Meet Holiday Handmade Cavalcade Sponsor Purl Soho

We are incredibly fortunate to have Purl Soho as a Platinum sponsor of this year’s Holiday Handmade Cavalcade. Our next festive event will be held December 16-17 at the Brooklyn Historical Society in downtown Brooklyn.

Beloved by countless Etsy shop owners, Purl Soho supplies top quality materials for sewing, knitting, crocheting, and all embroidery needs. At its Soho store you will find an amazing array of pure and natural fibers and patterns for your next needlecraft project.

Since 2002, Purl has been sharing its passion for beauty and quality designs in its extremely customer-focused business. “At Purl Soho we have always worked to create a friendly and comfortable place for everyone: locals and tourists, beginners and experts, regulars and one-time shoppers,” says Purl’s Executive Assistant/Studio Manager, Laura Enos. “We foster an environment where customers become friends and our place is yours,” she adds.

Purl began as a tiny yarn shop on Sullivan Street, in the heart of New York City’s Soho neighborhood. Four years later in 2006, it opened a fabric store, Purl Patchwork, just a few doors down. And in 2010, the founders’ dream became a reality, when the present large and beautiful Purl Soho location opened its doors, furnishing all needlecraft materials under one roof.

Three co-owners, sisters Joelle and Jennifer Hoverson, and close friend, Page Marchese Norman, envision Purl as a home for crafters near and far, from around the corner and around the globe. Makers visit the Soho location as well as its online website. “We love to answer questions, share accomplishments, research solutions, and exchange inspiration,” say the owners, who are former editors and stylists. “It’s why we do what we do!”

In 2012, Purl proudly launched its own Purl Soho brand yarn, a super soft merino. They now boast nearly 20 yarns in their exclusive collection, plus linen fabrics, notions, and dozens of boxed kits.

And one of these learn-to- knit boxed kits could be yours, if you are a lucky Purl Soho raffle winner at this year’s Holiday Handmade Cavalcade. Every shopper at the holiday market will receive a raffle ticket with each purchase. Purl is also giving out a selection of its gorgeous super soft merino yarn in the Cavalcade goody bags this year. On any day of the Cavalcade, be one of the first 25 people to make a purchase from one of our talented local vendors and bring home this exceptional yarn in one of the complimentary Goody Bags!

Purl is excited to be such a large part of this year’s unique holiday event, and hopes you will visit its store online, or in person. They can’t wait to meet you!

Meet Holiday Handmade Cavalcade Platinum Sponsor Social Ink

We are thrilled that Social Ink has signed on as a Platinum sponsor in this year’s Holiday Handmade Cavalcade, which will be held December 8–10 at the corner of Broadway and Great Jones St. in Manhattan and December 16–17 at the Brooklyn Historical Society in downtown Brooklyn. “Social Ink is proud to sponsor the hard-working, small businesses of the NY Handmade Collective’s Holiday Cavalcade,” says Matthew Pinto, Social Ink’s Principal, Lead Design.  

Social Ink is a web design and development business with a social conscience. “We believe in working hard to make the world a better place,” Pinto says.

And for over a decade, the web design company has been doing just that. From its base in DUMBO, Brooklyn, the experienced and committed staff works closely with non-profits and foundations, community organizations and educational initiatives, and select small businesses to achieve specific activist pursuits. From social justice to environmental issues, Social Ink is dedicated to working with local individuals striving to improve the world around them. 

The web service excels at customizing its work to reach the goals of each unique client. “If you work hard for an organization doing good work, we’d love to help,” says Pinto, who sees Social Ink as a soup-to-nuts website service. It specializes in all web needs, from initial design to brand overhauls, from digital communication strategizing to specific web campaigns, always with a clear and overarching passion for improving the quality of our lives. 

As a Platinum sponsor, Social Ink will be raffling off one hour of its web consulting service at the Cavalcade. The winner will be lucky to take advantage of Social Ink’s discerning ability to transform aims and ideals into a high performance, goal-oriented website.

Social Ink is excited to be a part of this year’s Cavalcade, and wishes all the best to the local handmakers who showcase their unique work at this special holiday market.

