Monster Online Sale!

Hello there everyone! Well, I’ve got some news for you all this week… We’re having a Beastie sale!

Yes, you read that correctly!

You see, some of the Beasties I have here in Beastie Towers have developed a serious case of lockdown cabin fever. They want (or perhaps more correctly, NEED) to stretch their little stripey legs and see more of the world. Normally I’d be taking them out to markets through the year, and that would quiet their yearning for adventure for a while. But with no big market days in sight just yet, this seemed like the best possible substitute.

Here are some of the lil’ woolly monsters who are eager to break out and explore pastures new!

And if you fancy a quick Beastie fix, and since we’re now halfway through the year, our printable Beastie 2021 calendar is now FREE!

Beastie Calendar Sale - CrawCrafts Beasties

But you’d better be quick!

The sale is running from now until this coming Saturday – that’s the 19th of June – and it will end at 6pm Irish time.

After that, I’ll be making some changes to Beastie HQ… The most significant being that there will no longer be an online store on the Beasties’ website. Over the past year, the number of Beasties finding new homes through the website has remained the same, but the amount of commission requests I’ve been getting has leapt up… And those commissions are becoming ever more complex, too! So it makes sense for me to focus on that side of things, at least for the moment.

For anyone who appreciates the simplicity of an Aran or Cookie Beastie though, don’t despair! I’m still happy to make these perennial favourites… Just drop me a line. You’ll even be able to add a more personal touch by selecting your preferred colour scheme and winsome monster smile style!

And finally…

Website updates always bring the potential for disaster interesting and unforeseen developments, so I’ll be skipping next week’s post to weed out any potential gremlins in the works. You can still keep up with the Beasties and their antics on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook in the meantime, though… And we’ll see you again in a couple of weeks!

Vintage Beastie Playing the Drum - CrawCrafts Beasties

Vintage Fashion, Beastie Style 2 – All the Accessories!

Hey there everyone! And oh wow, look… I managed to post on a Tuesday! If you missed last week’s post (and who could blame you, it went out on Friday), we were catching up with this Beastie lady and her rather awesome vintage inspired look.
Vintage Style Beastie, a Commission by CrawCrafts BeastiesBut while it could be argued that “clothes maketh the monster”, this woolly little gal has much more going on. Let’s take a look at what she took with her when she left Beastie Towers for her new home.

First up…
Beastie Drum - Vintage Style Beastie - CrawCrafts BeastiesIs that a Beastie-sized drum? It certainly is!

And thanks to her magic magnetic paws, our friend can grab those drumsticks and belt out a thumping beat!
Vintage Beastie Playing the Drum - CrawCrafts Beasties

Drumming is thirsty work though… Perhaps some refreshments are in order?
Beastie Refreshments - CrawCrafts Beasties“Oooh, a Beastie-sized glass of red wine? Don’t mind if I do!”

I’m going to guess it’s her favourite vintage 😉

This wine glass was a pretty challenging make. Trying to sew see-through material is always tricky, and even calling on my old arch-nemesis, glue, didn’t provide any easy shortcuts! In the end, I went with keeping stitches to a minimum, using the most unobtrusive thread colours I could find, and throwing some unusual transparent items into the mix. I quite liked the effect that resulted from using crystal beads to make the stem!Beastie Wine Glass - CrawCrafts Beasties

There was even space inside for a discreetly-placed magnet, so she can quite literally hold her liquor!
Vintage Beastie plus Wine - CrawCrafts BeastiesIt’s probably not wise to drink on an empty stomach though…

“Definitely! Let’s eat!”Let's Eat! Vintage Style Beastie by CrawCrafts BeastiesWell, since she’s all set up with the proper cutlery and everything…
Beastie Cutlery - CrawCrafts Beasties… We’ll see what we can rustle up in the Beastie kitchen!

Oh, that does look good!
A Feast fit for a Beastie - CrawCrafts BeastiesOur vintage loving Beastie’s human counterpart loves a bit of fine dining… So hopefully her new monster friend will be suitably impressed by this needle-felted haute cuisine!

Dinner is Served - Vintage Style Beastie - CrawCrafts Beasties

It looks like it’s passed the taste test! Let’s leave her to enjoy the rest of her meal. She’ll need to keep her strength up to look after all this stuff!Vintage Beastie with Accessories - CrawCrafts Beasties

Also…

Don’t forget that our Bank Holiday shipping sale ends tonight at midnight!
Shipping Sale - CrawCrafts BeastiesCheck out the Beastie HQ store… Maybe your own monster friend is there waiting for you!

