knitting – Page 7 – Beastie HQ

Pict in PA Beastie, a very special monster commission by CrawCrafts Beasties

A Picture-Perfect Beastie!

Posted on February 27, 2018June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Commissions, Crafting, Knitted Beasties

Well hello there! And despite the best efforts of the mean ol’ flu bug that temporarily disrupted my blogging last week, I’m now back in the land of the living. Hurrah! So, shall we celebrate by meeting a new Beastie? I think so!

Those of you who keep up with Laura at A Pict in PA might see some eerily familiar features in this Beastie face…

I’ve been reading and enjoying Laura’s blog for a good while now… I love hearing about what she and her family have been up to (their summertime road trip posts are a particular favourite), and having a nosey through the latest additions to her art journals! I also try to keep up with her sister blog, Pict Ink, which is dedicated completely to her art and illustration projects.

So, as you can probably imagine, I was super-excited when Laura got in touch with me to request a Beastie friend of her very own… Well, excited with just a sprinkling of terror. Because doing a preliminary sketch for anyone is always a shot in the dark, but drawing for someone who I know has mad monster-drawing skills? Eeeeek! Fortunately, Laura’s blog was a veritable goldmine of ideas, and I was able to pick out some Beastie accessories that I thought might appeal to her wide-ranging interests!
First, we had to pay woolly tribute to her go-to hairstyle of choice – the messy bun!

Then, one of the things I really wanted to include in this Beastie’s kit was a camera. Like me, Laura still has a soft spot for “real” cameras, and I’d say she doesn’t go far without her trusty DSLR! Thanks to the wonders of the internet, I was able to find photos of the make and model she uses, and then Beastify it for her little monster friend.

I couldn’t resist taking a few extra shots to show you the camera’s key features – viewfinder, screen, prestigious “Kniton” branding…

…But my favourite bit is taking it apart! The lens and strap are both removable.

Linking in neatly with Human Laura’s enthusiasm for photography is her love of film and musicals – and having read about the Dorothy-style red spangly slippers she picked up to wear on Oscars night, I thought a Beastie-sized pair might be a fun way to reflect her movie-buff side!

Like the originals, they’re cosy and sparkly… and these ones close with snaps so they’re easy to take off! They’ll also help Laura Beastie to stand up on her own two feet.

Then there’s another clue to her fondness for the silver screen tucked away safely in here…

You can always be sure that when a Beastie gets a bag, there’s going to be stuff in there! In this case…

… It’s a hand-embroidered cinema ticket and book! There’s a little bit of Dublin history in here as well – the Screen was a small cinema in the city centre which closed in 2016. Now its name lives on in felt and teeny sewing! As for the book, Poe is one of Human Laura’s favourite authors… And how could I resist a name that lends itself so well to a yarn-based pun?

Wow – this is an epic one, isn’t it? But the final element of this Beastie’s outfit was – taaaa daaaah – a pair of felt-framed glasses. And they’re removable, too!

Now she’s all ready for her first adventure!

All she has to do is to click her heels together three times and…

… She’s away!

Thanks so much to Laura for commissioning this fun and challenging project! Hopefully we’ll see this Beastie popping up again the next time the Picts hit the road!

And speaking of hitting the road… I’d better get going myself! I’ve just realised I owe you all a March calendar page, so look out for that landing on the BeastieBlog shop in the next day or so.

Enjoy the rest of the week… And we’ll see you again on Tuesday with another new Beastie friend!

A Bewitching Beastie!

Posted on February 6, 2018 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Commissions, Crafting, Knitted Beasties

Hello there everybody! Today seems like a fitting day to share the last of my pre-Christmas commissions with you, since I’m looking out my window and watching the ground being slowly covered with a dusting of snow and hail! It seems we might have a bit of a way to go yet until Spring starts springing… But perhaps a little pinch of witchy magic might help?
I love a project that gives me the opportunity to create a Beastie who’ll share the unique style and interests of their new human friend, and there was plenty of that going on here!

For starters, this sweet little Witchy Beastie never leaves home without a big cup of freshly-squeezed green juice – what a great way to get the day off on the right foot (or paw)!

I even dunked a stick of celery in there as a garnish! Witchy Beastie’s human counterpart is apparently a big fan of morning juice raves, so this should help lay the foundations of a good strong friendship!

