Tag: Irish Wool

Redhead Beastie among the flowers - CrawCrafts Beasties

Sweater Weather

Posted on by crawcraftsbeasties in Knitted Beasties

The Irish summer isn’t exactly known for its scorching temperatures and dazzling sunshine. In fact, sometimes you’d be forgiven for thinking it was already mid-October. But even so, these last few days, it’s felt like the season is turning – the breezes are cooler, and the sun is showing its face a little later in the morning, and turning in a little earlier every evening.

But that’s okay, because that means that sweater season is just around the corner… And as a knitter, I’m excited that my favourite woollies are nearly ready to be hauled out of storage and paraded around the town again!

However, it appears I’m not the only one who’s looking forward to chilly days and cosy knits! Some sweater-loving Beasties have been out and about a little early too!
Summer Flowers, Sweater Beastie - CrawCrafts BeastiesThe summery mallow flowers might be in full bloom, but Woolly Jumper Beastie loves her stylish purple sweater too much to take it off! Still, it’s actually a pretty good piece of kit for an active, adventurous Beastie – its natty top-down construction keeps seam bulk to a minimum and gives her plenty of wiggle room!

And doesn’t that purple match this plant’s flowers perfectly?
Purple Sweater, Purple Flowers! CrawCrafts BeastiesAnd this isn’t the only Beastie in the garden today… Who’s that hiding in the undergrowth?
Redhead Beastie, by CrawCrafts BeastiesHey there, Redhead Beastie! She’s a Barróg Beastie (one made with 100% Irish wool), which might explain why she’s drawn to all that greenery!
Redhead Barróg Beastie, by CrawCrafts Beasties
In keeping with her Celtic roots, she’s sporting an Aran-style sweater, also made from Irish wool yarn! And check out her hair – I really must find out what products she’s using to get all that wonderful VOLUME!

Redhead Beastie also wanted a picture with the mallow flowers, so I was happy to give her a lift and save her the long climb up from ground level!
Redhead Beastie among the flowers - CrawCrafts BeastiesToo pretty!

I’m glad these Beasties are so taken with their outfits… Believe me, there was much anticipation as I was getting them ready!

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You can find out more about these two Beasties by checking out the links below!
Woolly Jumper Beastie
Redhead Beastie

Do you have a favourite? Or are there any new Beasties you’d like to see landing over the next couple of weeks? Let me know in the comments!

Speaking of comments, an eagle-eyed reader (thanks, Tammie!) has pointed out to me that since I changed up the BeastieBlog a couple of weeks back, it’s no longer possible to comment on my posts from the WordPress Reader. I’ve checked with WordPress, and this is actually a technical glitch in their system, rather than a dictatorial attempt on my part to silence critics of the Beastie regime. I still love getting feedback from you all, and you can still leave it – you’ll just need to view the site online, rather than visiting through Reader. There’s also an option on the site to sign up and receive post notifications by email, so you’ll never miss an update again!

We’ll be back next Tuesday with another Paddy and Plunkett escapade – I wonder where they’ll be popping up this time? See you then!

Beasties, Bears, and Other Venetian Creatures

Posted on by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family

Hey there everybody! And happy Tuesday!
I’m doing a little bit of reblogging today… Well, how could I not share this? It seems like long-time BeastieBuddy Tammie Painter’s little knitted tearaway, Finn McSpool, has been out enjoying the sights and sounds of quirky Veneta, Oregon… And luckily Tammie was there to take pictures! Thanks to her, you’ll all be getting a double helping of BeastieBlog this week… I’ll be back on Friday to share some of my current bloggy favourites.
In the meantime, take it away, Tammie!
(Oh, and if you’re in the Portland, OR area, don’t forget to swing by her latest art show, in West Linn Lutheran Church Creative Spirits Gallery! Find full details on her blog)

https://tammiepainter.com/2017/07/08/beasties-bears-and-other-venetian-creatures/

TammiePainter's avatarTammie Painter

As you may know, earlier this week was Independence Day in the U.S.. Due to my disgust and embarrassment with our horrible excuse for a president, I had no intention of celebrating the holiday, but I did manage a little getaway during the long weekend since my dad invited me to the wild and crazy town of Veneta, Oregon.

Okay, Veneta (not to be confused with the region of Italy called the Veneto) isn’t really all that exciting, but it’s where my dad has set up camp in his RV for the time being and the tiny town has some fancy new lodgings he wanted me to try out. So, with invitation and reservation in hand, Mr. Husband and I headed south. And of course, Finn had no intention of being left behind.

