Monsters – Page 20

An Irish Pub, in Perugia! A de Girolamo/CrawCrafts Beasties

(B)Easter in Perugia!

Posted on May 3, 2016June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family

Ciao ragazzi!

Wow, what a week it’s been! The Irish weather – not known for its predictability or even-temperedness at the best of times – has been flinging just about everything at us over the last seven days, veering from hot sun one minute to blustery snowstorms the next. So you can imagine how excited we at Beastie Towers were to get word from Italy… Looking at these photos allowed us to escape to beautiful Perugia for a short while, with Antonello and Tiziana Beastie (and of course their trusty Beastiecat Tris) as our guides!

Perugia is right in the heart of Italy, and it’s been an important city since Etruscan (pre-Roman-Empire) times. These days, it’s the regional capital of Umbria, and there’s plenty to see here!

The Beasties started off at St Bernardino church. The incredible marble facade of this renaissance-era church dates back to 1457-61, and was the creation of Agostino di Duccio, a sculptor who started his career working alongside Donatello.
Impressive… Especially to the Beastie-sized tourist! The church also boasts some beautifully detailed bas-reliefs…
…And some fences that certain Beasties probably shouldn’t be climbing.

Fortunately, they made good their escape before the authorities showed up.

Next stop – the Piazza IV Novembre, home of the Palazzo dei Priori. This was the seat of the mediaeval “first citizens” – representatives of each of the city’s guilds.

There’s also a spectacular fountain – the Fontana Maggiore, another masterpiece from the Renaissance era!
Mind you, looking at all that water would make you feel kinda thirsty…

Pint, anyone?
Ah, Ireland’s great cultural gift to the world – the Irish Pub! And the good news is, there’s one right here in Perugia. There was even live music… And of course the Beasties had the best seat in the house.
What a great trip! Thanks to Antonello and Tiziana Beastie for sharing their photos!

And in other monster news… Friday posts are back! Check in with us again on Friday, when Explorer Beastie and I will be sharing what we learned at the Irish Blogger Conference!

Paddy and Plunkett Were Here - H Crawford/CrawCrafts Beasties

Beach Beasties!

Posted on April 26, 2016June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Paddy and Plunkett

It’s been a while since we last caught up with Paddy and Plunkett! But it looks like they’ve been off adventuring again… Let’s see what they’ve been up to as they travel along Northern Ireland’s north coast!

Mussenden Temple was originally a private library, built by the 4th Earl of Bristol in memory of his cousin, Frideswide Mussenden. These days, it’s open as a visitor attraction – or you can book it as a wedding venue!

It looks like this holiday is off to a great start, despite Paddy’s motoring “skills”! We’ll be back to check up on the lads again soon… and next week tune in to find out where Antonello Beastie and Tiziana Beastie went for their Beaster break!

Hooray! New Beasties!

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

We’re taking a leap forward in time on the BeastieBlog this week – after meeting a prehistoric proto-Beastie in the last post, you’re probably ready for something new and exciting! So here they are… the first two Barróg Beasties of 2016!

For anyone who doesn’t yet have a working knowledge of the various species of Beastie out there, Barróg Beasties are a subspecies native to the island of Ireland. Their skin is made from 100% Irish wool, and they can be recognised by their slightly smaller size (we Celts are generally a diminutive people) and their typically Irish accessories… Like Irish humans, they’re prepared to travel pretty much anywhere, but they always like to bring a piece of home with them. And that word “Barróg”? That’s Irish for hug, which seemed to sum these friendly little monsters up perfectly!

So, first up from this pair is Aran Beastie!
Remind you of anyone?
I’ve noticed that a lot of Irish knitwear companies have started to think outside the woolly box lately, and make traditional-style Aran sweaters in colours other than cream! So I thought I would hop on the bandwagon myself, and give this Beastie a jumper in fresh spring green…
And as for his friend…
Meet Leabhar Beastie! “Leabhar” is the Irish word for “book”, and this literary little monster has taken on quite the reading challenge…
Yes, that is a hand-embroidered copy of the rambling Beastie yarn “Spin-egans Wake”… This monstrously convoluted, near-impenetrable book is loosely based on James Joyce’s novel “Finnegans Wake”, often cited as one of the most difficult, complex pieces of fiction ever written. In fact, there’s a book group in Cambridge, Massachusetts who have been reading “Finnegans Wake” for the last 18 years! They’re currently on their second read-through, which began in 2010… Their first reading took 13 years. I wonder if we’ll have to set up a book club here to help Leabhar Beastie tackle his own literary adventure?He seems to be getting on fine so far though – just look at that contented smile.

There will be more new Beasties joining these two soon… And tune in next week to see another hidden Dublin treasure with Explorer Beastie! See you then…

Snow Day With Paddy and Plunkett!