This lady also has a favourite hooded cape in rich bright purple… so of course, Beastie does too.

The original plan for this cape was to make it out of felt, but it was waaaaaaay too bulky on a small Beastie frame! So I switched to a lighter, woven fabric from my stash, and cut the pattern pieces on the bias for a little bit of extra swishiness. On the front, I fitted a gold chain and clasp so that the cape could sit open without slipping off her little woolly shoulders.
Then her outfit was completed with a little A-line dress, in a cotton print sprinkled with magical stars!

Oooh, we should probably talk about her hairstyle next! We went for a swept-over look in light blonde (erk, is it obvious to anybody that I don’t speak hairdressing?) with a cool baby-blue streak in the front…

… And a tightly-cropped section on her left hand side. You would not believe how lovely and soft that short Beastie hair is!

Then her look was completed with a pair of chunky-framed cat’s eye glasses…

… And special witchy “shoes” with curly toes!

Finally, I added one last essential piece of kit – after all, every self-respecting Witchy Beastie needs her own broom!

This one has thick, bushy needle-felted bristles, and tucks neatly under the arm of Witchy Beastie’s purple robe when she’s not using it!

Well, hopefully that’s brought a little bit of magical monster sparkle to an otherwise wintry Tuesday lunchtime! And we’ll be back next week with photos from my latest road trip with Explorer Beastie, so be sure to drop in then… Have a great week!

A Beastie Backpack for Explorer Beastie - CrawCrafts Beasties

New Frontiers For Explorer Beasties!

Posted on January 30, 2018 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Commissions, Knitted Beasties

Happy Tuesday, everybody! And, after a brief wintry wander with Paddy and Plunkett last week, we’re going to dip back into the pile of pre-Christmas commissions, and meet another new Beastie!

So, you all know Explorer Beastie, right?

…And some of you might remember a few variations on the theme over the last couple of years, like Explorer Beastie’s little sister…

… And this rather retro gent, Victorian Explorer Beastie!

But here’s the newest addition to the Explorer Beastie clan, and he’s a little bit different!

First of all, he was made as a very special commission for fellow blogger Simon at Planet Simon. Although Simon’s blog mainly focuses on science (both fact and fiction!), his posts also drop in the odd slice of humour or snapshots of his day-to-day life, and it’s always a fun place to hang out and have a chat! But back to that Beastie… Can you tell what makes him stand out?

So far, so similar… But check out his paws!

Simon always seems to be fixing or making things, so I thought it made sense to create a useful companion for him who could lend a hand if needs be. One leap forward in Beastie-volution later, and here’s a little monster with magic magnetic grippy paws! And that, dear readers, means that he can hold onto stuff!

Mmmm, lunchtime!

Ready to fix stuff with his handy spanner!

I made him a compass as well – that’s essential kit for an Explorer Beastie, after all.

And of course, he can’t carry all these cool things in his paws ALL the time, so a Beastie backpack was called for too!

Let’s get everything packed away there, shall we?

Perfect!

I can’t wait to see what exciting exploits this pair get up to! Oh, and if you’re planning some adventures of your own, why not grab your free February calendar page from my shop?

It features the ever-intrepid original Explorer Beastie, enjoying the balmy (ahem!) Donegal coast at around this time last year. Oh, and did I mention that it’s FREE?

Have a great week, everybody… And don’t forget to join us again next Tuesday to meet another new Beastie! See you then!

Monster Family Fun!

Posted on January 16, 2018June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Commissions, Knitted Beasties

OK folks, I promised you something big this week, and here it is! Now, I’ve made Beastie families before (you can meet some of them here and here), but when I was asked to create individual little monsters for all of a customer’s nieces and nephews, I did briefly wonder what I was letting myself in for. Sometimes families here can be on the large side – in fact, Boyfriend has so many cousins that he’s pretty sure there are some out there that he’s never even met! Fortunately, the grand total turned out to be a totally manageable seven… And although that’s still more than I’ve ever made for any one Beastie enthusiast, I reckoned I’d definitely be able to get them ready in time for Christmas!

So, let’s take a quick tour through my biggest Beastie custom order ever! These Beasties were heading to three separate households, with a brother and sister in one…

…Two sisters next…

…And a family of three to complete the picture!