Visiting NYC During the Holiday Season: Exploring, Shopping, and Sightseeing- Itineraries for Two and Five Days

When I returned to New York as an adult, a new friend and co-worker said to me, "New York City around the holidays is absolutely magical. The lights, the store windows, the snow - it is all so exciting! Then January and February hit and you wish all the snow and cold would disappear!" As a native, and now, seasoned New Yorker, I couldn't agree more with her statement.

With the Thanksgiving holiday, New York turns into a snow globe of magic. If it snows, even more so. People bundled up and sloshing around make for a quiet and pretty New York City experience. Sure, people are still as feisty as ever, it is the holiday season after all, and shopping can be overwhelming even for those prepared with lists and gifts already purchased, but there is an overall sense of happiness and delight that comes with interacting with strangers.

The holiday season is also the busiest for New York City travel wise. Many visitors from around the world come to experience all that New York offers during the season including the endless shopping. EtsyNY team members know all about the shopping season, as they're currently and hurriedly making and packing goods for upcoming markets. 

In preparation for the season upon us, I've put together a list, with the help of native New Yorkers and current residents, of what is considered "must do/see" when visiting New York in December depending on a two-day/weekend or a full five-day/week schedule.

Two Days in NY: Holiday Windows + Handmade Markets at Bryant Park and Union Square + Rockerfeller Center

1. You definitely want to see the windows of Macy's at 34th Street and Lord & Taylor at 5th Ave. Both are gorgeous displays of holiday merriment.

2. If you're looking for unique and special gifts for the holidays, you want to make sure you visit the holiday markets set up at Bryant Park at 42nd and 5th Ave (on the map in point 3) and Union Square* at 14th Street. There are a few more open holiday markets such as Columbus Circle (no map available), but, these two I can confirm definitely have EtsyNY Team members selling their handmade and locally made wares.

If you're visiting Union Square, I highly, and I mean highly, recommend you stop at The City Bakery on 18th between 5th and 6th Avenues. They have some of the most decadent hot chocolate in the world. They also have these amazing homemade marshmallows that slowly melt by the temperature of the hot chocolate. YUM! As you're walking along this tour, you'll be glad to have one! 

Note on this map that Chelsea Market, which is hosting our annual Handmade Cavalcade, is listed on here and is the main focus on this map. Our Handmade Cavalcade is detailed below in the five day/week long schedule.

3. Last, but not least, you'd have to see 42nd Street, or Times Square. Minutes away from there is Bryant Park, which is listed as a place to shop at their open holiday market; Grand Central Terminal, which is a beautiful building and also has trains to points North by way of Metro North; Rockerfeller Center, which has their famous Christmas Tree; and Radio City Music Hall, which currently has the Rockettes Holiday Show, "Christmas Spectacular" performing and is a must see.

Five Days in NY:  Holiday Windows + Handmade Markets at Bryant Park and Union Square + Rockerfeller Center + NY Botanical Garden Annual Train Show + Christmas Lights in Dyker Heights, Brooklyn

1 - 3.  See the three maps above and check out all of those options, as they're within walking distance from each other.

4. If you have a couple of hours to spend walking the grounds of the New York Botanical Garden, I recommend it. Currently, the annual Train Show (celebrating its 25th year!) is on display and it is perfect for children and adults! The trains have history and, as is New York City, are always evolving. I suggest you add this to your visit to Grand Central Terminal. You can purchase a ticket upon arrival, or on MTA's website to take the Metro-North Harlem local line to Botanical Garden Station.  It's a 20-minute train ride. The main entrance is across the street from the train station. You can't miss it!

Note: Almost directly across from the NY Botanical Garden is the Bronx Zoo. I'm not sure what they have on display for the Holidays, but if you're up there, you might want to make a full day and visit both locations. Remember, they're both large and you'll want to map your day accordingly if you do both.

5. Take a tour of the houses with Christmas light displays in Dyker Heights, Brooklyn! This is another option that requires some time and should be done in the evening. The lights go on at dark, around 5pm and stay on until around 9pm, give or take. The lights are definitely worth seeing around mid-December, if you can trek out to Dyker Heights. When I visited a few years ago, I did a bus tour through A Slice of Brooklyn that ran 3.5 hours, met at Union Square, and had a cannoli and coffee stop at the end. Their website (link above) has all details, including how to purchase tickets. Well worth the money in my opinion!

