knitting – Page 13

A Very Beastie Birthday!

Posted on March 15, 2016June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Knitted Beasties

I celebrated a birthday over the weekend, and I got some very special greetings from a pair of adventurous little monsters! It seems they are still speaking, despite the hiccup at the end of their last holiday… What a relief!

Anyway, I wanted to share their birthday greetings with you… and experiment with a new format. Let me know what you think in the comments!

Awwww, you guys!

Hope you all had a great weekend, too! We’ll be back on Friday to share another Dublin treasure with you… Provided Explorer Beastie doesn’t party too hard on St Patrick’s Day, of course!

Sitting Beastie, Made for S Twist Wool - CrawCrafts Beasties

A Busy Beastie Month!

Posted on March 1, 2016June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Crafting, Knitted Beasties

I don’t know about you, but February has just zipped by for me and the Beasties!

A lot of this was down to the fact that I’ve been focussing on just being a Maker of Monsters this past month. I took the plunge, and booked time off from Other Work to take care of some Beastie business that’s been sitting on my to-do list for far too long. So, I’ve already shared my new improved workspace and spruced-up home on the internet… But what else have I been up to?

Well, for starters, I’ve been collaborating with a spinner! I met Diarmuid from S Twist Wool at one of my pre-Christmas markets, and I jumped at the chance to create a very special Beastie for him using his own range of yarns. Of course, Explorer Beastie was on hand to help me choose which wool to use for the project…
… And now here’s the newest member of the Beastie family, hot off the needles!
Diarmuid dyed the chunky 2-ply yarn in blue and purple especially for this Beastie, and I used S Twist’s sock yarn in Tiger for his lovely red hair, and Juniper for his traditional Aran-style sweater.
I was also able to use natural sheep’s fleece as stuffing instead of my usual polyfill! And since S Twist Beastie has been recruited to help out with the business, it seemed only fair to get him started with the spinning straight away… so I made him a Beastie-sized drop spindle!
And now he’s ready to get to work!
But wait… There’s more to this Beastie than meets the eye!
No, your mind isn’t playing tricks on you! Beastie-volution has taken another leap forward… And this little monster has BONES! That means he can wave, dance a jig, or sit down to do his spinning!

And believe me, this extra flexibility is going to come in handy in his new job. Because Diarmuid sources his wool locally (it all comes from farms in Kilkenny and Tipperary), and prepares, spins and dyes it himself, there’s always plenty of work to do!

I’m really looking forward to seeing how S Twist Beastie gets on in his new career as a master spinner! They also have plans to attend several shows across Ireland and the UK over the coming months… If you get a chance, why not pop along and say hello? You can keep up with all the latest news from S Twist on Facebook or Twitter!

It’s always exciting to try out new methods and materials, so this collaboration couldn’t have come at a better time. And we’re not done yet with the Beastie R&D either!
February was the month where I finally broke the ice with my sewing machine, and now we’re working together on some exciting new projects. But they’re not quite ready yet, so you’ll have to stay tuned to find out what monster-making mayhem we have in the pipeline… In the meantime, there will be Beastie antics aplenty, starting with a special travel feature from Explorer Beastie on Friday. See you then!

Christening Beastie Extreme Closeup - CrawCrafts Beasties

Beastie Beginnings

Posted on February 23, 2016June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Commissions, Info, Knitted Beasties

Looking out my window this morning, I could really believe that Spring is finally here! The sun is shining, the sky is blue and I can almost convince myself that there are buds on the trees. So, I reckon it’s the perfect day to introduce you to the first Beastie of the new season!

Please give a warm BeastieBlog welcome to this super-special Christening Beastie!
Christening Beastie is one of my Big Beasties. They’re always fun to make – bigger Beasties means more knitting time for me, hooray!

Then to make this sweet little girl monster even more special, I gave her some lovely soft hair…
… A pretty silver and pink dress…
…And sparkly silver stripey legs!
Christening Beastie was joining her new family just in time to celebrate her soon-to-be-BeastieBuddy Mila Kate’s christening – what a coincidence, eh? So to make sure she looked the part, I added some reminders of the day for Mila to enjoy when she’s a bit older.

First of all, a pair of cute felt angel wings and hearts embroidered with her christening date…
…And then a heart-shaped pillow embroidered with her name!
The ribbon loops mean that this Beastie can put the pillow down if she gets tired of holding it… and then she’ll be better able to play with Mila too!

Thank so much to Louise for requesting this special Beastie, and to Izzy for helping with the colour choices and design!

And while we’re on the subject of new beginnings, a few of you may have noticed that I’ve been monkeying around with the BeastieBlog over the last few days, and it now looks quite different when you view it online! However, I realise that a lot of people (myself included) do the bulk of their blog reading through the WordPress app, so these earth-shattering changes may well have passed you by. So if you have a second, please go and check it out… It’s still very much a work in progess, and I’d love to hear what you all think!