We decided it would be best to keep all the Beasties quite similar, but each with their own unique twist to make them as individual as their human counterparts!
For the boys, who are both big into their Gaelic football, that meant shirts in their county colours… So, blue for Cavan and white for Kildare. And they both get to be #1 in their own teams!

Oh, and I had to send them each out with their own felt football, of course. The shape of the segments that make up the ball are based on the human-sized version – that took some figuring out!

You might also have noticed that I experimented with a new way of doing short hair for these two – I think the fur fabric captures the fineness of children’s hair better than wool can, and it’s so soft as well. What do you all reckon?

As for the girls…

… Each got her own hand-knitted sweater with an appliquéd felt initial, and I was in experimentation mode with their hairdressing too!

Sometimes Beastie hair (as I’ve made it in the past) has come out a bit thick and unmanageable, and because I had five girls to make, I wanted to ensure that each of them had their own distinct hairstyle. At first, I experimented with a technique I found in a magazine, which involved laying out a line of sticky tape, sticking strands of yarn to it, sewing through the tape, then peeling it away and stitching the hairpiece to the head, which had been prepped with a piece of felt in a similar colour.

Um, the less said about my state of mind that day, the better.

When she was bad, she was horrid! — (Image from my old Dean’s Gift Book of Nursery Rhymes)

That said, I did like the effect I was able to create by using multiple shades of yarn, so I decided to cut out the sticky tape middleman, and sew strands directly to the felt “hair cap” where they were needed. The result? More readily style-able pigtails and ponytails!

So, I suppose that means we’re all ready for the group photo…

Oh. Maybe another one, with everybody looking at the camera this time?

Much better!

Did any of you take on a monster project in the run-up to Christmas? Tell us all about it in the comments!

Aaaaaaand next week we’ll be taking a break from Christmas commissions and catching up with Paddy and Plunkett… They have some wintry photos they’d like to share with you. See you then!

A Busy Beastie… And Her Best Friend!

Posted on January 9, 2018 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Commissions

Hello everybody, and welcome to the first proper BeastieBlog post of 2018! I hope you all got a bit of a break over the holidays – I know I certainly took advantage of the end-of-year lull to catch up on some sleep! But it’s great to be back, and right now is actually one of my favourite times of year. Yes, really! Because NOW I can finally start sharing my Christmas commissions with you all!

It was tricky to choose which of my latest Beasties I’d introduce you to first… But in the end, the honour has gone to this little monster lady!

At a time of year when many of us are resolving to make changes in our lives or try new things, I thought that this multitalented Beastie might provide a little inspiration. She was created as a special companion for a lady who works as a translator, so she speaks a couple of languages…

…And she’s also interested in art history, so she never leaves home without a handy sketchpad and pen! You just don’t know when inspiration will strike.

Of course, she’d never get anything done if she had to carry all this stuff around in her paws. So I made her a cool satchel-style bag to put everything into!

Perfect! She certainly looks happy… But what’s that I hear?

Aha! Beastie’s best friend… A sweet little felt pooch to keep her company while she works.

Because this Beastie was going to live in Germany, I modelled her four-legged friend on traditional German breeds, like the German pinscher and Jagterrier. Hello there, pup!

I think it might be time for walkies… What do you reckon?

And of course, there’s always time for hugs and treats!

This year certainly is off to a good start! How about you – any big plans for 2018? Let us know in the comments… and if one of your new year’s resolutions is to be more organised, don’t forget to download your FREE Beastie calendar pages from the store!
January is there now, and February will be added shortly!

We’ll be back next week, when I’ll be sharing snaps of my biggest ever custom order! See you then!

Merry Beastmas!

Posted on December 25, 2017 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Paddy and Plunkett

Hang a shining star from the highest bough…
… And have yourself a merry little Beastmas, now!

Here’s wishing you all a monster Christmas… However you celebrate it 🙂

2017 – A Year of Monster Adventures!

Posted on December 19, 2017 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Info, Knitted Beasties, Life at Beastie Towers

Oh wow, I can’t believe we’re nearly at the end of 2017 already! It’s all been a bit of a blur – surely it was only just Hallowe’en? So I thought I would use this, the last “real” post of the year, to take a look back over the highlights of the last 12 months. If nothing else, it will help me figure out whether I’m right in thinking that I lost a month or two somewhere!

