Soapin' Saturday!

Up early today and busy with the soap pot. This is a 2 lb. batch of soap made with the 4-oil formula that Zo posted on the Magic Apple last week. I was down with a terrible cold all week and this is the first chance that I've had to try it out. It traced fairly quickly and I probably should have added the ultramarine oxide pink a little sooner. It really did do a fairly nice 'in the pot' swirl. I was a little afraid to take time to take pics after I did the actual swirl. Didn't want to risk it seizing. I just drug my spatula from center to the outside once in each direction and then ladled it into the molds. I have never used colorants in soap, so I wasn't quite sure how much to use. I would make it a little more intense next time. But, it was just for practice and I am pleased with the subtle swirls. I also added .5 oz of Brambleberry 'champagne' fragrance oil. My oven was otherwise occupied this morning, so I put it in a cooler and heated some towels to insulate it. It didn't gel, but there really isn't a hurry so it has time to cure. I opened the cooler to peek and it smells really nice. 2 lb. was enough to fill the six heart molds and enough left over to fill the bottom of a check box. I had lined it, just in case there was a small amount left, glad I thought to do that! Can hardly wait to see what I have tomorrow.
Sunday's soap pot will have a practice batch to get the hang of mixing my colors for and swirling a batch of hunters/fishermans anise soap that I want to make. But, I don't want to waste my essential oil on a bad swirl, so this batch will just be a 1 lb. batch of Zo's 3 oil soap, like I made previously. I really enjoyed playing with the color today and I'm looking forward to it tomorrow.
I also have some old fashioned oats soaking. I will strain it off and use the water for a batch of oatmeal/lavender Winter Skin Soap. I have some oats that I ground very fine to add to that, too. I make play with color and swirling, too.
Knitting is going on in between other projects. Nothing completed since DGD L.s boot/slipper socks. She came over today and I gave her the socks and the batch of fudge that I made for her yesterday. She was a happy camper.
Michigans winter is pretty mean today and will be tomorrow,too. Great times to stay in and make soap and knit. Ta, D