Famous Tomb - Paddy and Plunkett - CrawCrafts Beasties

Paddy and Plunkett – Russian Around!

Hey there everyone! It’s just going to be a quickie post today… Mostly to clear up the mystery of where in the world Paddy and Plunkett were last week. Did you guess?
A Famous Cathedral - Paddy and Plunkett - CrawCrafts BeastiesA good few of you got it right! Plunkett had indeed got his woolly paws on the photos of the short Russian adventure I enjoyed with my good friend and travel buddy, waaay back in 2012. We spent a fun couple of days exploring Moscow, which included wandering through the labyrinthine interior of St Basil’s Cathedral, pictured above.

We also went inside the walls of the Kremlin…
Still Cold - Paddy and Plunkett - CrawCrafts Beasties… To see the treasures of the Armoury Museum. That, by the way, includes the Russian Diamond Fund, or “more sparkly things than I have ever seen in my life.”

Oh, and this place?
Famous Tomb - Paddy and Plunkett - CrawCrafts BeastiesThis is Lenin’s Mausoleum, and like Paddy, we went in! The embalmed body of Lenin lies in state inside, protected by some very serious, very armed soldiers. Keeping a respectful distance is… um… encouraged, and lookie-loos will find themselves moved on promptly if they stop to stare. Like us, Paddy was probably in and out in five minutes, so Plunkett wouldn’t have been standing out in the snow too long!

That said, he’s decided he needs to warm up a little this week.

On the Beach - Paddy and Plunkett
Original Photo by Asad Photo Maldives from Pexels. Guess who added the Beasties in 😉

I can’t imagine those woollies and tweeds will be particularly comfortable though, so we should probably cut and run while the lads are still decent!

By the way…

If you feel like your own post-lockdown adventures would be enhanced by the addition of a little woolly friend to your travel party, just swing by the Beastie HQ store! There’s a whole host of monsters in there who can’t wait to get out and explore the world.

All-Irish Beasties - CrawCrafts BeastiesAlso, a quick word about commissions – unfortunately my books are currently full, so I won’t be taking any new custom orders until May 25th. For anyone who has been in touch with me already (through email or social media), don’t worry!  You’re all set, and your Beastification is in progress. And if you’re looking ahead to the summer, and think you’d like to have a Beastie to help celebrate a wedding, birthday or other big occasion, be sure to reach out nice and early so your lil’ monster buddy is ready in time.

We’ll be back next week with a new Beastie for you all to meet… See you then!

New Year, New Calendar!

Hurrah! 2020 has been a heckuva year, but we’re down to the last couple of days now AT LAST! So might it maybe be a good time to start looking to the future? I thought so, and that’s why I sat down today to comb through my Beastie photo archives and put together an all-new Beastie Calendar for 2021!

Beastie Calendar 2021 - Cover - CrawCrafts Beasties

Hello, new year!

Because I didn’t make a new calendar last year (some pretty good foresight there, I thought) I had two years of Beastie pics to use. Hopefully you’ll like my selection! I’ve also changed the fonts and layout a bit…
… While still preserving the useful key features (a Monday-Sunday week and note space at the bottom) that help keep me on track.

A year’s worth of monster mayhem will set you back a mere ONE Euro, and you can download your calendar instantly from the order confirmation page on the website, or pick it up in your email. Then print off as many copies as you like… I’ve already got one set aside for home, one for the studio and one to keep track of my knitting classes!

You can grab your copy of the 2021 downloadable calendar in the Beasties’ online store, here… And don’t forget to tell us all about the events you’re most looking forward to in the comments!

Header - CrawCrafts Beasties Beastie HQ

It’s that time again…

Oh, it’s snuck up on me (and possibly all of you as well) a bit this year! But with the evenings getting darker, trees suddenly looking bare and the odd set of fairy lights appearing in windows around town, there’s no denying it – the end of the year is fast approaching. And that means…
Paddy's Idea - Beastmas 2018 - CrawCrafts BeastiesNo, I’m not quite ready to say it yet either! So I’ll just hint that I’m going to be very busy for the next couple of weeks, and leave it at that for the moment.

And my full schedule means that unfortunately the BeastieBlog will be going into hibernation until things quieten down a bit on the monster-making front. Don’t worry, we’ll be back before the end of the year to wave goodbye to 2020! So, stay safe out there and we’ll rejoin you in a few weeks.

