When I started making soap, I learned from the book Handcrafted Soap, by Dolores Boone. It is well worn – though I don’t follow the recipes, I follow the technique. I love the hot process soap method because it is fast and pretty hands-off. My style. My soap can be in the molds in about an hour and half, with only 15 minutes of hands-on time. Then the next day, it takes about 15 minutes to cut up the bars. Half hour soap!

I call my soap castile soap, though it is not true castile soap (100% olive oil). The olive oil makes a very hard bar of soap, but it takes sooooo long to bring to trace (you’ll see what that is) and to harden, that I prefer to use half coconut oil and half olive oil for the major oils. I use castor oil for conditioning, just a bit of it. And I add stearic acid, just a bit, for hardening. You can also use beeswax for hardening. I have done both. Beeswax tends to boil over more in the crockpot than stearic acid. Been there, done that. (When soap gets too hot.)

My recipe has been run through the Lye Calculator at MMS Sage. This is a fantastic tool – so thorough and so easy! You put in your oils and it pushes out the proper amount of caustic (in this case, sodium hydroxide or lye). When I make soap, I want there to be a bit more oil — this is called super-fatting. The oil and the lye are going to chemically react to produce soap, but there’s no way we can count all the molecules and make sure this chemical reaction is totally even. We don’t want to end up with lye unreacted! By super-fatting, we ensure that extra fat is left unreacted (instead of extra lye unreacted).

On the Lye Calculator, MMS Sage gives you amounts of lye to use depending on the percentage of super-fatting. I choose 5% super-fatting. This means there’s 5% excess fat and ensures all the lye is reacted/turned into soap. Make sense?

Take a look at this: a PDF of the results of running my amounts of oil through the lye calculator at MMS Sage. On that you can see the various percentages of super-fatting in my recipe.

In this post is my adaptation of the method in Handcrafted Soap by Dolores Boone. I see her book is out of print on Amazon? I don’t have time to chase it down, but just in case you can’t find it, I’ll also include a paraphrase of her method that I typed up a few years ago for a friend. I haven’t edited it or looked at it since. Here it is.

Safety Equipment

• Protective clothing
• Disposable plastic gloves
• Long-sleeve Shirt
• Safety glasses or face shield

Equipment (not all may be used in this recipe)

• Cookware — stainless steel pot for melting oils
• Crockpot — older models don’t heat as hot, which is a benefit
• Digital scale
• Stick blender
• Glass measuring cups
• Small glass bowls (for smaller measurements)
• Long-handled plastic spoon
• Rubber spatula
• Metal ice cream spade
• Funnel (filling molds)
• Pitcher filled with soapy vinegar mixture

Ingredients (by weight, unless noted)

• 26 ounces pomace olive oil
• 26 ounces coconut oil
• 2 ounces castor oil
• 1.2 ounces stearic acid (optional, for hardening)
• 8.38 ounces sodium hydroxide (lye)
• 14 to 20 ounces distilled water — not by weight (I use 18 ounces)

Note: if you omit the stearic acid or change any oil kinds or amounts, rerun the lye calculator at MMS Sage. If you use beeswax instead of stearic acid, use 1.5 ounces (and run it all through the calculator).

Method

Measure the solid oils (oils which are solid at room temperature) using a scale (tared to eliminate the weight of the glass measuring cups). Pictured: coconut oil and stearic acid.

Put in a pot on low heat to melt slowly – don’t let them get too hot! I usually remove from heat when there are still tiny bits of unmelted oil.

Measure the liquid oils (oils which are liquid at room temperature) and put in the crockpot. Turn on to low to let the oils heat gently. Once again, don’t let it get too hot! I use an old crockpot that doesn’t get that hot. Cover while heating (not pictured).

When the solid oils are just about melted, add to the liquid oils in the crockpot and cover.

Measure the distilled water in a 4-cup measuring cup (not pictured). Measure the sodium hydroxide (lye) by weight into a separate, smaller measuring cup. Wear protective clothing and safety equipment when working with lye.

Carefully, while stirring, pour the lye into the water. I like to do this underneath the stove’s vent, so the fumes go outside. Stir until all crystals are dissolved. It will get very, very hot, so don’t touch the glass container. Leave under the hood, with the fan on, for about 5 to 10 minutes to cool down.

Again while stirring, and pouring carefully (impossible to do while photographing), add the lye/water solution to the oils in the crockpot. Use a soapy/vinegar/water mixture in the sink to rinse the containers and utensils that touched lye to neutralize this caustic.

