Family – Beastie HQ

Happy Family Beasties, by CrawCrafts Beasties

Flashback Friday – Fashion-forward Family!

Posted on May 8, 2020June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Commissions, Crafting

Hey there everyone! Ready to join me for another Flashback Friday? This time, I’ve decided to go for a three-for-the-price-of-one deal, with one of the sets of new family Beasties I’ve created over the years.

Does anyone remember this happy trio from waaaaay back in 2016?

They were made to celebrate the arrival of a cool couple’s first baby… And although the little one took centre stage, I had some serious fun with the grown-ups’ outfits.

Mama Beastie got a checked shirt and bomber jacket combo – a Beastie first, I should add.
While Dad was harking back to the “Madchester” era in a football shirt and parka. Check out the furry hood!
I also can’t believe I managed to do all that teeny embroidery on the album cover before I got my wondrous magnifying lamp!

You can see more pics of these family Beasties in their section of the Beastie Gallery.

And if you’re looking for a little something to keep you entertained this weekend, might I recommend…
Back before we were all confined to our homes, in a time when it was still perfectly normal to sit in a room and have a chat with someone, I was lucky enough to be interviewed by Barry for his excellent podcast series “From the Maker to the Made”. We talked about all sorts of stuff – what it’s like to make a living from creativity, the pros and cons of social media and, of course, Beasties!

Aaaand the episode is now live! If you’d like to give it a listen (on Spotify), you’ll find it here. You can also check it out wherever you normally pick up your podcasts… Just search “From the Maker to the Made”, then I’m in episode 18.

And now I’ve done all my self-promotion! Have a super sunny weekend wherever you are, and I’ll see you again on Tuesday!

At The Bridge - L&P Döring/CrawCrafts Beasties

Guest Post – Fairy Princess Beastie’s Adventure!

Posted on October 25, 2016June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Commissions

We’re turning the BeastieBlog on its head this week! Last Wednesday, I got another update from a Beastie abroad – like buses, these things tend to come along in threes – and I just couldn’t wait to share it with you! On a sunny autumn day last month, Fairy Princess Beastie’s human family took her on a special day trip, and they were good enough to send me both pictures AND tales of her antics. So, without further ado, I’m going to hand you over to Louise – your guide for this monster day out! Enjoy!

Fairy Princess Beastie spent a lovely autumnal day out visiting Germany’s longest suspension bridge in Geierlay, Hunsrück (that’s in Rhineland-Palatinate if you know your German states!)

Before she set off on her big walk, she needed to build up her strength with a hearty lunch at a local beer garden. As there was no Beastie Menu, she settled for the Kids’ menu… schnitzel and chips (yum) and also some colouring pencils to keep her busy while she waited.
The 1.8km (that’s about 1.2 miles) walk to the bridge crosses over wide open fields and the views are dominated by various wind farms. Fairy Princess was intrigued and took a few minutes to check out the information panels on wind power…
Not only did they explain the link between the wind turbines and the bridge (this is fully financed by the income produced by the local wind farms), they also described some of the archaeological discoveries made in digs preceding their development. Apparently, the Romans traded with local precious ores.
Now there’s something a princess can relate to – sparkly precious stones!

After plenty of walking it was time for a well-earned break for Fairy Princess Beastie and her companion Isabel. This must have given her back plenty of energy because next thing you know she was off climbing trees – check out this cool oak tree forest!
And then, finally, they found the bridge! But would they be brave enough to cross? It hangs 100m above a deep valley, is 85cm wide and 360m long!
Quite an adventure – even for a big Beastie like this one! And as if that wasn’t enough – check out this hawk circling above for some tasty Beastie-sized treats, eek!
Fairy Princess Beastie summoned all her courage (and maybe cast a few anti-vertigo and protection spells for good measure) and was soon walking, jumping and even climbing on the bridge to get a good look down at the valley below! On the other side Isabel and Fairy Princess Beastie were amazed to see that the bridge has only been around since 2015.
(Careful now, Fairy Princess Beastie! It’s lucky your people are there to hold onto you!)