In the meantime, please resist the urge to party too hard…

Plunkett Falls For Buckfast - CrawCrafts Beasties

…Lose yourselves in the news…
Beastified Irish Times - Beastie Accessories by CrawCrafts Beasties… Or overindulge in high-calorie foods.But you may wish to take your mind off the Beastie-shaped gap in your life by perusing the shelves of our online store. That we can heartily endorse! 😉

See you soon!

Aran Beasties and Autumn Beastie - CrawCrafts Beasties

Beastie Fall Festivities!

Hello there Beastie friends! Erk, not such good news from Dublin this week… As of last night, all of Ireland has moved to the highest level of Covid-19 restrictions to try to get our case numbers back under control. But it’s not all doom and gloom! Autumn (or Fall) is here in all its glory, and October is my very favourite month to get out and enjoy some natural beauty.

And it looks like I’m not alone in this. Look who I bumped into in the park!
Autumn Beastie, by CrawCrafts BeastiesYou don’t see one of these guys very often – it’s Autumn Beastie! This little monster has been picking out the choicest fallen leaves for… Some ill-defined Beastie purpose. But there’s a great selection in there, and look at those colours!
Autumn Beastie's Leaf Collection - CrawCrafts BeastiesLovely!

Then, further along…
… I found a pair of Aran Beasties too! They were happy to pose for a photo.
Aran Beasties pose for the camera - CrawCrafts BeastiesCheers lads! This is only a small park though, so it was only a matter of time before their path crossed Autumn Beastie’s. Fortunately, Beasties aren’t having to do social distancing like the rest of us.

Aran Beasties and Autumn Beastie - CrawCrafts Beasties

That’s two extra pairs of paws to help with the leaf hunt! Good stuff. And it looks like further reinforcements are on the way too.
Woolly Jumper Beastie Joins In - Fall fun - CrawCrafts BeastiesHey there Woolly Jumper Beastie… Wow, this is turning into a full Fall Festival out here! And it’s definitely sweater weather today, with so many cosy knits to admire.

Wait, MORE Beasties?!

Beastie Fall Knitwear Collection - CrawCrafts BeastiesAnd more snug knitwear.
Cosy Scarf Beasties by CrawCrafts BeastiesFall Fashion Show!
Beastie Fall Fashion Show - CrawCrafts BeastiesAnd just as all the Beasties were preparing to go their separate ways…
Hurling Beastie - Fall Fun in the Park - CrawCrafts Beasties… Up pops Hurling Beastie! This little sportsmonster was keen to get a team together for a match, but with one hurl between four Beasties, it sadly wasn’t going to add up. Sorry! Maybe next week, eh?
Hurling Beastie, by CrawCrafts BeastiesHow about you? Are you enjoying being out and about, kicking through piles of fallen leaves? Or is your Fall experience more of the hot-chocolate-by-a-roaring-fire variety? Be sure to tell us all about it in the comments!

And as usual we’ll be back next week, with more shenanigans from Beastie Towers… See you then!

Woolly Jumper Beastie, by CrawCrafts Beasties

Woolly Autumn Wonderland!

Hello Beastie friends! Since the sun was peeking out between the autumn leaves earlier, I thought it might be fun to head out for a seasonal wander… And guess what? A Beastie stowed away in my camera bag! Well, it’s an occupational hazard in this line of business. Hi there, Woolly Jumper Beastie!
Woolly Jumper Beastie with Leaves - CrawCrafts Beasties
Hey, your sweater matches those leaves perfectly!
Woolly Jumper Beastie With Leaf - CrawCrafts Beasties“Oh yeah! Look at that!”

A little further along, we found some more fallen leaves… In a conveniently Beastie-sized pond.
Beastie-Sized Pond - CrawCrafts Beasties
But not all of nature is packing up in preparation for winter! There’s still a lot of greenery about… We are in Ireland, after all.
Woolly Jumper Beastie with Greenery - CrawCrafts BeastiesThen…
“Come and look at this!”

Woolly Jumper Beastie in the Wall - CrawCrafts Beasties

Although this park next to St Audoen’s Church has recently had a bit of a facelift, some parts of it have obviously been here for a while. There are plenty of places for a mischievous woolly monster to hide in this old ivy-covered wall!

