Favorite Tools: NordeaSoaperie

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Today's Favorite Tools post highlights the handiwork of soap-making maven, Nordea, of NordeaSoaperie. Nordea's favorite tool is her trusty hand-blender (pictured above). She uses it to cut the time- and labor-intensity of making her hot-process soaps. In hot-process soap-making, fatty acids from oil are combined with sodium hydroxide (lye) and water and then cooked, first on the stove and then in the oven. Heat hastens the chemical reaction that ultimately creates the soap.

Nordea relies on her hand-blender to achieve what soapers call "trace," the point at which the oil and lye-water mixture blends permanently together and can no longer return to its component parts.

Oil and lye-water mixture not-quite-mixed, with bits of oil still visible

As Nordea explains, "With hot-process, it is important to get to a 'heavy trace,' meaning the soap is pretty much solid in the pot before putting it in the oven. The thicker the soap batter, the better the cook."

Heavy trace: The drips of soap from the blender form a pattern on the surface of the soap.

After 45 minutes in the oven the soap has liquified and is ready for the addition of fragrances and pouring into molds.

It takes about 10-15 minutes of mixing with a hand-blender for the oil and lye-water mixture to come to trace. Nordea estimates that it would take at least three times as long without the hand-blender. It would also take very large arm muscles.

But Nordea also makes liquid soap, and here the use of a hand-blender is absolutely imperative. "Even with the [hand]-blender, it takes at least 45 minutes for the soap to come to trace. So I would NOT be able to make my liquid soap without it." And that would be sad!

Until next time --

Linda

The {New New} at the St. Nicholas Faire in Cobble Hill

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A number of {New New} team members will be taking part in the 20th Annual St. Nicholas Faire at the Christ Church in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn. The fair takes place on Saturday, December 12th from 10 to 5. The church is located at 326 Clinton street and convenient to the F/G train to Bergen street. Check out some of the participating shops and start planning your shopping strategy now!














From Muddy To Marvelous: Nordea's Soaperie encounter with Neko Case

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Anyone who vends at one of the many craft shows and markets that take place in New York City knows it can be hit or miss. Sometimes it can really test your tenacity. Especially with the economic climate...and the climate itself!

The {NewNew}'s very own Nordea of Nordea's Soaperie can attest to a day that was less than stellar. It was a day at the All Points West Music Festival when she was selling her fine handcrafted soap. Nordea described how there was just mud everywhere and her favorite shoes were a real mess. Still, she endured the festival and the commitment she had made to display with other crafters.

This story shows that you never know what great things can come out of a day that didn't at first seem all that special.

Nordea recounted to me that a few people bought her Lemon-Poppy Body Polish scrub. Little did she know that a few weeks later, an order would come in for several more. And that the order would come from one amazing singer: Neko Case! Her backup vocalist, Kelly Hogan, also ordered it!

Last Monday morning I received a quick email from Nordea which was very short and to the point:

"Can't give you all the details now, but a singer bought my scrub and wants to invite me as a VIP with a guest for a show tonight, you in??"

My reply: "Heck yeah!!"

After the wonderful (and sold out) show, Nordea and I proceeded to the VIP area to wait patiently for Neko's meet and greet session. After briefly saying hello to some other VIP's, Neko almost instantly spotted Nordea and came over to us and gave us both hugs! I stood by with such a smile on my face as Neko spoke with Nordea to explain how being on tour offers few chances for pure bliss and how Nordea's scrub really was one of the highlights of her tour so far! It was magical, if not surreal. Neko Case is now a bonifide fan of Nordea's Soaperie and has vowed to help Nordea spread the gospel of her handmade soap, as she is a huge fan of the entire handmade revolution herself. Neko even offered to grow plants and herbs at her farm in Vermont especially for Nordea's Soap! She also said that she would try to visit our Holiday Handmade Cavalcade on December 5th!!!

Neko then asked us if we'd like to grab a drink with her and the band at a bar on the Upper West Side not far from the Beacon Theatre. How could we refuse! So off we went and hung out and spoke with, among others, Neko's backup singer Kelly who was also so down to earth and ranting and raving about Nordea's scrub!

It was an unforgettable evening, and I believe that Nordea emerged a rockstar! And in all this, I also believe that everyone can take away valuable message from Nordea's story: You never know when a muddy day will take a turn for the marvelous!

I would like thank Nordea for sharing this moment with me!


by Lorina Pellach-Ladrillono of

The Original Beadscarf