And that’s not all that’s been going on behind the scenes recently! I’ll have more monster news for you this time next week… And be sure to drop back in on Friday, when we’ll be visiting some Beastie friends of mine in Italy!

Vintage Singer Sewing Machine - CrawCrafts Beasties

Welcome to Beastie Towers!

Posted on February 16, 2016June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Crafting, Ideas

Yes, I know Tuesday is supposed to be New Beastie Day. But I thought it might be fun to mix things up a little… Plus I just spent a sizeable chunk of last week moving all my crafting goodies in here:

Behold, the Beastie Towers CCC (Crafting Command Centre)! Everything is so tidy and organised – probably for the first time since about 2013, when I was working entirely out of that clear plastic tub in the bottom left of the photo! And it wasn’t long before the Beasties came over to have a poke around…

…It looks like they’ve given it their seal of approval, anyway!

Although I can’t help but feel that there has to be an easier way for them to check the calendar…

All this extra space means that my sewing machine has finally been liberated from storage! Check it out – it’s a Singer one from the late 1960s. Can you believe someone was going to throw this away?

It’s been a while, so I’ve had to spend a bit of time this week reminding myself how to use it! Well, once Explorer Beastie had checked it over for me, of course.

And now that my various boxes, tins and bags have a home in the CCC, it frees up my crafting table for stuff like this:

As it happens, I’ve been doing a lot of sketching lately. For every commission, I sketch out my ideas first so people know what their Beastie will look like before I reach for my knitting needles. Here’s my latest project, which entered the Design Phase last week…

I also got around to tackling Tammie Painter’s second Sketchbook Saturday prompt! The theme last week was “Home”, so I used some old photos and a liberal dose of imagination to do some sketches of my childhood home. I did get a bit carried away with it… but since it was either that or back up my list of Beastie ID numbers, you can probably understand why.

Oh, and while we’re poking around in the library – let’s take a peek inside those notebooks again, shall we?
I always have a knitting notebook on the go. I use them to record which yarns I’ve used for projects…

Yarns From My First Beastie - CrawCrafts Beasties — Yarns From My First Beastie

Ingredients for a Crablet - CrawCrafts Beasties — Ingredients for a Crablet

…Essential knitting know-how…

… Less essential non-knitting notes…

Shopping List - CrawCrafts Beasties — Shopping List

Mitten Thumbs and Cookie Recipes - CrawCrafts Beasties — Mitten Thumbs and Cookie Recipes

…Ideas and designs…

Doodles for Garcia Beastie - CrawCrafts Beasties — Doodles for Garcia Beastie

Bumblebee Dress - CrawCrafts Beasties — Bumblebee Dress

…And complete, total, unapologetic failures.

I really enjoyed looking back through my old notebooks – hopefully you did too! And if any of you keep notebooks or journals of your craft, art or interests, tell me all about it in the comments!

We’ll be back on Friday with more from Paddy and Plunkett… See you then!

Paddy and Plunkett on Holiday - H Crawford/CrawCrafts Beasties

Fun in the Winter Sun, Part One!

Posted on February 12, 2016June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family

It’s been a while since we heard from Paddy and Plunkett, and now I can reveal why… These two intrepid Beasties, clever little monsters that they are, decided to head south to escape the rather grey and gloomy winter we’ve been having! Like I always say, it’s pretty easy for a Beastie to sneak aboard a suitcase or stow away in a handbag… after that, it’s just a case of choosing where they want to go.

And this time, it was destination Gran Canaria! A bit of sun, sea and sand always helps the Northern winter pass a little more quickly. The boys made landfall after sunset…
… And made sure they got an early night, so they could make the most of…

…The breakfast buffet!

Recipe for a healthy Beastie: One bowl of cereal with fruit juice, then a big ol’ Full Irish, and then…
… Hit the baked goods!

“Hey Plunkett, grab me a few of those Beastie-sized doughnuts from the basket in the middle, would you?”

Next, feeling pleasantly full (but having effectively bankrupted the hotel restaurant), the boys headed out to explore! First, they found a giant sundial… A much more useful thing here than at home in Ireland!
(Loving the sunglasses, lads!)

Then, a jaunt on a penny farthing bicycle!

“Gaaaaaah! Paddy! Why do I always let you drive?!”
And now, a quick cup of coffee – just to keep their strength up.
It’s also a good opportunity to check out the photos they’ve taken!
So far, so good… But it’s not the whole story! Be sure to drop back in next week for the second instalment! See you then…

Beast-Skis!

Posted on January 29, 2016June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family

It’s been a while since we’ve checked in with Garcia Beastie… so I couldn’t have been happier to get a (virtual) postcard from his post-Christmas ski trip, complete with photos!

This little monster loves an adventure in the great outdoors – it’s the perfect chance to take a break from the hectic life he leads in London. So, let’s hit the slopes!

One of the best things about being a Beastie is that it’s easy to hitch a lift to wherever you need to go.

But maybe you should rent some gear of your own, Garcia Beastie.