Found you!
Woolly Jumper Beastie in Ivy - CrawCrafts BeastiesAlright, time to get back to the studio! We’re heading to the Dublin Championship Cat Show on Sunday, and we’re going to need to rustle up some more Cat Beasties! But if you’d like to hang out with Woolly Jumper Beastie some more, why not swing by the Beastie HQ store? This little monster is on the lookout for a new home! 😉

Aaaaand we’ll be back next Tuesday – hopefully a little earlier in the day – with a new Beastie for you to meet. See you then!

A Magical, Mythical Monster!

Finally! I’ve stumbled on proof that unicorns are in fact real!

Except maybe they look a little different to what popular culture and centuries of mythologising might have led us to believe… Perhaps they look a little Beastie-er!
Full Length - Unicorn Beastie by CrawCrafts BeastiesHey there, Unicorn Beastie!

This sweet little monster maiden kinda knows that she’s special.
Unicorn Beastie Closeup - CrawCrafts BeastiesI mean, look at her magical multicoloured hair, for starters…
Unicorn Beastie Hair - CrawCrafts Beasties… And unlike most Beasties, she gets to have a TAIL!

Plus, she woudn’t be a real unicorn without…
Unicorn Beastie Horn - CrawCrafts BeastiesTaaa-daaaaah! There’s the evidence we needed.

And Unicorn Beasties have revealed themselves to be surprisingly similar to rhinos – which we know exist – in that their horn is made entirely from super-compacted hair (ie, carefully sculpted needle-felted wool). Even the most hardened uni-skeptic couldn’t argue with that logic.

Of course, being a Unicorn Beastie meant that this monster lady had a few very specific wardrobe requirements. But her tailor-made floral print dress was easily adapted to accommodate her long, flowing tail!
Unicorn Beastie Dress Collage - CrawCrafts Beasties, Beastie HQPerfectly stylish! Then I thought she’d also need a handy satchel to hold all her magical unicorn accessories…
Unicorn Beastie Bag - CrawCrafts BeastiesWhat’s inside, you ask? Well, since Unicorn Beasties primarily eat pink heart-shaped cookies…
Heart Shaped Cookie - A Unicorn Beastie Snack! CrawCrafts Beasties“I’m just going to tuck this away safely for later…”
Unicorn Beastie, Plus a Snack! CrawCrafts BeastiesHmmm… We’ll see how long that lasts!

Aaaaand if you feel like you need a little monster magic in your life, you might be interested to hear that this particular Beastie is currently in need of a home! Click below to be spirited away to the virtual shelves of the Beastie HQ Store!

Go to Store

Are there any mythical creatures which you think deserve the Beastification treatment? Let us know in the comments! And we’ll be back on Friday to share some more adventures from the Beastie family, so be sure to join us then!

Teeny Chalkboard! CrawCrafts Beasties

It’s The Most Beastie-ful Time Of The Year…

Hey everybody!

I’m just popping in for a very quick “Hello!” today, because I’ve done the sums and this is definitely the busiest, Beastie-est week of 2017! Last overseas postage dates are looming, and I’ve booked places at two of Dublin’s most popular Christmas markets, so that’s my entertainment taken care of for the next two weekends in a row. I’d better start on a programme of intense caffeination immediately, as ably demonstrated by Tae Beastie here.Tae Beastie Loads up on Caffeine - CrawCrafts Beasties
I already had a chance to get out and road-test my new market display a couple of weeks back at RMDS’s Christmas Craft Fair, and I’m pretty pleased with how it looks! I’ve used lightweight fabric-covered boxes to add a little extra height…
New Beastie Market Display - CrawCrafts Beasties
… Made up some promotional postcards with a little bit about the Beasties on the back…
Shiny New Promotional Postcards - CrawCrafts Beasties
…Thrown a little light on the proceedings with a pair of spiffy spotlights, a Christmas gift from my brother last year…
New Spotlights for the Stall! CrawCrafts Beasties
… And Boyfriend picked up a Beastie-sized chalkboard for me to play around with use constructively for marketing purposes.
Teeny Chalkboard! CrawCrafts Beasties
So, when do all these goodies get their next outing? Well, to kick things off, this Sunday I’ll be at Newmarket on Cork Street for their Christmas event. I’m looking forward to this one for a couple of reasons… It’s my first time going to this market (always exciting), and it’s in my neighbourhood too! Plus I thought I’d missed the application deadline, so it was doubly satisfying when my offer of a spot came through.

