend time in the great outdoors. And since she lives in Scotland, I needed to make sure the weather never had a chance to rain on her parade (or hiking trail). That’s why she’s wearing a very fetching handknitted bobble hat…
… A rain jacket with handy hood…
(Did you notice the teeny embroidered zips?)
… And a pair of go-anywhere hiking boots.
I stitched some felt treads to the soles of these boots to make them extra-grippy, and finished them with some embroidery thread laces. Now she’s fully equipped from head to toe!
Well, almost. If she’s away for the day, she’ll probably need a backpack too. Et voila!
This one is handstitched from 100% wool felt, and should hold everything she needs.
And when she’s not hiking…
… This Beastie has another hobby to keep her busy! We’ll need to lose the jacket for this part though.
Why, you ask? Well, this Beastie lady also enjoys a game of shinty – a Scottish variant of ball-and-stick games like hockey, or the hurling we play here in Ireland. From what I could tell when I was doing my research, it can be pretty full-on… So this outfit will give her much more freedom of movement as she tears around the pitch!
Oh, I should probably provide her with a shinty stick so she can join in properly.
Shinty sticks have a distinctive wedge-shaped head that sets them apart from the sticks used in hockey, hurling and other related sports like cammag (from the Isle of Man), bando (Wales) and Knattleikr (played by the Vikings in Iceland). In my quest to get the shape right, I was lucky enough to find this video of modern-day craftsmen making human-sized versions. I love how hands-on the process is!
Here’s my Beastified version – and our woolly friend holding onto it tightly with her magic magnet paws!
And one more thing…
Up a mountain or on the shinty pitch, life is more fun when you have a companion to share it with – right? And as a final touch, this Beastie has a four-legged friend to keep her company on her adventures.
This Beastie-sized pup is modelled on the pet pooch of our monster lady’s human counterpart, and is made from needle-felted merino and blue-faced Leicester wool.
Ready for walkies? I think so!
Thanks to Anne for requesting this very special Beastification for her sister-in-law’s birthday!
And we’ll be back on Tuesday… Yes, Tuesday! With real life kicking back in again, I’m returning to my regular once-a-week blogging regime. If you’ve got a taste for past Beasties as a result of my lockdown Flashback Fridays though, you’ll find lots more in the website Gallery, or by scrolling through the Commissions category of the BeastieBlog.
See you next week! Have a good one 🙂