We spotted our first bit of excitement while cruising down I-5. A bear sighting! And not just…

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Traces of Days Gone By

Posted on by crawcraftsbeasties in Knitted Beasties, Paddy and Plunkett

I really wasn’t sure what I was going to write about today. I have a lot of things on the go at the minute, but none of them are at a newsworthy stage yet, so this morning found me (only a little desperately) trawling through my copious Beastie photo archive, plus ALL my emails, in the hope of finding some pictures that I haven’t used before.

But the good news is that my search wasn’t in vain! What are the chances?! I found a series of lost Paddy and Plunkett pics from an adventure they had last spring, at a time when I was super-busy. I had kept them back for future use, and then forgotten about them (sorry lads)… Until today! Let’s take a trip into the past, shall we?
Paddy and Plunkett, A Blast From the Past - H Crawford/CrawCrafts BeastiesAnd perhaps in more ways than one…
“Hey Plunkett, where are we? And what’s with the coins stuck in the tree?”
Coins in the Tree - H Crawford/CrawCrafts Beasties“Glad you asked, Paddy. See that water down there? We’re at an ancient holy well!”
Paddy Examines the Holy Well - H Crawford/CrawCrafts Beasties“Oooooh!”

There are hundreds of holy wells dotted all over the island of Ireland. And while some of them are marked with big, glitzy shrines decorated with flowers, statues and religious trinkets, many of them are so simple you’d hardly notice them. They’re often found in wild, remote places… like this one, tucked away in the corner of an ancient forest.
Holy Well near Limavady, Northern Ireland - H Crawford/CrawCrafts BeastiesLike many holy wells, the water here is said to have healing properties. In fact, some wells are specialists, offering relief from dental problems, diseases of the eye, back pain, digestive trouble… You name it, there’s probably a well for it! This one was allegedly used by St Colmcille (also known as St Columba), an Irish abbot from the 6th century who brought Christianity to what is now Scotland. The sign beside the well says he “performed many acts of healing” here, although it doesn’t take a stance on whether he or the water deserves the credit!

Further down the road is another well. This one is a specialist… in the treatment of warts!
Rag Trees at the Holy Well - H Crawford/CrawCrafts BeastiesThe rags in the tree branches are tied there as part of the cure. As the fabric rots away, your troublesome wart should also magically vanish. But before you start thinking this is an especially warty part of the country, don’t worry! The rags can also signify a request for help, which will be answered once the cloth has disintegrated. The well itself is just underneath the trees, bubbling up from this moss-covered boulder.
Paddy and Plunkett at the Well, Dungiven Priory - H Crawford/CrawCrafts BeastiesAfter this, the boys had time for one more well before they headed home for dinner. St Aidan’s Well seems more formal than the first two, and is associated with nearby St Aidan’s church.
Beasties at St Aidan's Well - H Crawford/CrawCrafts BeastiesAlthough St Aidan’s (formerly St Caden’s, after a follower of St Patrick) has been the site of a church since the 13th century, the well has been in use much longer and suggests that the area had spiritual significance back in pre-Christian times too. In fact, although most wells are now associated with a Christian saint, it’s thought that these places were considered sacred or significant long before Christianity arrived on these shores.

I think that definitely makes them worth a closer look, don’t you?
Paddy and Plunkett Take A Closer Look at St Aidan's Well - H Crawford/CrawCrafts BeastiesAre there any interesting ancient places near you? Tell us all about them in the comments!

And as usual, we’ll be back next week – hopefully with at least one finished monster project to share! See you then…

Paddy and Plunkett have a Picnic - H Crawford/CrawCrafts Beasties

Happy St Patrick’s Day!

Posted on by crawcraftsbeasties in Flashback Friday, Knitted Beasties

Everyone’s Irish today… Or so I hear! And I thought this might be a nice excuse to revisit some of my favourite Barróg Beastie* pics from the past year. But, for a little bit of Paddy’s Day fun, it’s up to you to decide who is the most Irish Irish Beastie of them all – let me know in the comments!

*For those of you who are new to Beastie-spotting, a Barróg Beastie is one knitted from 100% Irish wool. They can be identified by their slightly smaller stature, and more typically Irish accessories! Oh, and that word “barróg”? That’s Irish for “hug”!
Beastie at the Breakfast Table - CrawCrafts BeastiesFry-Up Beastie can’t wait to tuck into his full Irish breakfast. I’m not surprised – YUM!