If you're not interested in spending that kind of money, you can take the subway to Dyker Heights, averaging around an hour each way and walk around the houses. There are some hills, so if you go the walking way, don't complain that you were not warned! Also, depending on when you go, it may be really cold, so you'll want to be bundled warmly if walking around.  Free Tours by Foot has some great instructions on how to best get there, along with streets and houses you want to make sure you see.

Note: Brooklyn is not scaled and therefore is not accurate. It should be wider.

4. Last, but not least, you should head over to Chelsea Market. It's an institution and the High Line Park is around the corner. It has delicious eats and some great shops and most importantly, it will have the EtsyNY team Holiday Handmade Cavalcade (HHC) for the third year!

This year, the HHC will run for a full week - opening Monday, December 5th and closing on Sunday, December 11th. We are hosting a "Sip 'n' Shop" event on Thursday, December 8th between the hours of 6:30pm and 9:00pm. The event is sponsored by Brooklyn Brewery and will have alcoholic beverages for you to drink while shopping. The Handmade Holiday Cavalcade is a sought after event and we highly recommend RSVPing ahead of time for both the Cavalcade and the Sip 'n' Shop event. Shoppers without an RSVP will be charged $2.00 at the door.

If your holiday travels bring you to NYC at any time through the holiday season, we welcome you! Not to mention, you have a few ideas on how to spend your time. We hope you'll enjoy them, if you do decide to use these suggested schedules.

If you happen upon our glorious City during December 5th-11th, we hope you'll find your way into Chelsea Market and into the doors of our Handmade Holiday Cavalcade, leaving you with everlasting treasures from your holiday visit.

Happy Holidays!

Sara Stroman

Sara is a stationery maker and paper lover and runs S2 Stationery & Design. Since the young age of seven, she loved grabbing handfuls of deposit slips from banks and using the carbon copy paper to trace designs. In 2012, she traveled to Echizen, Japan to learn paper making from well known paper makers in the community with the blessing of their paper goddess. She also loves to travel and as you can see, doodling maps not set to scale.

Eating Good at Chelsea Market, While Shopping at the 2016 Holiday Handmade Cavalcade

One of the best things about the Holiday Handmade Cavalcade is its location, in Chelsea Market. Chelsea Market is chock full of good things to eat and I’m going to share some of my favorites!

If you love coffee like I do, you will appreciate the smoothness of a 9th Street Espresso cappuccino. Named after its original site in the East Village, this location is sort of in the middle of Chelsea market.

The Cavalcade is just across from Amy’s Bread, where in addition to loaves, slices of cake, cupcakes and other delicious baked goods, you can get freshly made sandwiches. Amy’s also has, in my opinion, some of the best lemonade around!

When you’re craving Thai, I recommend Chelsea Thai Wholesale. Here, you can buy authentic Thai grocery ingredients as well as a comprehensive selection of prepared-to-order food. Here’s my Pad See Ew with tender rice noodles and chicken.

Another fantastic choice – and super cheap – is Los Tacos No. 1. Just look for the line (don’t worry, it moves very quickly!) by the tea and spice place. I love the molcajte mortar and pestles that hold the serve-yourself salsas and lime wedges.

It’s pretty common to see people feasting on whole lobsters from The Lobster Place. I asked a couple if they would mind my taking a picture because, really, what more is there to say!

Inside Buon Italia, there is a vast selection of hard-to-find authentic Italian ingredients to make your own meals.  Outside, there are prepared foods to eat on-site.

Dickson’s Farmstand creates sandwiches and hotdogs from their house-made charcuterie. Take home a freshly made rotisserie chicken and sides for an easy dinner.

Indie Fresh features a health-conscious, organic lineup of soups, salads, mains, and juices along with many vegan options.

It’s important to stay well-fed while shopping the Holiday handmade Cavalcade! These are just a few of the many lunch options at Chelsea Market to help you shop happy. And don’t forget the free brownie samples at Fat Witch Bakery

See you at the Cavalcade!