Stir briefly, then switch to using a stick blender and blend until the mixture reaches “trace” — which is when it thickens. It will go from clear to opaque, and resembles vanilla pudding when done. The mixture, when dripped off the stick blender, will stay in visible ridges, rather than the mixture collapsing back into a smooth top. With this soap, it takes about 2 to 3 minutes. With pure olive oil soap, it can take 5 minutes or more to achieve trace.

Cover and let “cook” for about an hour.

During the cooking time, the mixture will change back to translucent. It will raise up at the sides, like waves. This is after about 15-20 minutes in my picture.

By the end of the cooking, the whole mixture will be translucent and the center of the mixture will be collapsed with the “waves” rolled into the center. (My picture of this stage is not very good, but it does happen.)

Also, there may or may not be liquid pooled in the center low point. This is glycerin, a natural byproduct of saponfication (the soap-making chemical reaction). Just stir this back in – it is very good for your skin!

Turn off the crockpot. During the cooking time, prepare your molds. I use two plastic drawer trays lined with freezer paper. Usually, I use freezer paper (shiny side up). During this soap making, I was out of that, so I used parchment paper that I greased with coconut oil; worked fine.

Fill the mold(s) with the hot soap mixture. Tap up and down on the counter or a floor to evenly distribute the mixture. You can use your hands, but be careful and touch lightly as the mixture is very hot! (And you need it to be hot to fill the mold properly.)

Now the soap in the mold(s) need to cool/harden, at least overnight. The crock can be scraped clean for instant delight – soap that’s ready to use!

When hardened and cooled, lift the paper to pull the soap out of the mold(s).

Peel the paper off the soap block. Put the block on a cutting board and use a big knife to cut into bars.

The bars still need to harden significantly and will do this over time. Keep them in a cool location with good airflow. I keep a tray of upright bars in my bathroom. We use one, the rest age, we use another, the rest keep aging… If upright, more air can flow and they’ll harden more evenly and faster. Rotate them infrequently if you’d like.

So I think that is it! If I missed anything, please ask, and I’ll try to clarify. Enjoy!

Our five-day Thanksgiving break has been wonderful! We’ve enjoyed the downtime immensely – almost surprisingly so. I mean, we didn’t realize how much we needed the break. The kids – mostly Mikah – are tackling the big job of organizing the Legos. (More on that when the project is finished.) I’ve been taking it easy with the cooking, even on Thanksgiving. Our Thanksgiving dinner was simple, nourishing, warming and good.

Jeff has been asking for me to work on his skull cap and this seemed to be the weekend to do that. It helps that he’s been home and accessible for try-ons and input. I tried once or twice last winter to get a good hat for him, and they were close, but not quite. He’s my pickiest customer.

He is wearing hat #4 in these pictures, and we are calling it good! I made it with 100% merino wool interlock from the Nature’s Fabrics co-op, dyed black. The fabric is a dream. The pattern is the same as for Luke Pepper’s skull cap (U2-2 band member’s custom hat), but I use the merino wool interlock instead of ribbed cotton. The crown of the hat is 4 pieces, which are serged together and then coverstitched down for a faux flatlock. This makes the seams look soooo nice. Then the band is added, again serged and coverstitched down. As a side note, I continue to get orders for the custom cotton skull caps, a bit surprising!

I also sewed Jeff two mid-layer wool shirts out of a lighter-weight 100% merino wool jersey in chocolate brown (mentioned in the first paragraph of that link). He is wearing one of them in those pictures up there. We’ve decided that from now on we’ll use the fold-over elastic for all his necklines (that link takes you to a picture). We really like how it works and looks.

Have you been doing any sewing lately? This coming week, I’d like to make wool pj pants for me and the kids. Haniya has outgrown her wool shirts from last year, so it is time to make her some more.

