...soap! My friend Pierre came over yesterday and taught me how to make soap. It was a lot easier than I thought it would be, and I have overcome my terror of lye! You just need to treat it with respect.
We mad two pounds of soap, or 20 bars. The brownish ones are "five-fold orange" scent (i.e. very orangey) with vanilla specks for exfoliation.
The other ones are peppermint scented with calendula petals from Pierre's garden. I thought they looked really pretty!
I could have done a nice cutting job, but I was so excited about the soap that I didn't pay enough attention to what I was doing with the cutter. Oops!
I'm hooked and plan to order supplies and keep doing this. I love handmade soap. It's so cool that I can make my own.
Cuz I needed another hobby. Uh huh.
I want to eat it all - maybe you should make fudge next time!
ReplyDeletethose look amazing, seriously made me want fudge :)
ReplyDeleteOkay you two, now *I* want fudge too!!!! :)(
ReplyDeleteI have the recipe....I have the ingredients... but now I want the pretty, smelly,flecky bits you have in yours before I make it.
ReplyDeleteJane x
Get some calendula pets, or grow your own!! And the vanilla specks I plan to order here:
Deletehttp://www.canwax.com/
That's where Pierre gets all his supplies! Go for it, girl!
What a cool activity! Many people make soap and as you realize they can make some f pretty fancy stuff. Now I was thinking , "Does this blogger need another hobby ?" But you said it yourself. Go for it and have fun.
ReplyDeleteI so do not need another hobby, but on the upside, this isn't too time consuming!
DeleteOne thing you can say about me: I am never, ever bored!!
Wow.. that is so cool. You can make them for Christmas gifts and consider your shopping done. Lucky you. The orange one is too pretty to use.
ReplyDeleteI suspect everybody will be getting soap for Christmas this year! :)
DeleteWowzie!!! that's some pretty soap!
ReplyDeleteI will grow some calendula in my garden next year so I can use the petals!
DeleteIf Kelly were alive, she would be at your doorstep to learn how to make her own soap. I bet they just smell so wonderful and it is heartwarming to say you made them yourself. I'm definitely going to put that on my list "to do"...even though it's already a long list!
ReplyDeleteWell I would have loved to teach her how to make it. :) I have wanted to learn for years (I bought a soapmaking book back in 1998!) so I'm glad I finally did, and it was just so easy. I can't wait to make more!
DeleteDonna, over at midlifefarmwife.blogspot.com, makes soap every Sunday, and talks about her methods, new aromas, etc, each Monday. Could be worth a visit. Just say 'Cro sent you'.... she even named a soap after me; it's called 'Crobar'.
ReplyDeleteOh, her blog is great! I will spend my Sunday morning perusing it! Thank you!! I love that soap name.
DeleteSo do I!
DeleteA gentleman only needs a 2lb bar of Carbolic affixed to a stout "reaching stick" to maintain sanitary. That, and a good and draughty bathroom to fight mildew-of-the-crevices. And a chap to wind up the gramophone while he bathes. And a chap to serve the port and a little bathing-Stilton. Nothing fancy.
ReplyDeleteMmm, bathing-Stiliton. I think I'll just spread that on crackers. And perhaps less Stilton and more yoga classes would enable said gentleman to dispose of "reaching stick." Just sayin'! HAHAHA!
DeleteWow.. they are really great! Like you, I always assumed it would be difficult. Will be on the internet researching now. What's the problem with lye?
ReplyDeleteIt's really not a problem. You just have to be very careful with it because it's so caustic. If you wear gloves and safety goggles and are careful not to splash it around, it's fine. I had no problems. And if you have kids/pets, it would be smart to make sure they can't get into the lye crystals. I also learned you add lye to water, not water to lye. I think adding water to lye makes it all more bubbly and exciting or something!
DeleteI figure if you can handle drain cleaner, you can handle lye!
Your soap looks (and sounds) wonderful. But does it taste as good as your soup?
ReplyDeleteI haven't tried it yet, but I'll let you know when I do! LOL. I am very near-sighted (I wear contacts) and pretty much blind in the shower, so it's entirely possible I'll accidentally ingest some soap at some point...
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