Travel – Page 16 – Beastie HQ

Paddy and Plunkett at the Glasgow Mausoleum - H Crawford/CrawCrafts Beasties

Bonny Beastie Scotland!

Posted on August 7, 2015June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Knitted Beasties

Paddy and Plunkett are back!

Or, more correctly, they’ve gone on holiday again and sent me more tales of their adventures to use on the BeastieBlog. This time, they’re exploring the delights of Scotland!

Their journey begins in Glasgow, which is almost a homecoming for them – I’m a quarter Glaswegian myself, so there should be a teeny bit of Scottishness knitted into the genetic material of these otherwise Irish little monsters!

Their first photocall was at the Glasgow Necropolis…

…What is it with Beasties and graveyards at the minute?!

They also visited the Transport Museum – Paddy has a bit of a thing for classic cars.

I think he’s going to have to find someone a little taller than him to help with the driving, though. Meanwhile, architecture buff Plunkett had stumbled on this incredible staircase at the Central Hotel, in the railway station!

Since they were in the station anyway, the two of them decided to hop on a train and head to Aberdeen on the north east coast… And look what they found when they arrived!

How nice of the locals to knit up a cosy Beastie hotel for them to stay in!
“We think we’ll stay here for a while… Check back with us in a week or so!”

About Paddy and Plunkett
Paddy and Plunkett are a special sub-species of Beastie called “Barróg Beasties”. “Barróg” is the Irish word for “hug”, which neatly sums up how friendly these little monsters are! They’re also special because they’re made from 100% Irish wool, which is spun and dyed in a family-owned mill in Co. Kilkenny.

Super-observant regular readers may also notice that further changes have been afoot on the BeastieBlog – after nearly two years with the same look, I was encouraged by Blogging 101 to consider overhauling my theme. I’d love to know what you think of our makeover… let me know in the comments!

Today on Blogging 101…

Posted on August 6, 2015June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Info, Knitted Beasties

…It’s all about you, lovely readers!

Today, I’ve been asked to write something especially for my imagined ideal audience member. And the unspoken first part of the assignment is, I suppose, to have a bit of a think about who that person might be, and what makes them tick.

When I started this blog in (checks facts) November 2013, I had a very clear plan for it – the blog was here to support my embryonic Beastie business. I had just quit a job in a web design company in Northern Ireland to move back to Dublin and, coming from that background, the idea of attempting to start a business without some kind of online presence was completely unthinkable. So, I set up my blog, and went about filling it with photos of my work, in the hope of getting more people interested in what I was doing. Back then, I was writing for customers, and I was simply telling them what I was making, and where they could buy it.

But somewhere along the line, it seems to me that something shifted. If I were to try to pin it down to a particular moment, I’d say it was the first time Explorer Beastie went out for an adventure.

Having Explorer Beastie accompany me when I went out and about allowed me to start bringing some of my other passions onto the blog – travel, food and sharing my favourite places around Dublin. And then, as more Beasties went to new homes further afield, I started having even more material for these kinds of posts…
…So it began to feel like a real little community! The BeastieBlog might have started life as “the store”, but now it’s the fan club. And in my book, that’s a lot more worthwhile.

All this considered, how do I see my ideal reader now? Well, I imagine they’re quite similiar to me – people who grew up loving cartoons and hoping that their stuffed animals would come alive (although not in a “Child’s Play” kind of way). They still get a kick out of exploring new places, even if they’re only across town, and they’re constantly amazed by the bizarre array of creatures we share the planet with. They’re probably a bit kooky or nerdy, and have a penchant for cult movies and almost-forgotten music. They love to read, but were never too big on sports. And they always have time for a bit of silliness.

So to you, imaginary perfect reader, I want to say – RELAX. This isn’t just for kids. There is enough serious stuff going on the world, and you can get back to it in a few minutes – if you want to. For now, fix yourself a cup of tea and your favourite treat, and come and hang out with me and my little monsters.

The second half of today’s project is to use a new element in my blog, to mix things up a little. Exciting! I didn’t actually realise that I was able to embed from Pinterest, so I’m going to share a couple of boards that I’ve been putting together recently. Enjoy!

