Ninja – Beastie HQ

Something New(ish) on the BeastieBlog!

Posted on September 9, 2016June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Info, Knitted Beasties

Hello everybody!

Today I’ve decided to launch a new regular feature on the BeastieBlog, inspired by one of the more recent arrivals to our ever-growing gang of monster enthusiasts – hey there, Lives in Stone! Take a bow!

A couple of days ago, Liv (sorry if this isn’t your real name! I’m just going by how you sign off your posts!) took a trip through some of my really, really early posts, and was good enough to comment on a few. And oh, the fun I had revisiting these past Beastie creations! So I thought I might make it easy for the rest of you – especially if you only just got here – to catch up on a slice of monster history. Plus it would be nice to take some time to revisit an old friend every once in a while!

I’ll be doing this once a month on Fridays, and as soon as I come up with a catchier name than “Throwback Friday”, I’ll set up a separate category on the blog so the posts are searchable.

Alrighty, let’s get started! Today’s Throwback Friday Beastie is… Ninja Beastie!
I’m actually a little disturbed by how far back I had to travel in my archives to find this guy! I made Ninja Beastie in early 2014… I was still buzzing from doing my first market, and I’d also survived my initial round of Christmas commissions. I had so many ideas, and I wanted to make ALL of them! It was such a fun time, and it’s strange to think that back then my craft stash occupied a single plastic IKEA storage box, and my accessory templates could all fit into a small sandwich bag – now I have to have them in themed, labelled file pockets, or I’d spend all day hunting for the one I needed!

Ninja Beastie was also one of the first Beastie projects where I took pleasure in going overboard with the details. I made sure he was positively bristling with weapons, and I researched them online to make sure they were as authentic as possible…
Of course, it wasn’t long before Ninja Beastie stealthily stole out of Beastie Towers to make his own way in the world! Have any of you seen him in your travels? Let me know in the comments!

Oh, and we’ll be back with NEW Beasties as usual on Tuesday, so stay tuned! Have a great weekend!

Beasties Grow Up

Posted on September 30, 2015June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Weekly Photo Challenge

In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “Change.”

Sometimes, you only notice how much something has changed when you take the time to look back at how it used to be. To me, it feels like I’m making Beasties the same way I always have… But the end result has changed a bit! Click through the gallery to witness BeastiEvolution happening before your very eyes…
https://me.sh/71jzp11

See what I mean? And who knows what will happen to them next?

Wool! Needles! KNIVES!

Posted on September 22, 2014June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Knitted Beasties

Anyone who keeps up with the Beasties through Facebook will already know that over the weekend, my Mum got in touch with me to tell me that she’s been having trouble visiting the BeastieBlog lately. Why? Because her ISP is blocking this site due to its references to (and I quote) “VIOLENCE and WEAPONS”.

I’ve been so tickled by this that I couldn’t resist mentioning it in my post today… and using it as an excuse to do a retrospective of some of my choicest armed-to-the-teeth Beasties. Those of a sensitive disposition should probably look away now… Here we go!

First up is one of my early creations – Guerrilla Woolfare Beastie, who left Beastie Towers more than a year ago. Although he isn’t armed, he is considered highly dangerous… Just look at that incendiary literature he’s carrying around with him!

The new year ushered in a new crowd of bad-to-the-bone Beasties! We started out with Pirate Beastie, whose razor-sharp felt cutlass could probably do some serious damage…

…Then Ninja Beastie made an appearance! He refused to settle for “just” having a sword, and insisted I make him a pair of sai and a shuriken (throwing star) as well!

Oh, and then he called for reinforcements.

You’d think that would be enough, but…

…Soon afterwards, Rambo Beastie came to town. That’s a close-up of his knife in the picture at the top of this post – a lethal-looking piece of feltwork, I’m sure you’ll agree. And who could forget Viking Beastie, recently off the longship and ready for battle with his round shield and prestigious Ulfbeast sword?

Hmmm… is it possible that the powers that be are right? Even my Chef Beastie is carrying a knife!

I’d better keep an eye on these critters… if they weren’t so gosh-darn cute they could probably land me in some serious trouble!

Thanks for checking out BeastieBlog… officially the most violent knitting blog on the whole internet!

Pirates, Ninjas and… Skiing?

Posted on February 26, 2014June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Knitted Beasties

At last!
I’ve had some new Beasties “in progress” for what feels like forever, and last week I finally got around to putting on the last of their accessories and taking them outside for a photoshoot.

First of the new recruits is Pirate Beastie… I took him down to the Docklands on a sunny weekday afternoon so that I could photograph him alongside the Jeanie Johnston, a replica tall ship which is permanently moored in the River Liffey.

When I was making Pirate Beastie, I really went overboard (ha! Pun totally intended) with the pirate stereotypes. So he has a lot going on – natty matching hat and belt, cutlass, eyepatch, peg leg and, of course, a cheeky knitted parrot to keep him company!

After completing my scurvy sea dog, I moved on to a stealthier project… Ninja Beastie!

Ninja Beastie wears a black jumpsuit to help him melt into the shadows, and is bristling with teeny ninja weapons! They may be made of felt, but that doesn’t make them any less deadly. I gave him a pair of sai, to hang from his belt…

… a sword…

… and a shuriken throwing star.

Then I brought him to the Chester Beatty Library, in the grounds of Dublin Castle, to take his photo. This museum houses a collection of artefacts from the Middle and Far East, so it seemed an appropriate setting!

And finally – only a few days after the closing ceremony at the Sochi Winter Olympics (I have to admit I became kind of addicted to winter sports these last few weeks), a specially-commissioned Skier Beastie (or should that be Beast-Ski? Ski-stie?) met his new owner!

His skis and ski poles are detachable, too… that way he doesn’t have to miss out on the apres-ski!

See you next time!

	Simon on Falling For Autumn
	crawcraftsbeasties on Falling For Autumn
	crawcraftsbeasties on Falling For Autumn
	crawcraftsbeasties on Falling For Autumn
	crawcraftsbeasties on Making Time for A Day Out