Then next week, it’s the biggie – The Dublin Christmas Flea! I had a blast at this market last year… hey, why not take a look around yourself? Plus, eagle-eyed viewers will spot me working away behind my stall at 1:12 in this video!

Dublin Flea Christmas Market 2017 from dublin flea on Vimeo.

For the 2017 event, they’ve added an extra day (the market will run from Thursday to Sunday) and there’s going to be a special press-only early opening on one of the days as well. I’m optimistic that the Beasties will be on their best behaviour, but I’m expecting at least one of the major newspapers to carry the headline “Reporter Mauled by Publicity-Hungry Knitted Monsters” on Monday morning!

Of course, I realise that not all of you lovely readers are likely to make it to Dublin this December. But no matter how far afield you are, there’s still time to adopt a monster friend from our online store!
Cosy Scarf Beastie, by CrawCrafts Beasties
I’ll be able to send worldwide right up until the 7th of December. After that:

  • Last post for mainland Europe is the 13th
  • Great Britain the 18th
  • Northern Ireland the 19th
  • Republic of Ireland the 20th

of December 2017.

I’m also already taking pre-orders for the first quarter of 2018, so if you’d like to get your paws on a Bespoke Beastie anytime before March 31st, don’t be disappointed! Drop me a line and I’ll get your name into the order book nice and early.

Alrighty, time for me to get back to work! Next Tuesday, I’ll have a new Beastie to share with you all, so be sure to stop by… Have a great week!

All the Barróg Beasties - CrawCrafts Beasties

Beasties, Beasties, EVERYWHERE!

Wow, what a hectic week it’s been! We’re working flat out here at Beastie Towers, but of course we’re never too busy to stop in and have a chat with all you lovely readers on a Tuesday lunchtime. And today, we have some super exciting news… The Beasties have set foot on US soil!

Now, I am aware that a few intrepid monsters have already moved out there on their own – yes, Finn McSpool, I’m talking about you – but this is more of a migration, or a diplomatic mission.
(Not an invasion, though… I want to be very clear about that. The Beasties come in peace!)
They’ve set themselves up in Glen Rock, NJ, in a place that feels very much like home – Carrick Mór Irish Store! The owners, Kristin and Michael, have been long-standing Beastie supporters, and it was brilliant to be able to send them over a small delegation of monsters to stand alongside their incredible range of Irish goodies.

So, who are these brave travellers? Well, I wanted to cram as much of the Beasties’ homeland into this precious parcel as possible, and I figured the best way to do that was to send a crew of 100% Irish wool Barróg Beasties. The first ones to hop in the box were a pair of Tae (not a typo!) Beasties, each clutching a mug of deeeelicious hot, strong tea!
Tae (Tea) Beasties, by CrawCrafts Beasties
Next up, a pair of Redhead Beasties, with matching fiery tresses and tweed scarves!
Redhead Beasties, by CrawCrafts BeastiesFor 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!
Hurling Beasties, by CrawCrafts Beasties
Now, we’re all used to hearing that winter is coming… And from what I hear, winter in New Jersey hits a lot harder than it does here in Ireland! At least these two Aran Beasties are wrapped up and ready for whatever the weather throws at them!
Aran Beasties, by CrawCrafts Beasties
And for anyone who’d rather curl up by the fire with a good book…
Leabhar (Book) Beastie, by CrawCrafts Beasties
Finally, I added a new face to these tried-and-true favourites – meet Luck O’the Irish Beastie, who set sail with a big bunch of shamrocks! It’s probably thanks to him that everyone made it across the Atlantic safely.
Luck O'the Irish Beastie, with Shamrocks - CrawCrafts Beasties
Oh, and I couldn’t resist cramming ALL the Beasties together in the teeny photo studio for some happy snappies before they left!
Barróg Beastie Group Photo - CrawCrafts Beasties
As you can see, Beasties are just like people – it’s impossible to get them all looking at the camera for a group picture.

So, if you find yourself in Glen Rock sometime soon, do swing by Carrick Mór and say hello to this happy band of explorers! And for anyone closer to our home here in Dublin…
RMDS_Craft Fair Ranelagh Dublin November 2017
I’ve been a regular at this market over the last few years, and I’m looking forward to joining them again this weekend! If you’re in the area, rock on up and say hello… We’d love to see you!

Right, I’d better get back to it… I have a houseful of Beasties clamouring for accessories, and only three days left to make them! Have a super week, everybody!