So, what did we get up to? Well, first of all, Explorer Beastie loved getting the chance to go a little further afield on his adventures! We started the year with a trip to Donegal…

… And then made it to Copenhagen in the spring…

…and Düsseldorf in early summer!

Paddy and Plunkett were also at large, dropping in on some ancient Irish wells…

…Punting down the Cam…

…And sampling some highly unusual cuisine in Croatia!

Meanwhile, on the other side of the pond, Tammie‘s Beastie Finn McSpool has been keeping her readers entertained with his unique brand of “help”. With this guy around, it’s a miracle she gets any books written at all!

Finn’s adventures appear on Tammie’s blog every Saturday. I had a hard time picking a favourite to recommend to you all, but I think his underwater exploits in Hawaii back in September win out!

More recently, an old friend dropped us a line while on holidays in South Africa…

… And we welcomed a new face to the Beastie family!

Beastie’s first outing in England 🌿 @crawcraftsbeasties 💚

A post shared by xWG || #dazeandweekes (@dazeandweekes) on Dec 2, 2017 at 2:43pm PST

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You can meet Sinéad the pro-cat activist on Daze and Weekes, and find out more about her mission to improve Beastie-feline relations!

The Beasties have been getting social with other blogging folk this year, too! Back in April, we were lucky enough to be featured on Melissa’s excellent fibre craft blog Knitting The Stash…

… While an appeal for handmade items for a craftivism event in Manchester from Jan at The Snail of Happiness gave me the opportunity to make these little critters!

I also worked out a pattern and tutorial for these felt bees, which is FREE if you’d like to have a go at making your own!

Oooh, and let’s not forget that the BeastieBlog got a facelift back in August…

… Which included not only a snazzy new look, but also the addition of my very own online shop! Admittedly, the virtual shelves are a little bare at the moment, but there will be fresh monster faces in there again in the new year!

The Beasties also found themselves in some real shops, including this intrepid mob who journeyed all the way over to Carrick Mór in New Jersey!
We also did a few markets… But I reckon you’ve probably heard enough about those recently! I’m still super-grateful to all the good people who organised those events, or who came to visit us in person while we were there – it was lovely to meet you all!

And that only leaves one bit of news to share, and it’s one that I’ve been holding onto since the end of the summer. Since I decided to quit regular 9-5 employment in favour of making monsters a couple of years back, I’ve always worked part-time on the side – it’s reassuring to know that I’m not going to end up out in the streets if I have a couple of commission-free months, or if a market turns out to be a bit of a dud. But back in August, I was let go from my job… And I thought, why not try being a maker of monsters full time for a couple of months, just to see how things go? I’d often wondered what I could do if I got the chance to focus exclusively on the Beasties, and with Christmas looming on the horizon, it seemed like a good time to give it a bash. So, that’s what I’ve been doing! And while it’s had its hairy moments – like me losing my voice for the entire of the biggest market in my calendar – it’s been quite the adventure, and I’m already looking forward to seeing how much more I can do in the coming year!

But of course, dear readers, none of this could have happened without your support – so thanks to all of you who regularly read, like, comment and send me photos of your own monster adventures! I realise that I’ve been a little less diligent in keeping up with you all over the last couple of months, as I tackled the challenge of my first self-employed Christmas season, but I’m so looking forward to getting caught up again in the new year, and seeing what delights 2018 holds for us!

So, that was my 2017 – no wonder I’m tired! How was yours? And what have you got planned for the coming year? Be sure to let me know in the comments!

Dublin Football Beastie, Ready To Go! CrawCrafts Beasties

Dublin The Beastie Fun!

Posted on December 12, 2017June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Commissions, Knitted Beasties

Wow, what a hectic week it’s been! And before I introduce you to another pre-Christmas new Beastie, I wanted to say a big THANK YOU to everybody who came along to meet me and my little monsters at our recent Christmas markets! It was so nice to see the faces behind some of my favourite Instagram accounts, catch up with Beastie buddies I’ve met at past events, and make some new friends, too. You all rock!

Now, we’re really keeping it local with this week’s new Beastie – she’s a true Dublin girl! She was created as a surprise birthday gift for a lady who’s a big Dublin GAA fan, and who loves her coffee. Knowing that, and with a few photos to work from, it was easy to sketch up some ideas for a little monster friend!

