ASJ and Invasion.

Has it really been ten days since I last posted? Well, at least I haven't been idle. The ASJ is complete! I give you the front..........

and the back ...........

I've also been invaded, by insects. I live quite happily with ants in the garden and don't use any poisons, unlike my neighbours who are out spraying at the first sign of anything with more than four legs. Unfortunately, the conservatory has been built over an ants nest, and they swarmed inside the other day. I must admit they've done a great job disposing of their dead companions (the flying ants die after their nuptial flight) but there are still quite a few running around, so I've had to put some bait down which hopefully will solve the problem.

Rather more serious is this.......

........ a wasp's nest inside my cavity wall. They're going in and out next to the patio door so will have to be removed before they start to get aggressive in the autumn.

Recovered

Just about recovered from my visit to Gardener's World Live last week. I found walking around for about five hours, extremely exhausting. There were actually three shows, Good Food and Good Homes as well as the gardening show, too much to see in one visit. I did see some conservatory blinds I liked, but no furniture.

I'm afraid the ASJ is in the waiting area at the moment as I'm making a few small things for Kisiisi as light relief, and to use more of the stash, which seems to get no smaller.

I've completed another BSJ, double knitting, approx. 20" chest. I love the way this has turned out; the joy of this pattern is the way each garment is so different from the others, and you're never quite sure how it will look.

Now I have to find some suitable buttons.

I also have some tiny jackets, for the smallest babies, and hope to make a few hats.

The flooring in the conservatory is being fitted on Monday, so disruption again for a while.

Not much done in the garden this week, due to the wet weather, but here are a couple of pictures.

Peony Sarah Bernhardt, and Rose New Dawn.

June Garden

The garden is recovering from the ravages of the builders and looking at its best.

I'm afraid these days, due to lack of time and energy, my gardening has been of the 'studied neglect' variety. The principle is to pack 'em in tightly so the weeds don't have a chance to grow. In the past I've also planted a lot of 'thugs', like the Golden Marjoram, which has seeded everywhere and overpowered more delicate plants.

Still no flooring in the conservatory, but we did manage to eat Sunday lunch in there this week.

I'm off to Gardeners World Live tomorrow, which this year is incorporating a Good Homes show, so I may see some conservatory furniture I like.

Snap!

I've just completed socks for Steven and see on his blog that Colin has been using the same yarn and colourway!

The ASJ is getting very unwieldy now, so I need socks for when I KIP.

The jacket is now on two 40 inch circulars and I am about to start the body extension. It is starting to look like a jacket.

I haven't blogged for a while as life has been quite busy. It was good to meet up with Rose and Steph (briefly back in the Midlands) at Fiona's house last week, but sad that I had to leave early due to an unscheduled visit by workmen ( why do they never choose a convenient time to come?) The flooring in the conservatory should be fitted soon, then I can start to consider furnishings. I also have to get window blinds.

Chester and ASJ

I ventured a little further afield on Wednesday and visited Chester and had an enjoyable day there. I did the usual visit to the cathedral and walk around the walls, not the complete circuit although I have done that in the past.

I also shopped in the 'Rows' and, of course, visited Stash where a few small purchases took place.

My ASJ is progressing, a little more slowly as the first enthusiasm has worn off. Also, I discovered a dropped stitch and had to frog several rows. However, I am approaching the neck shaping. Here is the progress in the last few days.

While I was in Chester Cathedral I bought this .............
.......... a copy of the Green Man misericord which I thought would be appropriate to hang on the wall in the new conservatory.

Progress

The ASJ has made progress. I'm finding this an easy knit so far, although I have hit upon a snag. I started the diagonal increases on the first instead of the second row, which means I may not be able to make an invisible join when I start knitting the sleeve extension.

In reply to Helen's comment, the ASJ is worked on a different principle to the BSJ and you need to have the pattern as the size is based on your stitch gauge and your personal measurements so is different for everyone.

There is also progress on the conservatory which has now been plastered and has electricity.

I've also had someone to measure up for flooring to cover the mess the plasterers made.

The bad news this week is that I have strained a muscle in my back. Lots of lovely sitting and knitting you may think. But no, I still have the same household chores to do, Steven to feed and bath, just at half the speed. Hopefully, the Ibuprofen will start to kick in soon.

It's here........

......... at last! The much anticipated Yarn Forward magazine arrived this morning.

I haven't had much time to look at it yet, but there are some interesting articles, quite a bit on socks and a charming baby Kimono. I can see a long session with a cup of coffee, once Steven is fed.

The conservatory build is progressing with the minimum of disruption, although access to the computer has been limited. Hopefully, construction on the top should start on Monday.

I was told to keep off the wet concrete (goes without saying). When I returned from a visit to the wheelchair clinic with Steven I found this.......
......a row of prints leading to and from the back door! Too small to be any of the builders, further investigation proved it was a neighbour who was looking through the kitchen window to see if I was in! Although she swore the concrete was dry.

Out with the old.......

.........in with the new, hopefully. Yes, tomorrow work is starting to replace this.......

with a brand new conservatory, twice the size, and rotproof!

The main problem I'm going to face is that my computer room is on the right and to get to it I shall have to take a flying leap from the kitchen door, in the centre, to the door on the right. I shall probably be faced with a large hole especially while the foundations are being dug. This means I may not be able to use the computer for a while. My washing machine is also in this area, so no washing will be done.

Now Steven is getting some respite care, I'm managing to get out more. Yesterday, my mother and I spent the afternoon at Wightwick Manor, a national trust property in Wolverhampton. It is a late Victorian house and a shrine to William Morris. Very OTT but somehow it works.

The gardens were not at their best, despite the early spring, as nothing much was flowering except the wisteria.

Just in time

I managed to complete this at the weekend.

Just in time as it happens, baby Harvey arrived on Saturday. According to his Grandad, he is a big lad at 8lb. 12ozs. so it was lucky that I decided to make a larger BSJ as the others would have been too small. So a parcel will soon be winging its way up to Yorkshire.

I will soon be invaded by builders as I am having a new conservatory built. The
Garden Room, Large Porch , I have at present, has started to rot and it's doubtful if it will last much longer. So, a good opportunity for a bigger, more comfortable room and another knitting area!

Here are a couple of before photos. As you can see it is a dumping ground at the moment so must get on to Freecycle and unload some of the unwanted junk. However, the chair was made by my Grandfather as a nursing chair when I was a baby, so I shall be sad to see it go.