Goth Beastie in Glasnevin Cemetery, by CrawCrafts Beasties

Glasnevin Cemetery, With Goth Beastie

Posted on July 31, 2015June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Knitted Beasties

Call me macabre, but there’s nothing I like better than wandering around cemeteries. They’re peaceful, interesting and a little creepy at the same time. And Dublin’s Glasnevin Cemetery is one of my favourites! Luckily it’s just across the river and up the road, in the inner suburbs on the north side of the city. Opened in 1832, it now covers an area of around 124 acres, and is the final resting place of 1.5 million of Dublin’s departed. On my most recent visit, I was accompanied by Goth Beastie. She looked strangely at home among the gravestones…

If you’re interested in Irish history, Glasnevin is a must-see. Many of the significant figures from our recent past are buried here, including Daniel O’Connell, whose campaign to allow Catholics to be offered the same right to a dignified funeral as Protestants led to the establishment of this very graveyard! An early-mediaeval style round tower stands on his tomb, and it can be seen from pretty much anywhere in the cemetery – it’s in the background of this photo…

Glasnevin is also home to some beautiful old trees, which line the pathways between the graves…

And there’s such a huge variety of styles in the monuments here, too! There are underground crypts…
…Traditional crosses…

…And some more understated ones. Goth Beastie was particularly taken with this one.

But it wasn’t long before the sun got too high in the sky for certain pale-faced Beastie ladies! There was just time for Goth Beastie to seek out a little cool shade before we headed for home…

How do you feel about graveyards? An interesting place to spend an afternoon, or too spooky for words?

Mia Beastie in the Mountains!

Posted on July 17, 2015June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family

Hooray! I always love to catch up with Beasties after they’ve left Beastie Towers for their new homes. This week, I’m happy to share some photos of Mia Beastie, taken just after her move to Poland a couple of months ago! Of course, she had to get there first… Passports at the ready!

And don’t forget to check the size of your cabin baggage…

I think Mia Beastie was really excited to see planes for the first time!

Once she touched down in her new home, Mia Beastie started exploring pretty much immediately! Her first big adventure was a visit to Zakopane, a town in the very south of Poland, near the Slovakian border. Zakopane lies at the foot of the Tatra Mountains, and is a popular destination for skiers and climbers. Mia Beastie decided to tackle Kasprowy Wierch first… it’s one of the most popular ski peaks in Poland, and it marks the border with Slovakia, so you can literally be in two places at once.

You can also take a cable car to the top, which makes the climb a lot easier. Well, Mia Beastie didn’t want to ruin her pretty dress!

Look at that view! And there was more to come…

It was certainly a bit nippy at the top of the mountain, but the scenery made it totally worthwhile! Mia Beastie was also tempted to try her hand at skiing, but unfortunately they didn’t have any skis in her size…
Let's go skiing! Mia Beastie at Kasprowy Wierch - A Szymura/CrawCraftsBeasties
Soon it was time to come down again… the prospect of tasty pierogi for dinner meant that Mia Beastie wasn’t going to hang around in the mountains all day! Better head back to that cable car…
And apart from one hair-raising moment, when someone suggested Mia Beastie might like to recreate some of the action scenes from “Where Eagles Dare”…

…She made it safely back down to earth!

Let’s hope Mia Beastie has lots more adventures with her new Polish family! Thanks to Anna for sending me the photos 🙂

Submarines and Seascapes… Paddy and Plunkett in Portsmouth, Part 3

Posted on July 10, 2015June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family

Last week, we left adventurous Irish Beasties Paddy and Plunkett in something of a sticky situation… captured by an irate security guard who objected strenuously to Paddy’s attempts to take HMS Warrior for a test drive!

However, this week I’ve received another round of photos in which the pair of them appear to have eluded their captor… How can this be?
“A good escape artist never reveals his secrets,” says Plunkett. “And anyway, we had to go and have a look around the Alliance submarine.”

Fair enough.

Although it seems like Plunkett was really only interested in hanging out in the bar…

Apparently when Alliance was in use, food was stored just about anywhere they could find space. So yes, those beers are indeed being stashed in a torpedo tube! Fortunately, it’s a long time since any torpedoes were launched from this submarine – Alliance has been a museum since 1981, so Plunkett can enjoy his tinnies in peace.

Suitably refreshed, the two lads set off for the Figurehead Museum…

…Where they met some pretty unusual ladies!
Yikes! Imagine if you saw those faces leering at you from the front of a battleship! But look what was waiting for the boys around the corner…

…A whole knitted underwater scene! Look closely and you’ll see turtles, starfish and mermaids as well as hundreds of multicoloured fish! Paddy and Plunkett could have stayed here for hours, but then they saw this…

“Is that the Giant’s Causeway? We really have been away for quite a while… maybe it’s time to head home. Hope you’ve enjoyed following us around Portsmouth, see you soon for more monster adventures!”

Paddy and Plunkett’s Portsmouth – Part 2

Posted on July 3, 2015June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family

The last time we checked in with Paddy and Plunkett, they’d got carried away exploring the Isle of Wight and missed the last boat back to the mainland! Fortunately, it seems they eventually managed to make their return journey by stowing away on a passing ship … the cable pattern on Paddy’s jumper is perfect camouflage in among the rigging ropes!

