Portugal Never Fails

Hello!👋

Hope you have been keeping well!

The Penny Pinny’s I made for our friend’s twins were well received!

I did make them a size bigger than their actual measurements, so I have yet to see how they look in them.

In case you missed them last week, here they are:

We returned last night from seeing my partner’s family and the flight was shaky due the storm that was/is passing by!

During my aviation career I had felt turbulence a lot worse, but it was the first time my kids experienced it, and they weren’t phased by it! They were enjoying it, until it got a little too much for the youngest and she said she wasn’t feeling too good. 😅

We landed with no incident and I was so happy to be home again. There is nothing better than sleeping in your own bed.

I took 8 balls of the Yarnsmiths Merino Dk yarn as I wasn’t sure how much knitting I would get done, but I definitely over shot it! 😂

All my knitting was done during car rides or at night when the kids were in bed and I only used 3 balls, but I achieved the goal I set myself which was to knit at least one bodice panel! 

This is the back panel done and I also managed to start knitting the front bodice panel.

The beads do take some patience to get on, and of course delay the process a little, but it’s all part of the creative process. 

I got stuck on the back panel while away and I asked the lovely knitting community on Instagram for some help!

I overlooked a very important detail, a word, in the instructions to decrease the armholes and neck, but after it was pointed out, I managed to understand what I needed to do for that specific step and the next one too!

In case you are interested, I am using a free pattern from Paintbox Yarns, the Breton Sweater. Apart from the bit where I got stuck, all other instructions up until now has been easy to understand, but I don’t get (yet) why the shoulders are cast off like they are.

They are cast off in like a step formation and the neck stitches are on a stitch holder to work them later on. 

I have never used this method before so let’s see what happens when it’s time to work them and also stitch the shoulders together. 🤔

I didn’t have time to be at my sewing machine this week because I was away, but I did get a few bits for my bag making stash!

I bought some zipper tape in 2 different colours and a few bits of hardware like swivel clasps, magnetic snap fasteners and stitch markers for my knitting to name a few.

My Christmas sewing list also got a little longer because my daughters were given some Barbies, and although they already had some at home, these were somehow more special. 🤷🏼‍♀️

The eldest has requested I make some more clothes for them and she has even worked out my stitching schedule after I said I wouldn’t have time to make all that she was asking. 😂

She said I could stitch one item a day until Christmas and they would basically have a whole new wardrobe! 😂

I am not quite sure what I am going to do about the new wardrobe, but I can make a couple of elasticated waist skirts each as they would be pretty quick to get done.

I do know that I definitely want to make a Barbie carrier/bed type thing with handles that they can carry them around in. I am probably going to self draft this one and I feel it will be a fun make! 😀

In case you are a little nosy like I am and would like to see some photos of while we were away, here are a few.

This photo was taken in Aveiro, which is nicknamed ‘Venice of Portugal’, it has a beautiful canal with so many colorful boats riding people around.

We had some ‘castanhas’ (chestnuts) there which are typical to buy anywhere in the country during the autumn and winter season.

They are roasted and sprinkled with salt in this chestnut grill and I love to eat them! My kids weren’t so fond of them.

Another food I like to eat is ‘bacalhau’, which is cod that has been dried and salted. To prepare the cod for cooking, it needs to be soaked in water for a few days to remove the salt and rehydrate it.

Here is a photo of one of the dishes we had:

This is roasted cod and potatoes with chickpeas, onions and cabbage.

It may look like a small dish in the photo, but this was enough to feed 3 adults and 2 children!

One of my favourite things to do when in another country is eat the local cuisine, and for me, Portugal never fails!

😎Confidence Corner:

It always seems impossible until it's done. - Nelson Mandela

At some point in our lives, we all face challenges that feel too big to handle. Whether it’s a personal goal, a career milestone or a life change, it can seem like achieving success is out of reach. Feeling like success is impossible is natural, it’s our mind’s way of protecting us from the thought of failure.

The truth is, everything that feels impossible at first becomes doable once you start.

Think about any achievement in your own life that once felt out of reach. Maybe you didn’t know where to begin, or you doubted you had what it took. Yet, step by step, you figured it out.

“Impossible” is just a feeling, it fades away when you take action.

Every small step moves you closer, even if it doesn’t feel like it at the time.

One day, you’ll look back and wonder why you ever doubted yourself.

🧵Today's Sewing Tip:

Use a scrap piece of fabric to test your stitches.

Before you start sewing your project, take time to test your needle, stitch length and thread tension on a scrap piece of the same fabric you will be using. 

This small, quick step will save you from mistakes or the frustration of having to seam rip your project later.

You can ensure that your stitches look neat and are right for the type of fabric you are working with.

⭐My Favourite Things This Week:

• Achieved my goal of knitting one bodice panel of my new knitting project while away - the Breton Sweater by Paintbox Yarns.
• Seeing my daughters enjoy spending time with their grandfather and family.

🗓️Upcoming Plans

• Continue knitting my silver beaded Breton Sweater.
• Re-visit the written instructions for my patterns.
• Make Christmas presents for my girls. And maybe my partner. 😂

🎉Upcoming Events

14th of December 2024 - Sew&Bond - Sewing Social Event - in Gatley Hill House, South Manchester, 11:45h - 17:15h
Email bianca@beesilva.co.uk and quote reference: SEWBOND012
For more information: https://www.beesilva.co.uk/sewbond012/

2025 Dates!

18th of January 2025 - Sew&Bond - Sewing Social Event
23rd of February 2025 - Sew&Bond - Sewing Social Event
22nd of March 2025 - Sew&Bond - Sewing Social Event
26th of April 2025 - Sew&Bond - Sewing Social Event

Question of the Week:

How is your Christmas sewing going?

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Thank you so much for reading it! And if you enjoyed it, please tell a friend about it to allow me to reach more people. 🥰

Bye for now,
B! xx