This blog post is part of a new series called “A Tangible Challenge” where each month I take one in-person class related to something I know nothing about. The goal is to step outside my comfort zone and create something new. I am so excited to share this month’s endeavor: soap. (Read January’s adventure in pottery; February’s adventure in plants; March’s adventure in mosaic art lamps; April’s adventure in dumplings; May’s adventures in candles; June’s adventure in embroidery here.)
My Brooklyn knowledge is bleak, I hear myself saying over and over again to colleagues and friends who live in the borough. Perhaps that’s part of the reason I was so surprised and delighted by the location of this month’s class. Industry City is, per Google, a historic intermodal shipping, warehousing, and manufacturing complex on the Upper New York Bay waterfront in Sunset Park. There are 6 million square feet of workspaces, shops, restaurants, and more. I was immediately delighted—with no time to be delighted—as I rushed a few minutes late to the soap making workshop.
The event was held at Sirko, a boutique with clothing, soaps, cosmetics, etc. I joined my friend just in time to do group introductions. Our class was seven people strong and by the end we were laughing and joking together like old friends. As we walked back to the subway, I told my friend how—having taken so many classes this year—I’ve been appreciating the nuances of each opportunity. The connection and community here was charming and unique.
Our teacher for the class told us this was his first time teaching, though you really wouldn’t have known. He was warm and inviting and explained how we would pour the soap into the molds that we decorated with dried flowers, lavender, tea, and other aromatics. The class reminded me a bit of my experience with May’s adventures in candles.
At the end of the class, we voted on the prettiest soap and the winner was gifted one of the store’s best selling items—a soap scrub.
Because the soap needs at least a day to dry in the mold, we were given the option to come back to pick up our bars or have them shipped for us for free—a lovely convenience for two people who live a bit of a trip from the Brooklyn location.
Perhaps the most exciting part of the course is the aftermath, soap is a daily use thing. To know that in a few days, I’ll receive a package of my homemade soap is a thrill. Each time I shower for the foreseeable future, I’ll know that I brought this bar (chaotically filled with eucalyptus leaves and orange peels) to life. I am beyond excited to try it out and see the finished product.
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