soap soap soap, anyone want to talk soap?

[danica]

any other soapers here, huh huh huh?

[Linnea]

Hee! Funny you should post this because I was JUST surfing soaping sites!

I'm not a soaper yet but I'm learning about it and wanting to try it. I've done melt and pour before, but not cold process. I'm reading about rebatching and wondering if that would be an OK place to start. I'd like to take a class before embarking on cold process at home!

So what kinda soaps do you make? How did you learn?

[drea2447]

My husband and I just started making cold process soap about a month ago. We have so much fun doing it. When I first became interested I posted over in the craft forum at MDC and got the name of a couple of really good sites from Theresa and Jessica. I cannot remember any of them right now, but if they see this maybe they'll post them.

Our latest batch of soap had olive oil, coconut oil, ground cardamom, coconut milk, and dried lemongrass. We use a lime fragrance oil and it smells yummy. Now we're just waiting for it to cure. That's the hard part.

Tonight we are going to attempt a goat milk soap. I thought I read some where that you should put it in the refrigerator during the insulation period, so it doesn't get too hot. Does anyone have any tips on goat milk soap?

[marnie]

oh no. a new craft. i'm now obsessing over making soap.

must. not. look.

[danica]

So what kinda soaps do you make? How did you learn?

i've made cp, cpop, hp, solar process (my term for a method i came up with), :chin ...i guess you could say i have done some rebatching but only to get some cool looking effects. i tried melt and pour too but eh, not my thing.

unless you have a specific project in mind i think rebatching sucks.

how did i learn to make soap? by reading books. the complete soapmaker is all you really need to get started.

goat milk soap, eh? milk soap is not my favorite. i love to use it but i don't like to make it.

[FabriConnection]

I do CP and CPOP, I make LAMB wool soap for sale ;) I"m working on some new recipes for christmas presents, but I only sell the lanolin soaps :D

[Linnea]

So what's CPOP? Is there a really good site you would suggest? I'll have to see if my library has that book, thanks!

[danica]

I do CP and CPOP, I make LAMB wool soap for sale ;) I"m working on some new recipes for christmas presents, but I only sell the lanolin soaps :D

oh cool! you are the lamb soap wahm! i own www.diaperbuddies.com, www.thesoapdeck.com and www.woolsoap.com but as you can see i need to do site work. i prefer making stuff though.

fabric connection, eh? this means you do sewing stuff and soap stuff? vedy cool.

[danica]

So what's CPOP? Is there a really good site you would suggest? I'll have to see if my library has that book, thanks!

cold process oven process.

in a nutshell it means you use cp up until you pour then you use the oven to raise the temp a bit to get a full gel stage.

and a word from the not-so-wise... do NOT attempt this with lanolin soap or goatsmilk soap :lol:

[FabriConnection]

Don't forget I do yarn too ;) :lol:

[littleturtlemama]

i'm a former soaper, LOL ;) no time nowadays to do it, but I ocassionally get a hankering to make some soap. My fave method is CPOP, but in the crock pot, not the oven :)

dangit. now I want to make soap. have to hunt out the EOs and the lye, LOL.

[danica]

i sorta thought yarn was in the fabric category. i hope i'm guilty of textile blasphemy or anything.

[FabriConnection]

I hate the crock pot, it screws up my sample sizes b/c it's hard to get them to mold nicely :lol:

[danica]

i'm a former soaper, LOL ;) no time nowadays to do it, but I ocassionally get a hankering to make some soap. My fave method is CPOP, but in the crock pot, not the oven :)

dangit. now I want to make soap. have to hunt out the EOs and the lye, LOL.

i think the crockpot method is generally referred to as the crockpot method :lol:. i think some people also call it hp. the thing that differentiates cpop from hp is that there is no moving the soap after the gel stage.

[danica]

love the title fabricconnection...did i inspire that?

[FabriConnection]

Pam gave me that, apparently b/c I can do just about anything I set out to do. Just 10 mos ago I couldn't make soap and was successful on my first try, same with knitting, started a year ago, dyeing started about 14 mos ago etc etc etc Damn I"m good :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

[danica]

Just 10 mos ago I couldn't make soap and was successful on my first try,

so would you say making soap is sorta easy? i think it is but saying so really torques off most soapers.

btw, i am n2ak and these babies are CRAZY!!!

[FabriConnection]

In my experience, yes it has been easy. So far I've only screwed up 3 batches. I made my recipe and it worked great on the first try ;) But I also haven't really tried anything that I'd deem "difficult" and I always research and read as much as I can before I start a new "hobby" or craft, so I know what I"m doing before I start.