End of the Summer Soiree

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There's still plenty of time to plan an end-of-summer get-together before school starts and vacations end. I present some {New New} items to make the party a little brighter.


Order invitations from Grace Notes Papers to let your friends know they're welcome to stop by for a spot of tea and perhaps a scone or two.


A festive banner by copabananas will greet your guests and set the stage for a pleasant evening.


Decorative pillows from Cynthia Lawrence are both lovely to look at and practical for superior chair comfort.


Fill a MayLuk scroll vase with flowers for your table.


And don't forget a set of four coasters from bungaloe to protect that table in style.



--Lisa
pandawithcookie.etsy.com

Summer Knitting in the City

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I have always been a crafter and feel a need to keep busy, especially when traveling. A few years ago, I discovered knitting and found that it was the perfect mobile craft. I was originally self taught from books, but have since discovered that taking classes here in the city improved my skills and understanding of the craft so much more. I learned how to finish a garment, how to choose the right yarn for the right project, how to fix some mistakes... I even learned how to crochet.

Knitting on the subways and buses is such a natural thing to do as a crafter in NYC. All you need is one skein of yarn, knowledge of two stitches (knit and purl), and one set of knitting needles at a time and off you go. Buying and using circular needles made it so easy that I found myself going everywhere with a knitting project in tow. With the circular needle, I wouldn't even bother those who sat next to me with my long needles clicking away. As I knit, I found that other passengers were interested in learning about the art of knitting and would strike up conversations about knitting groups, materials, shops, etc. I have taught more than a few children in the Bronx how to knit on my morning or afternoon commutes to and from the school I taught within and I even began to carry an extra set of needles and scrap yarn in my bag, just in case.

As it got hotter and hotter in the city during the summer months, I found myself struggling to continue with my commuting pastime though. The feeling of wool passing between my fingers warms and comforts me in the winter and fall, but makes me itch and sweat in the summer. Then I discovered the wonders of cotton and bamboo yarns, that are fabulous for summer shawls, baby knits and household knits. These yarns are less expensive than their wool and alpaca counterparts (for the most part) and softer than their acrylic cousins. All of the projects fit nicely into my happy tote and are readily available for every commute by train, bus, or ferry, for every queue that I must wait within, and for every park that has a bench or lawn to sit upon. Heck, knitting is the one craft that is endorsed by America's favorite summer sport, baseball. A bleacher seat is a great setting to knit considering that major league sporting events take commercial breaks and now there are cup holders for your beer. Stitch N' Pitch events are scheduled throughout the world. Check out the schedule for a game in your area.

Summer in the city is also the moving season for most NYC dwellers. Housewarming parties become frequent calendar events. A summer knit project may become that perfect housewarming gift. A set of hand-knit dish cloths are a great eco-friendly gift possibility. Below I have listed several other summer knitting project possibilities. And if you have an iPhone or something of that sort, there are now numerous applications that help a knitter keep track of their stitches and/or their stashes.

Speaking of stashes, when it comes to yarn in the summertime, I have learned that going into the shops and talking to those who work there, asking for advice, and feeling the yarns are the best things that you may do before starting your summer knit projects. Some of the shops that offer a wonderful selection of classes and materials are Purl Soho in Soho, Knitty City on the UWS, and Flying Fingers in Tarrytown, NY. Please check out their websites for details as they offer new classes each month in a wide variety of skill levels and have new yarns coming in almost every week. Also, a couple of the shops mentioned are offering special deals for you lucky readers! For those of you not in the NYC area, they do offer online shopping too!

Knitty City
208 West 79th St
10% discount for all shoppers mentioning The {NewNew} between 7/26/2009-8/26/2009
They will be closed from August 11 - August 16 though.
Look out for their kimono fabrics and handmade papers too!

Purl Soho
137 Sullivan Street
Check www.purlbee.com for special {NewNew} offers too.

 Flying Fingers
15 Main Street, Tarrytown, New York
Offers free transportation from NYC to Tarrytown, NY aboard the Yarn Bus. Check their website for the schedule and how to make a reservation. A great Saturday getaway for the knitter looking to get out of the city for the day, enjoy the Hudson views, and get their knit on.


Marvelous Summer Knitting Project Ideas (with FREE patterns)













iPhone Applications that may make your mobile knitting even easier:
(Links open in iTunes)

Knitting Yarn Calculator
Ewe Stash
KnitGauge
Knit Buddy
iKnit Needle Sizer
KnittyBag
Knit Counter
iLocate - wool & yarn
ConvertKnit
StitchMinder
Knit Counter Lite
StitchCounter
YarnStash

If you love and want the knitted item, but don't care to knit it yourself, then check out the following {NewNew} team members and their beautifully knit items in their etsy shops.





Anne
Felt It
muppetloon.etsy.com

A {NewNew} Flavor of Ice Cream

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A few months ago, I was invited by a friend to participate in a head-to-head Iron Chef-style ice cream challenge. The curve ball was the secret ingredient: Wine. Naturally this required a fair amount of drinking as I had to get the flavors correct, of course.


