A New Obsession
Bianca SilvaHello, hello!
I am back at it this week after a weekend away in Portugal.
The weather was horrible, but it was lovely seeing family and friends. My daughters especially loved being with their cousin because they don’t get to see each other often.
While there, I decided to visit a local yarn shop, one I had been to previously to buy yarn for a sweater (which I have not made yet!😂).
The mission was to get neon sock yarn because I am currently in my sock knitting era. Unfortunately, they only had earthy tones but since I don’t have those colours either, I got 5 skeins, one in each colour.
The plan is to add pops of colour to these neutral tones because I’m not going through the hassle of making socks only for them to look boring! 😂
Since I got back from Portugal, I’ve been prepping the kits for the Valentine’s Pop-Up Workshop at Janome next week.
I’ve cut all the fabric and wadding to size, labelled them and added a heart zipper pull to keep in with the heart theme. I’m also adding some instructions in case those coming would like to make the pouch again in their own time.
The tickets for this workshop are now sold out and I am so looking forward to it!
I am going to plan another around Easter time and would love your input please!
What sort of project would you like to make if you came to an Easter inspired workshop? A bag? A garment? An actual Easter inspired project? Throw me some of your ideal projects to work on at a workshop please.
And speaking of events, the Sewn at Midnight Gala tickets are nearly all gone! ♥️
I am so excited now!
The first part of the event, the fabric shopping day, will take place in exactly 5 weeks. This is for ticket holders only who will get 25% off full priced fabrics.
I would love to see the last remaining seats taken and you can join us by booking your ticket here: https://beesilva.co.uk/pages/sewn-at-midnight-gala
We also had a Sew&Bond™ this weekend and it was lovely!
So many gorgeous fabrics were being made up into blouses, pyjamas, dresses, a shacket, a bag and an apron. Such a wide variety of projects!
There was also some upcycling happening with one person bringing in some old towels to turn into trousers to wear straight after getting out of cold water swimming.
As always, thank you so much for coming. ♥️
I have put a few more dates on the website for Sew&Bond™ up until August and I would love to have you join us.
Stitches of the Week
Summer Lee - Leap Year Socks
I finished these as we landed in Portugal! 🎉
I only needed to graft the toes closed but I thought that it would be better to leave for a quieter time.
They travelled all around with me (in my new Patchwork Heart Quilted Pouch) waiting for that time and it never came in Portugal. I ended up doing it when I arrived back home.
Then I blocked them which was the first time I blocked socks, and what a difference that made! Wow!
Some of my loopy mistakes were too loopy to fix, but they are definitely disguised a lot better, so they aren’t really bothering me.
These socks really did something in my brain and all I can think about is the different colour combo socks I am going to make next.
I think I may be dedicating 2026 to sock knitting because how many sweaters and vests can you really knit? I don’t have much space left in my wardrobe!
Yarn: Yarnsmiths Merino Sock in Pistachio gifted by Wool Warehouse and Drops Fabel
Size: M
Needle Size: 2mm and 2.5mm
The Win: Enjoying the slow progress. Plus they are nearly done now.
Summer Lee - Colourblocked Ribbed Socks from The Sock Project book
I was quite certain that I was going to finish the green pair while on holiday so I went prepared and took an extra skein for a new pair.
Since I’m enjoying sock knitting so much, I decided to get a book that I’ve had my eye on for quite some time, The Sock Project by Summer Lee.
I love her style that always includes pops of colours and that’s how I want all my socks to look like. Fun and colourful.
You only live once and have limited time, so why not make and wear exactly what you want.
I went for ribbed socks for this pair because I want to experiment with as many textures as I can and have all my socks look different from each other.
But pink seems to be a common colour in all the ones I’ve made up to now, except my first ever pair.
One thing that completely slipped my mind was winding the skein into two separate balls so I could have the colour gradient be the same on both socks.
It only clicked when I actually saw the colour changing, but I actually don’t mind at all how they are turning out. I love them!
Changes I made for this pair was to go back up a size to an L because I felt the green pair were a tiny bit tight.
Yarn: Drops Fabel in Dark Pink and Dolce Sock Wool Dots in Honey Mustard
Size: L
Needle Size: 2.25mm
The Win: This is my new addiction!
The Drama: When I started the heel flap today I realised I cast on 4 stitches less for one sock than the other!😫 Can’t believe it and I’m not starting it again at this point.
Skill Builder of the Week
Colour Wheel
So many times I’ve gone online searching for an image of a colour wheel to help me decide what colours to put together for a project, so I finally decided to get one.
I want to do a little more quilt work this year, plus fun knitted socks, and colours can make or break projects. So having a colour wheel to hand will help me (hopefully) prep and create eye catching combinations easier.
If you ever struggle with picking colours, whether for sewing, quilting, knitting, decorating your home, or any creative project, a colour wheel can be a game-changer. It makes experimenting with colours fun, easy, and a little less intimidating.
Maker Spotlight
This week’s spotlight goes to @sew.with.caro!
This set is gorgeous and it looks so comfortable!😍
Instead of packing up to move home, Caroline decided to make a moving outfit. I think it was time well spent!
The patterns used are both from Viki Sews, the Farrah and the Isha. The fabric is a green sweatshirt from Leon’s Fabrics.
Want to be featured in my newsletter? Just reply with a pic of your make and a little about it, I’d love to see what you’ve made!😍
Events:
Sew&Bond™ - 11th of February 2026 (SOLD OUT)
Sew&Bond™ - 28th of February 2026 (SOLD OUT)
Sew&Bond™ - 14th of March 2026 (1 Spot Available!)
Sew&Bond™ - 28th of March 2026 (SOLD OUT)
Sew&Bond™ - 25th of April 2026 (SOLD OUT)
Sew&Bond™ - 30th of May 2026 (NEW DATE ADDED)
Sew&Bond™ - 27th of June 2026 (NEW DATE ADDED)
Sew&Bond™ - 25th of July 2026 (NEW DATE ADDED)
Sew&Bond™ - 29th of Aug 2026 (NEW DATE ADDED)
Workshops:
Patchwork Heart Quilted Zipper Pouch Workshop (SOLD OUT)
Build Your Confidence in Sewing Workshop
From Fabric to Finished Tote Bag Workshop