Red Ale Beastie's Pint, by CrawCrafts BeastiesSláinte! Toast this most festive of days with Red Ale Beastie – I’ll drink to that!

Redhead Beastie, by CrawCrafts BeastiesEnjoy the sunny spring weather with Redhead Beastie…

Leabhar (Book) Barrog Beastie, by CrawCrafts Beasties… Or relax with a good book, like Finn McSpool here!

And if you just can’t decide, your last option is a two-for-one deal… Adventurous duo Paddy and Plunkett!
Beach Beasties Frame 3 - CrawCrafts BeastiesWherever you are, however you’re celebrating, have a very happy St Patrick’s Day! Cheers!

Getting Around to Knit!

Posted on by crawcraftsbeasties in Commissions, Crafting, Knitted Beasties

Well lookee here! It’s Tuesday again, and in keeping with BeastieBlog tradition, I’ve some new Beasties for you to meet today – although I think a few of you might already have caught these two little lady monsters on social media over the weekend…
Beasties for the Olann And Girls, by CrawCrafts Beasties… But this is your chance to get a proper, close-up look at them! As you can see, they are both keen knitters – and even though they’re working on quite different projects, they like nothing better than meeting up and comparing knit notes!
Monster Knitting - CrawCrafts BeastiesThis pair have gone to live with a pair of fellow enthusiasts of all things yarny – Deirdre and Lora, from Irish craft magazine Olann And!

Lora and Deirdre - Image borrowed from www.olannand.ie
(Image borrowed from http://www.olannand.ie)

Deirdre thought it might be fun to have a pair of Beastie counterparts to share the work of writing and editing this quarterly magazine… So let’s meet her new monster friend first!
Deirdre Beastie, by CrawCrafts BeastiesHer favourite colour is pink, so of course Deirdre Beastie had to be pink too… and she’s working away on a rather lovely bubblegum-coloured chunky knit there as well! Also, her cosy cowl is modelled on one of Deirdre’s own recent projects…
Deirdre Beastie's Stripey Cowl, by CrawCrafts Beasties… And a quick scan of some of Olann And’s recent podcasts helped me to design her sweet little polka-dot dress!
Deirdre Beastie's Dress, by CrawCrafts BeastiesAs for Lora… Well, she’s more into her blue. As you can probably tell!
Lora Beastie, by CrawCrafts BeastiesHer new Beastie friend is also sporting miniature versions of her trademark tortoiseshell glasses and Madonna piercing!
Lora Beastie's Glasses and Lip Piercing - CrawCrafts BeastiesAnd Deirdre Beastie isn’t the only one to be wearing one of her latest knitted masterpieces! Check out Lora Beastie’s glorious cherry-red cardigan, inspired by one of human Lora’s recent makes…
Lora Beastie's Cardi - CrawCrafts BeastiesBut the best part of this project was watching Deirdre and Lora meet their Beasties for the first time… And fortunately, they caught it on camera! Here’s the link to Episode 10 of the Olann And Podcast, in case you missed it!

(For the sake of my non-crafty readers, I’ve set the video to start from the beginning of the Beastie segment. But I’d recommend my fellow knitters, sewists and crocheters to ping it back and watch the whole thing – you’ll find lots to enjoy and inspire you here!)

I can’t wait to see what yarny adventures await these two Beasties in their new homes! And be sure to tune back in next week to meet another new monster friend… In the meantime, why not check out Olann And’s latest issue? This time around, they’re featuring some awesome (and FREE!) patterns, sharing some locally-made goodies and dipping a toe into the world of embroidery – all on their spiffy new-look website!

Have a great week, everybody!

Beastie Meets Beasties at the Oregon Zoo

Posted on by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family

Wow, it’s been a busy week here in Beastie Towers… AGAIN!
Fortunately, not all of the global Beastie family are entangled in Christmas market preparations. So today I’m going to leave you in the capable hands (and paws) of Tammie and her mischievous monster companion Finn McSpool, as they have some close encounters with the residents of Oregon Zoo. Enjoy!

TammiePainter's avatarTammie Painter

I know I promised a continuation of my tales from Orvieto for today’s post, but I thought I’d take a little break from the Italian adventures and share a recent outing that’s a little more local.