After some more relaxing (and more tree and rock climbing)…
… It was time to head back over the bridge for the journey home. As her fairy wings had been left at home, the Beastie was very glad of a piggyback and a big drink after a successful adventure. The beer garden even had a traditional German beach chair for her and Isabel to relax in.
To keep everyone entertained, Fairy Princess Beastie waved her wand to perform a spontaneous fashion show before it was time for the long drive home – this girl loves her accessories!
What a great day! Thanks again to Louise, Peter and Isabel for bringing Fairy Princess Beastie along, and for sharing your adventure with us!

And to keep with the topsy-turvy theme of the week, I’ll have new Beasties to share on Friday… Join us then to meet them before they head off to Smithfield Market Fair (Gothic Edition!) on Sunday 30th!

Happy Families at Beastie Towers!

Posted on July 22, 2016June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Commissions, Crafting, Knitted Beasties

Well, now that we’re back in Beastie Towers, suitably rested and relaxed from our little holiday, it’s business as usual here on the BeastieBlog! I’ve some new Beasties to introduce, and they’re super-excited to meet you all. So, without further ado, here they are… a whole FAMILY of Beasties!

These were made as a very special commission to celebrate the arrival of human baby Roibín… so of course the most important element was a little baby Beastie!
Look how cosy he is in his stripey handknitted blanket! I’ve given him big wide-open eyes and a little tuft of blond hair as well, to more closely match his human counterpart. But of course, we’d better not forget about Mum and Dad…

First of all, pretty Mama Beastie is modelling a mostly hand-stitched skater-style dress… yes, I’m FINALLY trying to do more of my monster tailoring on the sewing machine! All the stitches you can see in the photo are done by hand, but my machine made short work of speeding through the seams. I’ve also made Mama Beastie a necklace similar to the one her human normally wears!
And check out her beautiful blonde merino wool locks!
But what about Papa Beastie? Ah, here he is.
More tailoring here – this time, a bespoke checked shirt! After watching “The Great British Sewing Bee”, I’ve learned the benefit of strategically placing template pieces so the fabric’s patterns line up better on the finished article. I have to admit to being quite pleased with how this little shirt turned out!
And since Mama Beastie is holding the baby, what’s Papa Beastie got? Well, it turns out he’s a bit of a musician, so…
Perfect! Now he can play a gentle lullaby to send Baby Beastie off to sleep!
Here’s wishing this little monster family a nice quiet weekend together! And have any of you got fun family time planned for the next couple of days? Let us know in the comments!

As usual, we’ll be back on Tuesday… and there will be another new Beastie for you to meet, too. See you then!

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Meet the Family (Part 2)

Posted on February 2, 2016June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Commissions, Knitted Beasties

OK, so we met some of these Beasties last week… But who are those two handsome fellows on the ends? I reckon it’s high time I introduced you all to Ketto Beastie…

…And his brother Antonio Beastie!

Ketto Beastie just completed his degree in Monster Psychology, so I made sure he looked the part for his graduation ceremony! That means the traditional “mortar board” hat, and some pretty sharp Beastie tailoring!

Oh, and let’s not forget the all-important diploma!

Meanwhile, Antonio Beastie is kicking back and enjoying one of his favourite pastimes – listening to music!

He also loves to dance, but unfortunately I couldn’t capture that on camera. Never mind, here’s a closer look at his awesome felt headphones instead!

I’m also slightly envious of his cosy stripey sweater!

So, the family is now complete! But what happened when they arrived at their new home? Well, a warm welcome on Christmas Eve from their new friends, for starters!

Then some photo ops around the tree on Christmas Day…

…Then getting used to their new surroundings…

…And booking a prime spot for Christmas dinner! Can you find the Beasties in this photo?

Thank you so much to Antonello and his family for sharing photos of their first Beastie-tastic Christmas! They really look right at home!

I still have one more Beastie from the pre-Christmas season to share with you – he’ll be here next week. And Explorer Beastie and I will be out and about again on Friday… I really hope we’re heading somewhere warm, cosy and indoors this time! Also, I think I’ve made contact with all my giveaway winners by now, but check out my previous post if you entered, just in case.

