Did you know that, according to the Celtic calendar, Spring in Ireland begins at the start of February? Most of the time, it doesn’t feel particularly Spring-like until well into March (especially last year!) but 2019 has been so mild. Explorer Beastie’s miniature daffodils have been blooming for a couple of weeks already!
And with the warming temperatures and gradually lengthening days, activity levels have been picking up a little too! Today I wanted to share some of the extra-curricular activities that have been keeping me and the Beasties busy this past while.
A Spring Clean… For My Skills!
Aaaah, the sewing machine! My old nemesis. For too long, your ways have eluded me… In fact, slow as it is to stitch seams by hand, it has often seemed quicker than the usual sew it-rip it-resew it-rip it process that usually accompanies a stint on the machine.
But this year, I decided enough was enough. Let’s master those sewing machine demons! So I signed up for a class with The City Seamstress. I’ve already picked up some valuable tips that have made my work better (and helped my confidence, too) and right now I’m working on a project which is neeeearly finished, so I should hopefully be able to share pics very soon!
And as well as learning, I’ve been teaching too! January was a really busy time for my knitting classes – it’s like half of Dublin decided to put “learn to knit” at the top of their New Year’s Resolutions list! This spurred me on to tackle something I’ve been meaning to do for a while… Make up a really easy sweater pattern.
You see, a lot of students want to take on the challenge of making a jumper quite early on… But even the simplest-looking designs often have next-level knitting skills lurking in the pattern. And while some new knitters thrive on being thrown in at the deep end, more than a few are put off by the idea of fancy shaping techniques, decorative seams and the alphabet soup of abbreviations that crop up in many “beginner” patterns.
So, what you see in the picture is sleeve #2 of an almost-finished sweater of… Just rectangles! And yes, the design is probably far from original, but this version is mine! That makes it easier to guide people through all the pre-knitting preparations, like sizing and choosing yarn, and also to suggest tweaks if anyone wants to put their own stamp on it.
Also, I get a new sweater.
But it can’t be all work and no play, of course. There has to be time for a…
Spring Breaaaaaaaak!
That means a quick trip out to Donegal with my brother, now pretty much a February tradition. This is the third year we’ve hit the road and headed about as far north-west as it’s possible to go in Ireland without falling into the sea. You can catch up with the epic 2017 and 2018 travelogues if you missed them!
Explorer Beastie sat this one out – well, he had to look after his garden, and I really think he should agree to take a bath before he goes on any more location photoshoots – but we did have company for the trip…
… And I couldn’t resist leaving a monster behind on one of the beaches, just to prove I’d passed through!
We also had a delicious lunch at Nancy’s Barn in Ballyliffin… Well worth a visit if you find yourself in this part of the world!
And Finally…
A few Beasties have been helping author (and Beastie Buddy) Tammie Painter to celebrate the launch of her latest book, Domna Part Two: The Solon’s Son!
This novel is the second in a series of six about ambitious, resourceful Sofia Domna, whose plans are knocked sideways by a chance encounter in her local marketplace. If you haven’t discovered this series yet, you really should… And the best bit is that Tammie (generous to a fault) is giving away the first novel, The Sun God’s Daughter, to anyone who signs up to her mailing list. Go on, you know you want to!
Well, that’s all the news from here… What have you all been up to? Is Spring springing where you are? Be sure to tell us all about it in the comments!
It’s been a while since I made a Rugby Beastie – you can check out past members of Team Beastie 
So, in knitting terms, this guy is rocking an extra row on his torso, and a couple of extra rows to lengthen his legs!
The colour is inspired by his human counterpart, and the yarn I used was a luxurious blend of alpaca and wool. You’ll have to take my word for it, but it’s unbelievably soft.
And hopefully he worked a little monster magic for his teammates, too!
This happy pair were made as a Christmas gift for two real-life human sisters, Emily and Holly.
Human Holly is super into horses, so a Beastie with an esquestrienne flavour fitted the bill perfectly. I started at the top, with a traditional black peaked riding hat…
…And her soft alpaca hair is pulled neatly in underneath in a very stylish bun.