Eventually I figured out that the key is to boil off the alcohol, which also intensifies the flavor as the wine is reduced. I was a little worried that it might become grape-y, so I added a little spice -- a few cinnamon sticks, some pepper, and vanilla. Weird, right?

And yet it worked! (And my house smelled great while it was simmering).

I'm so excited about how this came out. It actually tastes like wine, but with a depth of flavor that makes you pause as it melts over your tongue. You know it's wine, but it's also ice cream, and then there are all these other subtle fruit and spice flavors dancing on the margins. A very sophisticated dish and perfect for a grown-up summer party.


Here's the recipe:
2 bottles cabernet sauvignon (though I imagine a shiraz would also be really good)
2-3 cinnamon sticks
1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
(you may also want to add other mulling spices like cardamon and clove)
2 cups milk
2 cups heavy cream
1 1/4 cups sugar
9 egg yolks
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 - 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract.

Pour wine into a large pot and bring to a simmer. Add cinnamon sticks and peppercorns (plus other spices -- but the wine should be the main flavor, otherwise the ice cream, while still good, becomes less about the wine and more about the spice). Simmer until the wine is reduced to 1 cup, anywhere from 1 - 2 hours.

Depending on how fast your wine is reducing, about half-way into the reduction, bring the milk, cream and half of the sugar to a boil in a large pan and turn off heat.

In a bowl, whisk together yolks and remaining sugar. Temper the yolks into the boiling milk by gradually whisking about 1 cup of warm milk into the yolks and adding this slowly back into the pot with the remaining milk. Stir in the salt and the vanilla. Whisk in the reduced wine. Set pan over a bowl full of ice to cool.

Pour the chilled ice cream liquid through a fine mesh strainer and then into an ice-cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. Freeze at least 2 hours before serving.


Yes, technically I "won" the challenge (the vote was 5-2 in favor of my dish, just in case you were wondering). But really, doesn't everyone win when there's ice cream involved?

Enjoy!



Susan
-- persuede.etsy.com

Beach Trip with The {New New}

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Summer is upon us and it's time to head out of your stuffy third floor apartment with no air conditioning and toward the beach. Here are some {New New} picks to enjoy while tripping for the day or overnight.


A lovely Swarovski crystal starfish necklace crafted by mulry jewels is the perfect thing to announce your beach intentions.


Some frocks and trousers soap by charlie and sarah would look right at home on the sand.


This cotton baby beach hat from NYCrochet will make protection from the sun adorable.


The argyle caps tote bag by bungaloe can be used for a day trip or take it for a quick overnight.


A soy travel candle by Dew On A Petal Home scented with lavender and basil is the perfect thing to set out on your beach house balcony while you enjoy the cool breeze.



--Lisa
pandawithcookie.etsy.com

Summertime Crafting

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So it's officially summertime in New York City. I love the beach, don't you? Sure I don't live near the beautiful blue water beaches of Puerto Rico or the white sandy beaches of the Bahamas, but I love the ocean nevertheless. The ocean is so restoring and inspiring to me. I remember as a kid I used to love going to the Jersey shore and just staring at the ocean waves. I still do that to this day. And then of course you can walk along the boardwalk and have a beer while the little one devours ice cream cone after ice cream cone.
I've been inspired to do so many crafty things lately! I was at my mother in law's house and saw these cute earrings someone made for her out of sea shells. So that got me thinking about all the fun things you can do with shells.
When you're at the beach it's a good idea to walk along the shore line and just collect little sea shells, rocks and bits of sand glass. It's fun and you can ask your little ones to help!
The first idea I had involved making some sand glass pendants. It's so easy!

These pendants are simply made with some beading wire that's wrapped around it and a loop is made for the chain. Cute, right? And super simple!

A good thing to invest in is a jewelry making drill. Fiskars makes a good one, as pictured below.

This drill is cool because you can use it to drill a hole into the sand glass if you want to. You can decoupage an image onto the glass and then drill a hole for a chain or even make earrings out of it.

Then there are the endless possibilities you will have with sea shells. OMG, seriously. You could probably write a book on all the things that are possible to make with sea shells.

My favorite thing to create is this beautiful wreath! How beautiful.
All you have to do is get yourself a foam wreath and come armed with a glue gun and lots of glue sticks. Then you can simply glue them onto your foam wreath, making sure that everything is covered in shells. Be sure to arrange them in a pretty manner of course, and you can overlap them too.
Awesome!

The Craftaholic
Sweet Buddha Designs

The Bounty of Summer

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It is less than a week until summer officially starts which means that it is time to hit up the New York City Greenmarkets and revel in the produce of summer. Soon there will be corn as far as the eye can see, which is just fine by me.

Here are some {NewNew} members who can help you in your quest for the perfect pint of fresh berries and vegetables:


Cherry Necklace from pulp sushi


Artichoke Notecards from Blue Stitch Books


Strawberry Swarovski Earrings from Mulry Jewels


Tea and Cucumber Soap from Dirty Loves Clean


Cherry Basket Cards from CLine Creations



--Lisa
pandawithcookie.etsy.com