As you know, Finn McSpool recently moved to the U.S. from Ireland (although he’s thinking about packing his bags and returning after learning the results of our latest election). He’s done a little local exploring to Portland’s Japanese Garden, but this week was his first trip to see some local beasties at the Oregon Zoo. Late November may not be the best weather for wandering around a zoo, but Mr. Husband and I discovered a few years ago that on the Monday after Thanksgiving, you pretty much have the place to yourself.

I know many people hate zoos and think they’re cruel, but the Oregon Zoo is an outstanding steward for animal, environmental, and ecological issues, including…

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Paddy Scales the Walls - H Crawford/CrawCrafts Beasties

Paddy and Plunkett Rock Out!

Posted on by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Paddy and Plunkett

All the leaves are brown… and the sky certainly is grey here in Dublin today! But it seems like not all Beasties are reaching for their hats and scarves, or bedding down on the sofa to rewatch “The Muppet Christmas Carol”.

Not Paddy and Plunkett, anyway… They’re still on holiday in Lanzarote!
Rock On, Paddy and Plunkett! H Crawford/CrawCrafts BeastiesToday, their wandering paws have brought them to a part of the island that’s all rocks. Paddy’s not impressed – he had his fuzzy little heart set on building sandcastles. But Plunkett is in his element!
Plunkett and the Walls - H Crawford/CrawCrafts BeastiesThese local rocks are ideal for making stone walls, and Plunkett is determined to examine all of them!
Plunkett and the Walls - H Crawford/CrawCrafts BeastiesThis is starting to remind Paddy a lot of their trip to Arundel Castle, back in the summer!

Some of these walls even deserve a closer look…
Plunkett, with a Particularly Interesting Specimen - H Crawford/CrawCrafts Beasties…And at least that’s something Paddy can enjoy!
Paddy Scales the Walls - H Crawford/CrawCrafts BeastiesBy the end of the day, I reckon he’d even forgotten about those sandcastles!
Paddy, Plunkett and the Pebbles - H Crawford/CrawCrafts BeastiesWhere would you like to be spending this wintry Tuesday? Let us know in the comments!

Aaaaand don’t forget to pick up your Beastie calendar, while they’re still hot! A mere €12 each, with free postage within Ireland, or €3 to anywhere else*. Get in touch to reserve yours!

*These rates are for one calendar – larger orders might cost a little more!
Get Your Beastie Calendars! CrawCrafts Beasties

Paddy and Plunkett, Livin’ it up in Lanzarote!

Posted on by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Paddy and Plunkett

After last week’s post, some eagle-eyed readers were able to figure out that Paddy and Plunkett are currently enjoying a bit of winter (or late autumn!) sun in Lanzarote, one of the Canary Islands. Lucky them! Shall we see where their wandering paws have taken them this week?

It seems like they’ve been making friends with some more of the locals, for starters!
Paddy and Plunkett make another new friend - H Crawford/CrawCrafts BeastiesHaving spent a lot of the early part of their stay enjoying the delights of the hotel they’d snuck into, this week they decided to venture further afield.

“Come on Plunkett, let’s head for the hills!”
Paddy and Plunkett go for a Trek - H Crawford/CrawCrafts BeastiesPaddy – full of beans as usual – was keen to see the island from the top of this mountain. All the more so after he found out that it used to be…
Paddy and Plunkett go for a Trek - H Crawford/CrawCrafts Beasties…A VOLCANO!

Plunkett was a little less enthused at the prospect of encountering pyroclastic flow and rivers of red-hot lava – he hid behind the sofa when we were checking out Grim Reaper Beastie’s last set of travel pics – but once we’d confirmed that it’s a looooong time since this volcano last erupted, he was happy enough to continue with the climb.

Well, as long as there were frequent stops to admire the view, of course…
The View from the Volcano - H Crawford/CrawCrafts Beasties“Are we nearly there yet, Paddy?”

“Almost… Just around the next corner!”
Volcano View - H Crawford/CrawCrafts Beasties“Woooooooah! Look at that!”

Mind you, it was pretty breezy on the edge of the crater, so the boys didn’t stay long. On their way back down to sea level, Paddy spotted their next destination – he was all for making tracks to visit that lighthouse, way off in the distance!
Next Stop, Lighthouse! H Crawford/CrawCrafts BeastiesHowever, Plunkett put his paw down.

“We’re supposed to be on holiday!”
Paddy and Plunkett Catch Some Rays - H Crawford/CrawCrafts BeastiesAnd it turns out that it was surprisingly easy to win Paddy over to catching a few late-afternoon rays!