Even though they’re now back on dry land, they couldn’t resist going to visit one of the city’s most famous attractions – the Mary Rose!
The Mary Rose sank in 1545 just north of the Isle of Wight, after 33 years of service in Henry VIII’s navy. Her wreckage was rediscovered in 1971 (although Wikipedia mentions an earlier rediscovery in 1863, after which some enterprising gentlemen tried to meet market demand for salvaged artefacts by blowing up parts of the ship with condemned bomb shells filled with gunpowder) and so began a decade of intense underwater archaelogy, legal wranglings and preparations to extract what remained of the ship’s hull from the sticky clay on the seabed. Finally, on the 11th of October 1982, the Mary Rose saw daylight for the first time in more than 4 centuries! Conservation work has been ongoing ever since… the ship is now in the process of drying out after 25 years of being sprayed with preserving wax.

Unfortunately, photo opportunities were few and far between in the museum itself – with so many visitors around, a Beastie could easily get trampled underfoot! The lads were happy to soak up the sights, and leave the happy snaps until they stopped for coffee at the end of the tour. Hey look – Paddy’s got his own personalised mug!

Then there was just time to pose with this scurvy sea dog outside…

…Before going to seek more nautical adventures on board HMS Warrior. Warrior was Britain’s first iron-clad battleship, built in 1860. Her wrought-iron armour was a huge technological leap forward, and this development made the ship faster, stronger and harder to hit than anything else afloat at the time. Apparently, most rivals didn’t even bother to engage her – one look and they just slunk off into the sunset! She didn’t scare Paddy and Plunkett though – they were too busy hanging out in the rigging!

They also had a look around below decks…

And then… oh no! Who let Paddy drive?

These mischievous monsters have gone too far this time – they’d better leave before someone calls security…

Too late! Still, it’s not every day that you get forcibly ejected from a vintage battleship by a former film star… Super-observant readers may have seen this monster from the deep before, in the Bond film “For Your Eyes Only”!

Now it only remains to be seen if Paddy and Plunkett can wriggle free of the iron grip of the law! Stay tuned…

Paddy and Plunkett Head to Portsmouth

Posted on June 26, 2015June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family

These adventurous little monsters can’t seem to get enough of life on the high seas! After their recent visit to the National Maritime Museum in Co.Dublin, Paddy and Plunkett have resurfaced in Portsmouth – a city with centuries of naval history to its name. Coming as they do from an island nation, it’s little wonder that they felt immediately at home here – Portsmouth is the only island city in the UK!
Ever eager for excitement, the first thing they did was to climb the Spinnaker Tower (that’s it in the background of the photo) and get a bird’s eye view of the city. This is always especially thrilling for a Beastie, since they spend most of their time significantly closer to the ground. Check out that view!
Mind you, I nearly had kittens when I saw this next photo…
Fortunately there’s a nice thick layer of glass floor to keep the boys airborne – for a moment there I was certain they’d decided to take up BASE jumping!

Their next outing was a bit more sedate – a trip over to the Isle of Wight by hovercraft. They got a great day for it… Here’s Paddy posing with The Needles, a line of chalk stacks that’s one of Britain’s most famous natural landmarks.
They made some friends while they were there too!
With all this exploring, the afternoon just zipped by! So much so that… uh oh! Is that the hovercraft heading back to the mainland without them?

YIKES!

Will Paddy and Plunkett ever make it back to Portsmouth? Or are they going to be marooned indefinitely on the Isle of Wight? You’ll have to wait until next week to find out…

Climber Beastie Gets a Little Bo(U)lder!

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

Climber Beastie is at it again! Last week I was sent a few pictures of his rock-based fun and games in France over Easter. He was really looking forward to tackling these big boulders at Fontainebleau (a paradise for climbers just 60km outside Paris) and even the slightly soggy weather that day wasn’t going to slow him down!

Ready, set… CLIMB!

…Nearly there!

However, scaling these dizzying heights was just training for something far more extreme…

…Playtime with Amelie the kitten!

ADRENALINE RUSH!

Who knows where Climber Beastie’s thrillseeking will take him next?

Has anyone else any similiarly exciting weekend plans? Share your dangerous exploits in the comments… Happy Friday, everyone!

A Monster Tour of Dublin

Posted on June 12, 2015June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family

Wow! It’s been a hectic couple of weeks here at Beastie Towers! Sometimes a project comes along that demands a little extra effort, and that’s why there hasn’t been much activity here on the BeastieBlog lately. I’ll unveil that monster undertaking soon enough, but it seemed a bit much for a Friday… so let’s take a leisurely stroll around Dublin with Tae Beastie instead!

