Finally got my nerve back. Nearly done now.

It's grown a bit. Nice easy mindless knitting.

Excitement! I've just cast on a new project onto my brand shiny new Addi turbo needle. It's going to be (hem hem) the Chinese Charm bag from the S'n'B book. I'm knitting it in Noro Hotaru using two strands together.

Almost done. The toe I had to do three times because I couldn't get it to line up! It was strictly for dislocated feet only. All sorted now.

While I'm gathering my nerves to try the gloves once more, I'm knitting a pair of socks for my friend Hannah. I'm off to see my family in Cornwall next week and have a long train journey, so this little project should come in handy.

Well, said glove has been reborn, having the whole hand and one little finger completed. The rest is hanging on stitch holders while I get my nerves together enough to tackle the fingers again. I still have a few weeks until Peter goes to Poland, and once I've done one glove, the other should be simple! (Famous last words!!)

So proud was I of my newly acquired circular knitting skills. Until the Glove defeated me. The thumb gusset was too small and the two fingers I knit looked like sausages. So I've ripped it out, wound it up, cried a bit, now psyching myself up to start all over again...

I started knitting this a few weeks back, but it feels a bit weird knitting woolies in such hot weather. I've finished the back and this is as far as I've got with the front. Anyway, it's a present for my mum's birthday which isn't till December.

The pattern is the same one I used for my yellow sweater, plus a few modifications. The designer is a lady called Martha Lazar from Brooklyn, USA and I got the pattern from Debbie Stoller's book "Stitch and Bitch". The yarn is Sirdar Extra Chunky in Denim, and I'm knitting on 9mm straight needles. I love these needles, they're wooden and grannified, a bargain off E-bay for about three quid.

So far I have made a start on the gloves, you can see the lovely ball of Opal patterned yarn in the background. This is the start of the cuff.

How I love Opal patterned yarns. I am becoming addicted both to the yarns and circular knitting on dpns. At first I was afraid that all the stitches would fall off, and I actually knit my first pair of socks inside out cos I was teaching myself how to knit on four needles...

I am now working on a pair of Gloves - with fingers and everything - for my brother to take on his trip to Poland. He'll need them there!!