We’ll be back with more monster madness on Tuesday. In the meantime, have a great weekend… And Dubliners, don’t forget that you can catch us at the Creative Collective Ireland Craft Fair in Ranelagh this Saturday and Sunday!
Creative Collective Poster - Creative Collective Ireland/CrawCrafts Beasties

Paddy and Plunkett's New Buddy - H Crawford/CrawCrafts Beasties

On The Road Again With Paddy and Plunkett!

Posted on by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Paddy and Plunkett

It’s been a while since we last checked in with Paddy and Plunkett… But after hearing from Grim Reaper Beastie and Fairy Princess Beastie over the last couple of weeks, I reckoned it was only a matter of time before the boys got in touch as well! I wonder where they are?

It seems like their latest adventure got off to an early start, anyway – here’s Paddy up and dressed before the sun is fully over the horizon!
Paddy Greets the Dawn - H Crawford/CrawCrafts BeastiesIsn’t that sunrise spectacular? Now, time to explore the hotel!

Woooooah, that’s a lot of stairs to climb! Let’s hope the breakfast buffet is worth it…
Paddy and Plunkett, Stairmasters - H Crawford/CrawCrafts BeastiesNearly there! Note the curious human onlookers at the top, too… Honestly, you’d think they’d never seen a Beastie before.
Paddy and Plunkett Take on the Stairs - H Crawford/CrawCrafts BeastiesAfter stocking up on breakfast goodies – and filling Plunkett’s waistcoat pockets with extra snacks for later -the boys had every intention of hitting the beach. But then they found this!
A Private Beach! H Crawford/CrawCrafts BeastiesSurely that’s just a wine glass with a plant in it? Nope, think again – it’s a private Beastie beach for one!

But the lads didn’t loaf around for long. After taking a refreshing siesta, they headed out into the neighbourhood… And discovered that perhaps they weren’t as far from home as they first thought!
A Place Like Home - H Crawford/CrawCrafts BeastiesThey also bumped into some of the locals. This guy wasn’t particularly chatty…
Meeting the Locals... Sort of. H Crawford/CrawCrafts Beasties…But it wasn’t long before they made a new friend!
Holiday Friends - H Crawford/CrawCrafts BeastiesCan anyone figure out where they are? If any of this looks familiar, let me know in the comments! Otherwise, we’ll have to wait until next Friday to find out more…

Hope you all have a fun weekend! We’ll be back on Tuesday with a new Beastie friend for you all to meet… See you then!

Beer Drinkin' Barcelona Beastie, by CrawCrafts Beasties

Bon Voyage, Beastie!

Posted on by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Commissions, Knitted Beasties

Hooray! It’s new Beastie time again… Although today I will be taking a surprise break from the Famous Monsters theme of the last couple of weeks. I’ve been struck down by one of the delightful plagues that’s been doing the rounds lately, so I’ve spent the last few days binge-watching “The Killing” on Netflix and… um… precious little else. Fortunately I got this little monster completed before I buried myself under a heap of blankets on the sofa! He also headed off to his new home in sunny Barcelona this morning (lucky thing!) so what better time to introduce him to you all?
Beer Drinkin' Barcelona Beastie, by CrawCrafts BeastiesWhy hello there!

A friend of mine, who has been living in Dublin these last couple of years, decided recently that it was time to head back home to Spain… Well, who can blame him? I’m sure most of us would choose sipping Sangria by the beach over battling through the wind and rain on a dark November morning! But he did want to take home a reminder of his time in Ireland, and so he requested a special little monster Mini-Me!

So, this guy is made from 100% Irish wool… and of course, he had to be green!
A Green Irish Monster - Obviously! CrawCrafts BeastiesHis lustrous locks are made from a different yarn, though… a wool and alpaca blend, so they’re super-soft!

My friend also discovered the joys of a good IPA while he was living here, so his Beastie buddy was obviously going to get one of those, too!
Beastie IPA, by CrawCrafts BeastiesYUM!

Then to complete his look, I kitted this little woolly monster out in the style of his new human friend – a sharp-looking shirt, hoodie and jacket combo!
Looking Good, Beastie! CrawCrafts BeastiesLook, he can even wear his hood up… Although I’m sure he won’t need that so much where he’s going!

I can’t wait to see how he gets on in his new home in Barcelona! Good luck, Beastie!
Cheers! CrawCrafts Beasties“Cheers!”

And it’s a surprisingly good time for Beastie travel at the moment – drop back in on Friday, when we’ll have an update from a Beastie abroad! See you then!