“Um, you wouldn’t have any Beastie-sized skis, would you?”

Much better.

Wheeeeeeee! Time to show those humans how it’s done…

… Or not.

Still, dinner will help him to thaw out…

…And then there’s the après ski to look forward to!

Oh, and at the end of the night, you can take a sparkly reindeer taxi home. It’s lucky someone was there to take a photo – this is the kind of story people don’t believe when you tell them the next day…

All in all, a successful trip! Thanks to Suzanne for sharing the photos!

What are you up to for the weekend? Let us know in the comments! We’ll be back next week with more new Beasties on Tuesday, and another day out with Explorer Beastie on Friday… see you then!

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 🙂

Live and Let Dive

Posted on January 12, 2016June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Commissions, Knitted Beasties

Time for another new Beastie! Can anyone guess what type of woolly monster we’re meeting today?

Ta-daaaaaah! It’s more than a year since I made my first Diver Beastie, and it seems he made quite the impression on a fellow traveller when he visited Iceland and Greenland a few months ago! It was so exciting to get a commission like this out of the blue, and thanks to some expert guidance, I was able to tailor this Beastie to match her new dive buddy’s gear as closely as possible! Let’s take a look, shall we?

Like all Diver Beasties, this one lives in her wetsuit! She’s also got a weight belt, which goes on before all her scuba gear…

…And the rest of her underwater wardrobe!

This includes her dive hood…
…Computer…

…And, of course, her fins!

Then it’s time to put on her breathing apparatus, which includes a tank, BCD (buoyancy control device), two regulators (one as a backup, just in case), air gauge and mask!

Ready to go!

Unfortunately, diving opportunities are few and far between in central Dublin in the dead of winter… so rather than have Diver Beastie all dressed up with nowhere to go, I set her down in front of an episode of “The Blue Planet”. Hopefully this will tide her over until her first real dive!

I’ll have another new Beastie friend for you next week – and don’t forget to stop by on Friday to find out where Grim Reaper Beastie spent Christmas!

A Cheerful Start To The New Year…

Posted on January 5, 2016June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Commissions, Knitted Beasties

Yippeeeeee! It’s new Beastie time! And since I’m sure I’m not the only one who is still trying to get used to the transition from the old year to the new (anyone else out there steadfastly continuing to write 2015 dates on things? Because I am), who better to sweep away the clinging cobwebs of last year than…

GRIM REAPER BEASTIE!

With his sweet smile, woolly paws and little monster ears poking out through the hood of his robe, he is possibly the least grim Grim Reaper ever!
He’ll use his felt scythe to clear away the clutter of the year that was, and make space for the new, better year that will be. Oh, and his felt hourglass will help him keep an eye on the time for us all, too.

He can also embrace a more casual look, if it’s called for…

…But it’s getting colder outside, so he might be better off leaving his hood up, at least for the moment.

Before Grim Reaper Beastie headed off to his new home in Germany, I took him out for a walk in one of my favourite Dublin parks. Iveagh Gardens is right in the city centre, but with its high walls and hidden entrances, you really need to know where to look if you want to find it! The crumbling statues and stonework give it a real “Secret Garden” feel…

…While the evergreen-shaded pathways make for some great spooky photos!

And what’s that down there?

Yes, it’s a miniature hedge maze! The sundial at the centre is supposed to be very accurate – unfortunately a sundial in Ireland isn’t really the best way to keep time!

As the winter daylight faded, it was time to head back to Beastie Towers, and ready Grim Reaper Beastie for his onward journey. Apparently he’s settling in well in his new home!

More new Beasties next week… until then I’m going to sit down and practice writing “2016” on everything. I’m sure I’ll get the message by February…

PS Drop in again on Friday for our first “Explorer Beastie’s Dublin” post! I’m not sure where we’re going yet, but he’s assured me he has a plan!

Piemaker Beasties Get to Work!

Posted on December 8, 2015June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family

Wow… Looking at this picture, it really seems like a very long time since I sent these two off to their new home in the UK! Check out how green everything is outside!

Anyway, despite the pre-Christmas rush, the Piemaker Beastie Girls have found some time to send me a couple of photos of themselves. They’re working hard for fellow pie enthusiasts Farmhouse Direct…

… Or so they say. To me, it looks like they’re gadding about in a pie-filled wonderland!

While one Beastie poses next to a mountain of pies stacked as high as her head, the other is lounging around on a gigantic pastry-based sofa… YUM!

OK ladies, breaktime’s over! Time to show off the human-sized pies that inspired the Beastie versions I made for you…

…And tell everybody about the special offers!

That’s better. All in a day’s work for these two!

Thanks to Suzanne for taking these photos – I always love getting updates from Beasties abroad. And now I think it’s time for lunch! I could really go for a pie today, for some reason… See you all next time!

	tierneycreates: a fu… on We Wish You A Merry Beast…
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	The Hidden Spain on (Mer)Made Just for You!