Helping the Little Guys

[picture by Charlie from Skeinz]

Casually scanning Twitter the other day I saw a tweet by Brett Bara with a link to this article about the plight of penguins who survived an oil spill in New Zealand.  

[photo by Toby Zerna/Newspix/Rex USA seen on abc NEWS]

Even though I don't know much about that part of the world (aside from Flight of the Conchords) I found this especially touching: Skeinz yarn store was calling for knitters to make jumpers to warm the penguins before and after rescue workers cleaned them, and to protect them from preening their oil-soaked feathers and being poisoned.  What a great way to use crafty skills!

[photo from Adorablog]

A similar request 10 years ago from the Tasmanian Conservation Trust for 100 jumpers resulted in over 15,000, and now already Skeinz has reported on their blog they've received enough to reach "critical mass"!  Here's video news proof with cleaned up penguins swimming happily.  But if you've already finished a jumper, or just want to try your hand at creating penguin clothes, you can still use this pattern and send to Skeinz for the Wildlife Rescue Team to keep on hand if needed.

So hooray for penguins and for all the knitting and cleaning hands that helped them out.  I'll leave you with my amigurumi penguin: I crocheted him for Christmas 2009 from a Lion Brand Yarn pattern and I love him so. 

For further reading on penguins and crafting doing good:

• Dyan deNapoli, "The Penguin Lady" has a lot more to say about the conservation and rescue efforts.
• Book: Knitting for Good! A Guide to Creating Personal, Social and Political Change Stitch by Stitch by Betsy Greer, read more about her on her Craftivism blog.
• Book & EVENT!: Craft Activism People, Ideas and Projects from the New Community of Handmade and How You Can Join In by Joan Tapper and Gale Zucker.  Read more about them on their Blog and even MEET them in person for a signing at Lion Brand Yarn Studio in NYC next Monday, October 24th 2011 at 6:00 p.m. (RSVP required).
• and of course Many MANY more pics of penguins in sweaters as Googled by Gothamist

Vanilla Peach Lemon Abundance

My 4th canning venture went pretty well.  Justin was away, so Kate came over for Chinese food, wine and to keep me company in the kitchen.

Peeling peaches was easier than I expected, just a little boiling water bath, then a plunge into ice water and....

gasp!  Naked peaches!  They kind of looked like big egg yolks.

Pitting them went well too, I guess they were just ripe enough.

Kate and I chatted and caught up while we sterilized the jars

and filled them up with the sliced peaches.  I loved the laughter in the kitchen as we looked at our old high school yearbook -- we've known each other since kindergarten after all!

Then just a little piece of vanilla bean in each jar, processing in the boiling water and the vanilla permeated the syrup quite nicely.  Mila observed and supervised of course.

Next up, zesting some lemons

and thus, yup, you guessed it: naked lemons!  And lots of butter and some sugar.

For a quick dessert from Canning for a New Generation, I broiled some of the vanilla peaches with some whipped cream and demerara sugar.

Kate even brought birthday presents!  Lovely hand-painted tiles for JOY, HOPE, LOVE and WISH with pink wine and a hand-stamped and punched card.  She knows how much I love the thoughtfulness of handmade gifts, especially when they're pink!

And Justin got home safely from his trip to Seattle, bringing back this beautiful Curtis Steiner necklace of black garnet, copper and mother of pearl.  Such good taste he has...

We've built up quite a canned collection: there's the raspberry jam from a previous post, but the strawberry and sour cherry preserves are long gone.  So I thought we'd be all set and stocked up for the coming autumn...

and then this morning my genius pastry chef friend Eric gave me some of his grape jam, still warm from the kitchen.

Such good, seasonal fun, can't wait for my next canning project!

Last Slice of Summer

Today's the last day of summer and I hope everyone had a great season.  It's strangely grey outside in NYC but I'm thinking back over the last few months and these Citrus Coasters I made from the Purl bee.

Here's the process going backwards.  
I still want to make them in all of the summery colors.

So simple and so cheerful. 

I have the pink grapefruit at work to brighten my desk.

It was finished in the car 

on the way to Philly for a weekend getaway.

It was easier to do the pinning at home first

and most of the cutting too.

The spring felt bundle from Purl Soho has all these great colors.

Thanks, summer...

I think I'm ready to welcome autumn tomorrow.

Craftiness at its Finest

[from Pursuitist]

Happy NYC Fashion Week!  

On Tuesday I had the pleasure of attending a gallery reception at the 

Hermès boutique on Madison Avenue showcasing photographs by 

Koto Bolofo.

[from Wallpaper*]

A fashion photographer originally from South Africa, he is the first to gain access to the famous and historically secretive Hermès workshops where the beautiful leather, silk and other objects are hand-crafted.  Over seven years he documented and compiled his work into La Maison, a collection of 11 volumes: Horses, Saddles, Kelly Bag, Clothes, Perfume, Bugatti Veyron, Gardens, Special Orders, Silk, John Lobb and Collection Émile Hermès.

[from Wallpaper*]

Thirty-three images will be on display at The Gallery at Hermès this month and I found some others online.  I was struck by this image of waxed thread:

[from New York Magazine]

A rolling tool is used for imprinting the leather: 

[from New York Magazine]

So many dyes:

The Gallery at Hermès 

691 Madison Avenue, NYC, Fourth Floor

Monday through Saturday: 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Now through Friday, September 30th 2011

After the Storm: Sunshine & Macaroons!

Hope everyone had a good, safe weekend since Hurricane Irene's visit. I headed out of town for a few days, but am back in NYC and the sun is shining on a beautiful, cool day.  And even better about today: Ladurée has opened on Madison Avenue at last!

I saw the mention in the Times today and trotted up to Madison & 71st in these 5" heels.  I reported on Twitter that they were 4", but then came back and measured, yikes!

We make macaroons here in the kitchen at the catering company I work for too.  We start with almond flour.

And the pastry chef won't let me give away the recipe, but eventually you get a batter.

That is whipped up until it's light and fluffy.

And piped out and baked.

We pipe a lot of them!

Seriously, a lot...

There was a line of course at Ladurée, but I stuck it out.

And after some time I was in!

The shop is gorgeous: the soft colors, flowers, candles...

jams...

chocolates...

pretty boxes and ribbons...

ice creams and sorbets...

and of course, the macaroons!

Go visit soon, it's a very pretty, tasty trip: 

Ladurée

864 Madison Avenue at 71st Street

open Monday - Friday 9:00 a.m., Saturday at 9:30 a.m., 

closes at 6:00 p.m. every day except Sunday