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

We’ve been having some pretty crazy weather here these last few weeks… But Paddy and Plunkett never let an unexpected snowfall get in their way! Let’s see what they’ve been up to!

Oh woweee! Thanks guys – you’ve tracked down my old froggy chum Anita!

I made this curious proto-Beastie for myself when I was about 11… I saw a ventriloquist on TV and decided I wanted my own talking puppet! With a little bit of help from Mum – plus a few days of very intense stitching – I finally unveiled this furry amphibian masterpiece. It’s nice to see her making some new friends!

What was your first big crafty success? I’d love to hear all about it in the comments!

Beastie Boom!

Posted on March 22, 2016June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Crafting, Info, Knitted Beasties

Look at this! A bunch of new arrivals!

I’m delighted to announce that a whole herd of brand new Barróg Beasties – special little monsters made with 100% Irish wool – have invaded Beastie Towers! Earlier today they emerged from the box where they had been hiding…
… Assembled the tools they thought I might need…
… And only got a little distracted by some shiny things!
They also made a start on deciding which colours I should use.
And now they’re sitting back and waiting patiently for me to make them the accessories they want! I’m sure a few of them will be looking for old favourites, like books and mugs of tea, but I have a feeling that there might be some requests for new, never-made-before items too. So with that in mind, I’m going to be taking a bit of a “spring break” from blogging over the next couple of weeks, and slow my postings down to once a week – at least until we get these guys sorted out, anyway!

In the meantime, you can keep up with the whirlwind of monster activity here in Beastie Towers by joining us on Facebook and Instagram!

See you again next week!

A Monster Toast to 2016 - CrawCrafts Beasties

Happy St Patrick’s Day!

Posted on March 17, 2016June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Knitted Beasties

Here’s wishing all our BeastieBuddies a very happy St Patrick’s Day! Hopefully you’ll get a chance to raise a glass (or at least a mug of strong tea) sometime today to celebrate all things Irish… Sláinte!

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!

A Monster Night Out!

Posted on February 26, 2016June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family

Ciao ragazzi!

As you know, the Beasties and I always love to hear all the news from any little woolly monsters who have left Beastie Towers for new homes. So we were delighted to receive an email AND photos from Antonello Beastie and Tiziana Beastie last week, when they ventured out in search of a taste of Ireland… In southern Italy! Let’s join them, shall we?

Aha! A green building with a Guinness logo in the window – this looks promising! And inside…
Yes, I think we’re definitely in the right place!

Now to check out the draught taps… And look at all the other cool stuff they have behind the bar!
So, what will we have? Well, it probably has to be…
… A pint of the black stuff, of course!

SLÁINTE! SALUTI! CHEERS!
And here’s a picture of all the girls together!
But wait a second… Where’s Antonello Beastie gone? Uh-oh…
… It turns out that there IS a limit to how much Guinness a Beastie can have after all! Shhhhhhh, don’t wake him up!

The Beasties’ cat enjoyed her evening out too… Although it looks like Tris was glad to see her little felt friend safely back home in their basket!
Thanks so much to Antonello, Tiziana and their Beasties for these super photos! I hope you enjoyed your evening out together!

And what have the rest of you got planned for the weekend ahead? Let us know in the comments!

Fun In The Winter Sun II – Monster Holiday!

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

It’s a hard life, being a Beastie… All that travelling, exploring and discovery can really take it out of a little woolly monster! Sometimes you just have to put your paws up and relax by the seaside. And that is exactly what Paddy and Plunkett have been doing these last couple of weeks! Let’s see what they’ve been up to since last time.

Well, Plunkett decided to really take a weight off, and check out the spa…
And Paddy? Um, Paddy decided to check out something else…
But what’s going on here?

RAIN?!
“This is exactly what we were trying to avoid by coming here! Still, it seems to be easing up now…”
And sure enough, it wasn’t long before the sun came back out again…
… And the boys were able to get back to their sunbathing!

“Aaaaaaah, this is the life! Eh, Paddy?”

“Not bad, Plunkett. Not bad at all.”
Later, they met up with some friends for drinks…
And then there was just time to pose for one last photo in the garden before heading to the airport!
“Hang on. Did you feel that? Is that…?”

Gaaaaaah! More rain!
“It’s not looking good, Paddy. The board says we’re delayed by 3 hours… Still, isn’t it lucky you remembered to pack the Travel Scrabble?”

“Ummm… About that…”

Uh-oh! Will the lads ever make it back home? Or will the combination of foul weather and a lack of miniaturised board games to pass the time prove fatal to their friendship? Stay tuned to the BeastieBlog to find out!

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!

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