Lu

Lu, of LuCrafts, is a part-time crafter who lives in Manhattan where she loves using paper to create beautiful objects for everyday use. Her cat Cookie helps by being cute and not judging the state of her workroom, aka living room!

Meet Holiday Handmade Cavalcade Platinum Sponsor Brother Sewing and Embroidery!

Brother Sewing and Embroidery has signed on as a sponsor in this year’s Holiday Handmade Cavalcade, to be held Dec. 5th and 6th, and we’re excited for the great products they’ll have for sale at the Etsy NY Team’s annual holiday market. As this year’s biggest sponsor, Brother will be on hand to help the creative community upgrade their equipment and stitch up a storm of handmade gifts of their own. Shoppers can buy two of the brand’s best models at the event and order other styles that can be shipped directly to their home.

“We are honored to be the Platinum Sponsor of the Holiday Handmade Cavalcade,” said Dean F. Shulman, Sr. Vice President of Brother International Corporation. “Brother sets the standard for innovation and unleashes creative freedom for all DIY/crafters, paper crafters, quilters, sewers and mixed media artists. We are here to show our support of the Etsy New York Street Team and our handmade crafting community.”

Crafters will be able to see the brand’s newest sewing machine models, including the ScanNCut2. You can scan in your designs or choose from any of the more than 1,000 built in designs and fonts for your creations. This improved model also features a larger color LCD touch screen display and a 300dpi scanner that can process images up to 12 in. by 24 in. in size. The machine can then cut your design out of paper and fabric.

The Simplicity SB700T is another new model that shoppers will be able to buy directly from Brother at the Holiday Handmade Cavalcade. This puppy is nothing like your grandmother’s sewing machine with computerized features like an LCD display, 70 built-in stitches, seven styles of 1-step auto-size buttonholes and electronic variable speed control.

In addition to these two cool machines, Brother will have the Dream Machine and Persona for viewing. Shoppers won’t be able to go home with one of these, but can place an order with a representative and have it shipped directly to their home. Or, if feeling generous, can surprise a dear crafter with a special gift for the holidays.

To stay up to date on all of Brother’s new product releases and news, visit brother.com and be sure to follow them on Facebook and Instagram. For info about their latest ScanNCut2, follow them on Facebook.com/scanncutusa and Instagram at @BrothersScanncutusa. And be sure to stop by their table at the 8th Annual Holiday Handmade Cavalcade this weekend!

Hunt down these extra-hot deals at the Cavalcade!

We’re less than two weeks away from our eagerly anticipated Holiday Handmade Cavalcade in Chelsea Market, and some of our makers are spicing things up with an on-site Scavenger Hunt!  As a reward to you -- our faithful blog readers -- just quietly mention this Scavenger Hunt to any of the participating vendors, and you’ll enjoy a secret little freebie or discount.  

Note: when you first enter the event, stop by our team table to pick up a Vendor Map. It lists every single vendor selling, so it’ll be particularly helpful for you Scavenger Hunters.

Here are our participating vendors, and what each is offering:

Wandering Laur

One free card with $20 purchase

Be My Bee

One free Snowman card with purchase

Vicki Finkel Ceramics

One free pitcher (from a select group) with purchase

resetreality

Two free bird stickers

Astridland

A small surprise freebie with purchase

Tamara Garvey Illustration

One free birch forest card with purchase

NYC Vinyl Dreams

Free decal for a phone/laptop with purchase

Soluna Soluna

5% discount off your purchase

Divine NY & Co.

Receive 20% off any item in our booth

Koto

Free postcard with purchase

LuCrafts

Free Upcycled Magnet if you whisper, "Blitzen sent me." No purchase necessary!

SimplyNu

One lip balm of your choice with any purchase

a Studio by the Sea

A free small holiday notecard with any purchase

Birdy27 Designs

Buy 1 hat over $50 and a coordinating cowl, neck warmer or scarf and receive $5 off! (While supplies last!)
 

Again, don’t forget to stop at our team table once you arrive at the event, so you can pick up a Vendor Map and find these deals -- plus locate the rest of our fabulous vendors!  

We can’t wait to see you at the Cavalcade.  :D