Then her outfit is completed with a natty little hand-sewn tweed jacket… Which really unbuttons!
And underneath, she’s got a crisp white shirt and ribbon tie.
Perfect! And then for little sister…
…A sweet little ribbon-tie dress, with a cute Matryoshka doll print! Ideal for little hands to play with.
I also love her hairstyle!
These are the same alpaca tresses that Emily Beastie has (they are sisters, after all!) but they look completely different cut short in a halo of soft curls.
Looking good!
Spencer Beastie was requested by our good buddy Melissa at 
Not only can he now hold things, he can also “hang out” on metal surfaces in the prison bus!
… Glasses…
… Favourite hat…
… And trademark bandana handkerchief!
I think we all know what that means… Let’s see what’s inside!
Aha! Everything a Beastie needs to tackle a serious refit project – a Beastie-sized torch, pocket knife and hammer!
Finally, for those of you who are suckers for the teeniest of tiny details, the torch contains a glass bead “bulb”…
… And the blade of the pocket knife really folds out!
Well, I think you’re ready to help out in the workshop, Spencer Beastie! Better get packed up and make the journey Stateside…
And the best bit is, you can see him settling in to his new home! Melissa very kindly featured Spencer Beastie in the latest episode of her podcast series… Check it out here!
Wow, 
I made these to tempt the attendees of the Dublin Cat Fair back in November, and thanks to a shout-out from the organisers on Facebook before the event, they sold out! From then on, I could barely keep up with demand, even when I was frantically making more behind my table on market days! I’ll definitely be adding these to my festive lineup for 2019.
And my All-Irish Beasties were still happy to down a tipple or two… Tea, anyone? Or would you maybe prefer a pint of the Black Stuff?
I also brought along a new Unicorn Beastie… It didn’t take them long to find a home!
And finally… Some of you might recognise this woolly little monster face from 
… SANTA BEASTIE!
Catch you next Tuesday!
Ooooh, look at that Christmas tree!
Then I lost him for a moment – I could have sworn he was right next to this leaf and berry arrangement a second ago!
Aha! Found him. That’s some pretty good camouflage, though.
That’s better!
Ooooh, nice dress… Care to give us a twirl?
Lovely!
Uh-oh! He’s missing his mum… Time to hand him back!
You might just be able to see that she has special velcro paws, so that she can hug him extra tight.
And with Baby Beastie peacefully napping in the nursery, Dad Beastie just manages to nab a quick cuddle as Mama Beastie dashes out to the hospital!
Let’s chat to him next. Hey, Cool Dad Beastie!
Looks like he’s about to tuck into some lunch! A slice of pepperoni pizza…
… Topped with lashings of every Beastie’s favourite spicy sauce – Tabeastco!
Let’s hope he doesn’t accidentally get any on that nice checked shirt! Very stylish.
Now, how about one more family portrait before we go?
Beautiful!
Then I called on Explorer Beastie to pick a winner.
This didn’t exactly go according to plan.
But Explorer Beastie is made of sturdy stuff. Look, he’s got one!
Who is it?
Taaaa-daaaaah! 2018 is the year of “Sloe on the Uptake”, courtesy of 
Of course, Explorer Beastie would have to pick the most messily-written slip of the bunch! But an excellent result. And now I can finally get those bottles labelled!
Thanks, Tammie… And to all of you who took part! I reckon I’m all set with sloe puns for at least the next decade!
I also turned my hand to making some stitched embroidery hoop pictures. I’ve been meaning to do this for years! There’s a small (4in/10cm) version and a large (6in/15cm) one.
And of course, the Beasties had to get a slice of the action! First up, I made some Beasties in cosy, smiley cat sweaters.
And there will also be Beasties with their own felty, feline friends, like this guy!
Plus I reckon a few other little woolly monsters will stow away in my Beastie backpack on market day… I’ll see how much space I have!
