The Bird House is for sale!

$299,000.00    

867 W Pine Knoll Drive, Prescott           928-776-7171

Pine Knoll Estates, Unit 2, Lot 11 plus adjoining Lot 10

Approx ½ acre total, 1,893 sq ft, 3 bedroom/2 bathroom,

Built in 1991 by a construction engineer

                        Realtor.com MLS# 963960                        HomesbyOwner

In the cool pines approximately two miles from the Courthouse Square, everything is easily accessible and yet a world away… with great pine and granite views from every window.

Concrete slab foundation, two car heated garage, dirt room storage, indoor storage, finished attic storage, electricity, gas, septic, city water, paved roads.  Gas furnace, gas fireplace (with thermostat), ceiling fans in every room, covered front porch, two decks, beamed ceilings, three window seats, dual paned windows, garden tub in master bath, oak and tile floors, appliances included. Established perennial landscape with native oak and ponderosa, spruce, walnut and fruit trees, automated sprinkler/drip system.   

Don’t miss the hand carved birds in the eaves outside, and call us to see inside!

The front yard: 

Views from two outside decks, and the top of the hill:

The adjacent parcel, included in sale price:

Interior: 

 

These photos are prior to our moving in, so they are not a reflection of how the house looks now but it might be interesting to see the rooms empty.

Shadow of Night Giveaway!

For fans of Deborah Harkness' A Discovery of Witches... The Ravenous Reader has an international giveaway in progress, ending July 9. 

It includes "a finished (signed) copy of SHADOW OF NIGHT and a set of specially designed Ashmole 782 temporary tattoos, 6 All Souls Trilogy-related buttons".

Check it out!

A mad man with a box

"There's something you better understand about me 'cause it's important and one day your life may depend on it...I am definitely a mad man with a box." - The Doctor

... as the Eleventh Doctor says to Amy Pond.

It's time for another TARDIS, this time in the form of a bag with an undetectable extension charm for Charms class.

This bag by April Draven is what inspired the project, but I think I'd like to change up the text.

What do you think?  Bigger (classic!)?  Or Sexy (the Doctor's comment when he sees the regenerated TARDIS)?

They're goin' to Disneyland!

"It has that thing - the imagination, and the feeling of happy excitement - I knew when I was a kid."—Walt Disney

We love Disneyland.  I mean we really LOVE Disneyland.  I'm not sure why it's more than an amusement park, but I think its Walt's idea of a place where parents and kids can have fun together.  A happy place where the rest of the world falls away.

Every trip we make is more fun than the last.  With so many serious things happening in day to day life, a break full of childlike joy becomes even more important to share.

In a couple of weeks, we're planning a couple of magical days that will include not only my grandsons, but their cousins!  Since I have a tendency to express my excitement with yarn these days, I've made a few more trip related projects.

You might remember the checkered flag bags I made in honor of CarsLand.


They'll be put to good use along with these bags made especially for Megan and Brianna.

The pixie dust in the yarn doesn't show up well with my phone camera, you'll just have to take my word for it.

Each bag is lined with appropriate character fabric, and I couldn't resist making corresponding hair accessories to match.

It also seemed a good time to make this hat.










Being at Disneyland makes me feel happy and carefree... but every now and again, I *would* like my own minions to do my despicable bidding.  They're not Disney related, but they sure are funny!

I'm a fan of Doris Chan!

I have been on a Doris Chan pattern kick. 

In particular, patterns from her books, Everyday Crochet and Amazing Crochet Lace.

She describes most of her patterns as crocheted lace, seamless, with top down construction.  Her open work patterns means I can get more fabric out of less yarn.  No seam sewing?  I'm in love.

It started with the Pistachio Parfait Ruana (an open poncho from South America). 

Very simple construction, and I managed to craft a wrap that stays put, doesn't have a long tail to catch on things, and, actually fit me for about 1,100 yards in yarn.

Just in case you're wondering... my Garden Path Shawl used 2,275 yards and I had to last minute dash to the store to buy ' one more skein' three times.

My Pearl Jacket (sweater) took 2,400 yards, but it was heavy duty aran weight.  A number of patterns calling for sport weight yarn in my size run about 4,000 yards.

I'll admit, I have a thing for ponchos.  I am a card carrying member of the poncho generation. 

So, I had to make the Rasberry Chocolate Poncho. 

The pattern called for 'lampshade' style pom poms around the bottom edge, but I swapped them out for these silvery beads.

So far so good... time for something with sleeves.

The construction is pure genius.  The foundation chain ends up at the back of the neck, and it's all worked in one piece to the bottom edge.  Sleeves are created by joining corners along the way.

A knee length sweater from 1,400 yards?  I had to try another!

This pattern is called Haru, and I will definitely be making more in other colors. 

Short sleeved, so perfect for three seasons of the year here in Arizona, open slits on the side for easy pocket access, and a nice V neckline that stays put.  All in 1,660 yards!  Sport weight!

Next on my list is a lacey long sleeved sweater called Cinnabar.

Oh!  I almost forgot another significant stroke of genius.  The patterns in Everyday Crochet are all variants of each other - so you can make a pullover/cardigan/jacket all from the same pattern.

It doesn't get an easier than that!  Go try one, you know you want to. ;o)