Just over a month ago, I got a request through Etsy for a Beastie with a mug. My tea-loving Barróg Beastie, Tae Beastie, was excited to leave Beastie Towers for pastures new… and when his family-to-be asked for some photos of him in his home town, we were happy to oblige! So here is Tae Beastie’s whistle-stop tour of Dublin, in pictures!

We started off just down the road from Beastie Towers, at the Guinness factory. Guinness is still brewed here on the original site at St James’ Gate, a little west of the city centre, and most days the air in this part of town is filled with the delicious chocolately scent of roasted barley, which gives the beer its dark colour.

As you can see, there’s quite a contrast between the modern high-tech brewery and the older buildings on the site! However, many of the original buildings are still in use – one houses the Storehouse visitor centre, while others have been converted into offices.

After a wander through the lanes and alleys of the old brewery, we started heading for town! There was plenty to see along the way – this part of the city is packed with old churches. I asked Tae Baestie to pose with two of the most well-known… first of all St Audoen’s Church, which was built in 1190 and is the oldest parish church in Dublin (factoids courtesy of Wikipedia). I’ve also heard rumours that it’s haunted!

Next, we passed Christ Church Cathedral, which in Medieval times was right in the very heart of the city.

It’s a fascinating building, with flying buttresses, a crypt and a covered passageway which links the Cathedral to the Synod Hall on the other side of the street. Christ Church stands at the far end of the Temple Bar area, so our next move was to take a stroll through the cobbled back streets!

Temple Bar can be a bit of a tourist trap, but there are a few good pubs around here if you know where to look. I still enjoy an occasional visit to The Porter House or the Palace Bar when I’m in the area. However, most people end up here…

Our walk through Temple Bar brought us out conveniently just in front of Trinity College, home of the Book of Kells. It’s also where I went to university!

This is Front Square, and the archway you can see towards the back of the picture is the main entrance to the College. Outside is one of the busiest roads in the city centre… but once you walk through Front Arch, all the traffic noise just VANISHES. It’s like stepping back in time! Tae Beastie enjoyed posing with the Campanile and this statue of a former Provost, whose expression I just can’t figure out… is he very stern, or does he have a bit of a cheeky glint in his eye?
After that, we made a beeline (or, rather, a Beastieline) for St Stephen’s Green. This park is right in the middle of the south side city centre, and it’s a great place to enjoy the arrival of spring!

Just inside the main entrance at the top of Grafton Street, you’ll find this lovely long avenue of lime trees. I’ll sometimes go out of my way to walk along here, whether it’s to enjoy the shade on a hot summer’s day, or kick through piles of bright yellow heart-shaped leaves in the autumn. Tae Beastie was especially taken with the fresh new foliage… check out those vibrant bright green leaves!
There were also plenty of spring flowers to see…
We managed to get our final pictures just as the sun disappeared behind a cloud, and (luckily) before the rain started. Well, that’s spring in Ireland for you! Later that day, Tae Beastie headed off to his new home in Atlanta, Georgia… let’s hope he’s settling in well in the Peach State!

Nautical But Nice – The Further Adventures of Paddy & Plunkett

Posted on May 29, 2015June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family

It’s been a while since we’ve caught up with adventurous Irish Beasties Paddy and Plunkett… but that doesn’t mean they haven’t been busy! A while ago, they sent me some pictures of their visit to the National Maritime Museum of Ireland, which is in Dun Laoghaire in south County Dublin. I can see why they were keen to have a look around… the place is full of Beastie-sized boats!

Of course, not everything in the museum is miniaturised! Here they are posing with a recently restored Boyne curragh – a traditional Irish river boat made from cow hide stretched over a framework of woven hazel.

And this giant lightbulb definitely isn’t Beastie-size!

It’s the revolving lamp from a lighthouse, and its bright light sent the boys scuttling off in search of their sunglasses. But look what they found on the way! Paddy couldn’t pass up the chance to pose with this old-fashioned diving suit.

After that, they visited the Marconi Room, where Plunkett typed up a report of their findings…

… And Paddy sent it using the Morse code machine!

Luckily they chose to email it to me as well… my knowledge of Morse code is a little rusty. And once the message was sent, it was time to head off – who knows where they’ll pop up next?

About Paddy and Plunkett
Paddy and Plunkett are are special sub-species of Beastie called “Barróg Beasties”. “Barróg” is the Irish word for “hug”, which neatly sums up how friendly these little monsters are! They’re also special because they’re made from 100% Irish wool, which is spun and dyed in a family-owned mill in Co. Kilkenny. Keep an eye out for more Barróg Beasties on the BeastieBlog in the not-too-distant future!

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