And one more thing – it’s with a heavy heart that I bid goodbye to Sir Terry Wogan, who died on Sunday. While I was strangely obsessed with his chat show as a young child, and enjoyed his tongue-in-cheek commentary on the Eurovision Song Contest, I will remember him most for being the voice of obscure 80s cartoon “Stoppit and Tidyup”. I loved the funny little inhabitants of the Land of Do-As-You’re-Told and their antics as a kid – I reckon they played a significant part in shaping me into the monster-lovin’ lady I am today – and Terry Wogan’s narration was a big part of the show’s charm. But don’t just take my word for it… Here’s the first episode. Go on, it’s only short! Enjoy!

One Big Beastie Family - CrawCrafts Beasties

Meet The Family (Part 1)

Posted on January 26, 2016June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Commissions, Knitted Beasties

The last quarter of 2015 saw me taking on my biggest Beastie challenge yet (in what had already been a pretty good year for big Beastie challenges) – an entire Beastie family! As always, each individual Beastie had to capture the look, personality and interests of their human counterparts… And we couldn’t leave out the family cat, of course!

Oh, and did I mention that they had to be ready in time to catch the last Christmas post to Italy? Never have knitting needles moved so swiftly! Anyway, now that the festive season is over, the presents have been unwrapped, and no surprises will be spoiled, I’m delighted to be able to introduce La Famiglia Beastie at last! First of all, let’s meet Antonello – creating a family of monsters was his idea, so it’s only right that we should start with him!

He’s a fan of all things Irish, especially our ever-popular exports of Guinness and world-class rugby players! So he is proudly sporting a Munster rugby jersey, Ireland rugby ball and felt pint…

…And as you can imagine, I had a great time styling his beard and hair!

Next up – Antonello’s wife Tiziana, who is an ER doctor. So get me a set of Beastie-sized scrubs and a stethoscope, STAT!

And here they are in extreme close-up!
I was also able to indulge in a spot more Beastie hairdressing… I loved capturing the highlights in Tiziana Beastie’s hair!

And of course, no family home would be complete without a beloved pet!

This is Tris, the family cat! She’s made of soft cuddly felt, with embroidered markings to match her feline big sister’s… oh, and a super-contented smile!

But what about the rest of the family? Well, that’s another story for another day – swing by next Tuesday lunchtime, when we’ll be meeting the boys! In the meantime, I’ll have another update from a Beastie abroad on Friday… and you still have time to put your name in the hat for the Great January Begone Giveaway if you haven’t already! I’ll be picking 5 lucky winners this coming Sunday at noon (Irish time) – check out the original post here to find out how to enter!

See you Friday!

PS It seems like the Beastie kitty has stolen the show! So, for all my fellow cat people out there, I thought I’d introduce you to the real life inspiration behind the felt feline – this is Tris!

Isn’t she a sweetie? Thanks again to Antonello and family for your Beastie-tastic order 🙂

It’s A Family Thing

Posted on October 13, 2015June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Knitted Beasties

Hooray! It’s new Beastie time again! And who’s this battling his way through the undergrowth?

He definitely seems to be looking for someone! Oh, wait…

…There they are! That must mean it’s time to unpack the picnic…

YUM!!

And there was just enough time after lunch for me to take some studio photos of these Beasties and their accessories! For starters, Cool Dad Beastie is a big Munster Rugby fan, and can usually be seen wearing his favourite team jersey…

… And his luxuriant beard is the envy of all his monster friends!

He also has everything his family needs for a day out exploring – they love to go camping together!

And what about our beautiful Beastie Mum?

Well, she’s super-proud of her little one, and has wrapped him up in a cosy hand-knitted blanket to keep him toasty!

She’s a rugby fan too… but she’s a Leinster girl! Let’s hope there aren’t any fallings-out on match day!

Oh, and check out the back of their shirts…

Yes, I know there’s no 17th player on a rugby team, but what a sweet way to commemorate their baby’s birthday! Definitely one for the family album!

And since we’re talking about families, it seems like a good time to say a big thank you to my own nearest and dearest! Your photographing, word-spreading and general support is very much appreciated… the Beasties and I consider ourselves lucky to have you all on our team!

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