Then, a few tweaks and a lot of teeny sewing later… She was ready!

This Beastie has soft, curly wool and alpaca hair, and a pair of super-cool glasses…

… Which she can take off, if she likes.

She’s also proudly sporting the latest Dublin GAA football jersey, complete with sponsor logo and the team crest!

I used a combination of hand embroidery and appliqué to get these details as close as possible to the real thing… here, take a closer look at that teeny tiny Dublin crest!

There’s also a little personalisation on the back of the jersey, to make this gift extra special!

And finally… That all-important cup of coffee! This Beastie’s new human friend is especially fond of Americano, so that’s what she’s drinking too. I thought it might be fun to add a wisp of crema around the edges, to give the coffee that proper barista-made look!

Now, making Beasties makes me very happy… But what makes me happier is seeing them well settled in their new homes! So you can imagine how delighted I was to receive this photo of these two girls posing together for the camera!

Hopefully this is the first of many fun adventures for this pair! And if you’d like to know how you (or someone you love) would look as a little woolly monster, I’m already starting to take orders for 2018! Sooo…
Find out more about the design process here
or get in touch with me through the Contact page to book your spot!

Next week, join us for a look back through the highlights of 2017 – it’s been quite a year! See you then!

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

Posted on November 28, 2017June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Crafting, Info, Life at Beastie Towers

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.
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…

… Made up some promotional postcards with a little bit about the Beasties on the back…

…Thrown a little light on the proceedings with a pair of spiffy spotlights, a Christmas gift from my brother last year…

… And Boyfriend picked up a Beastie-sized chalkboard for me to play around with use constructively for marketing purposes.

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!

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!

Beasties at Hallowe'en - CrawCrafts Beasties

Happy Hallowe’en!

Posted on October 31, 2017 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Info, Knitted Beasties, Life at Beastie Towers

Ah, it’s that time of year again! The clocks have gone back, and although I’m already bemoaning the early disappearance of the daylight that I need to do teeny sewing, I’m really enjoying the cooler days and rich autumn colours! While any weather is crafting weather in my book, there’s something extra special about snuggling up with some needles and yarn on a dark, chilly evening. And also, Hallowe’en has always been my favourite festival of the year – I wonder why?

If you follow the Beasties’ antics on social media (you’ll find us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter), you’ll know that I’ve been revisiting some of my spookiest Beastie creations for my weekly Flashback Friday feature this past month! If you don’t, well, here’s your chance to play catchup!
I’d hate for anyone to miss out on Frankenstein’s Monster Beastie, for starters! I have to admit that I kind of love the bolts in his neck and the random lines of stitching holding his sweet green face together.

Then there’s the ethereal wispiness of Ghostie Beastie. I really like the floaty effect of the layers of net – I’ll have to remember to steal this trick for my costume next year!

Some of the very first Hallowe’en Beasties I made had simple seasonal accessories – but that’s fine too, right? Here’s a (very) rough sketch of an idea for a Jack O’Lantern Beastie from an early knitting notebook!
And yes, I still make these!

Skulls make great Hallowe’en accessories, too!

And of course, there’s nothing better than getting all dressed up and going trick or treating with good friends!
(Black cat optional)

Hallowe’en isn’t just All Hallows Eve, though. It’s also the gateway to the busiest, Beastiest time of the year! This time around, I’m hoping to get to even more markets than usual in the runup to the festive season, and I’ve taken on more commissions too – Beastie Towers is flippin’ hectic just now! So please excuse me if I’m a little less chatty than usual in my regular online hangouts – I’m going to try to keep up with you all as much as possible, and of course there will still be weekly blog posts and occasional social media-ing. I promise normal service will resume when the madness is over!

And hey, if you’re local, why not rock up and say hello in person? I’ve added a new page to the website today, which I’ll be keeping updated with all my upcoming market events. Hopefully I’ll catch up with a few of you there!

And on that note, I probably should get back to the Beastiemaking. But chances are I’ll be celebrating in traditional style (consuming a variety of squash-based foodstuffs, washing them down with a pumpkin ale, then maybe SPARKLERS) come nightfall! What have you all got planned? Let me know in the comments!

Happy Hallowe’en, everybody!

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