• finish framing the sides of the barn
• order water to fill the storage tank (ordered – will be delivered on Wed)
• turn on the electric and plumbing to the new pump/storage tank/pressure tank
• wire the barn with lights and electric
• put metal siding up on the barn (determining dimensions now)
• build up uneven level of ground inside barn
• contract out for gutters (getting estimates now)
• create stalls and doorways inside for: animal area, milking area, feed storage, water system, shop (using cattle panels for most of this)
• move fence so animals have a way in and out of their area
• gravel all the mud areas

Over the weekend, the kids and Jeff started the framing. That’s what’s in the pictures. Jeff did a big thing (for him). He bought himself some tools. He’s never done that before. He buys me tools, but puts off his own. He has a very cautious nature and he dislikes machinery, so this was a big deal. He needed some, though, so he got a kit with a circular saw, reciprocating saw, drill, and impact driver. He put them to good use on the framing. It was fun to watch – and the kids were great helps. The pictures don’t show all they got done. These pictures were just at the beginning…

Then on Sunday, our friend and his family came over, and Joe (our friend) helped Jeff finish the plumbing and electrical for the water system. It is just about ready to go “live” – and they’ll do that this coming Sunday. That’s our time crunch. We’re depending on the Lord to help us finish…  otherwise, we will be parking in the mud and our animals sleeping out in the pouring rain…

You can bet that I am most excited about using fold-over elastic! It went as binding around the neckline. Then I used it to bind the hem edges – end of arms and bottom of nightie. I know I could have done the bottom hem/binding area better – now that I’ve done it once, I’ll do it better next time.

My friend brought the fabric and the pattern over. The fabric is super cute – a ribbed cotton. I will have to get back to you on what pattern we used – my friend took it back home with her. It is for a top and pj pants, and also a one-piece sleeper. This nightie is the result of lengthening the pattern for the top. All the tops in the pattern set are raglan sleeve.

Using the same pattern, we also sewed two pairs of pj pants for my friend’s son, again out of ribbed cotton, but a boy print.

Every time I sew little clothes like this, I wish I had done more sewing when my kids were little.

Wardeh hiking to Upper Two Medicine Lake, wearing a bamboo jersey tank top

Jeff at Two Medicine Lake, wearing a bamboo jersey t-shirt

Before we left for vacation, and over the summer, I made good use of the bamboo jersey I purchased from Nature’s Fabrics. I made tank tops for me and the girls, and long sleeve t-shirts for Jeff.

I can’t say enough about how good these shirts feel to wear, especially in the summer. They’re lightweight, soft, and cool. Jeff and I wore ours every time we hiked this summer and neither of us got overly hot, even though we experienced some very hot summer days. Take a look at the extraordinary properties of bamboo fabric!

• Bamboo fabric is a natural textile made from the pulp of the bamboo grass.
• Bamboo fabric is light and strong.
• Bamboo fabric has excellent wicking properties. Being highly water absorbent, it can take up to three times its weight in water. This means it pulls moisture away from the skin so that it can evaporate.
• Bamboo fabric is very soft and can be worn next to the skin.
• Bamboo fabric can often be worn safely by those who usually experience allergic reactions to other natural fibers, such as wool or hemp.
• Bamboo fabric’s fibers are smooth and round, with no sharp spurs to irritate the skin.
• Bamboo fabric is a sustainable textile, because the bamboo plant is quick growing and thrives without the use of pesticides or herbicides.
• Bamboo fabric has antibacterial properties which it retains through multiple washings. It can kill odor-causing bacteria, keeping the wearer smelling sweet.
• Bamboo fabric has insulating properties – it keeps the wearer warm in the winter and cool in the winter.
• Bamboo fabric takes bright dye colors well.
• Bamboo fabric drapes well.

I think I need to buy some more. Actually, I still have quite a bit. But that navy is really nice for Jeff, and I see now that Jeanne at Nature’s Fabrics has a grey available. Those are the only two masculine colors. I only made Jeff two t-shirts, but really, he could use a week’s worth of them. Also, many of the bamboo selections are on sale!

I consolidated this information from an article at WiseGeek.

I’ve been on a sewing marathon. But now it is over. After three days of almost non-stop sewing, I feel good. (And tired of those machines.) The last project I did today was to make two sets of pjs for me.

Each pair comes from one thrift store knit sheet that cost about $2.99. I’m just calling the elastic cost incidental, but let’s just say the elastic on each set cost $1. That makes each pair $4. But that doesn’t really matter as much as – they feel great and they fit me well!

Once again, I used fold-over elastic on the top. It is the same pattern I always use for my tank tops. I could wear these in the day, they are nice enough for my casual style. But they match the pj pants so that’s what they are.

The pj pants were cut from the same pattern as for all my other elastic waist pants, including these linen pants and comfy pants.

This is what I’ve sewn in the last three days: four tank tops (me), undergarments (me), two t-shirts (Jeff), a tote bag (friend), a custom skull cap (ordered), and then there was also the apron earlier in the week. What I love about it all is that at this point, I’ve worked out almost all the kinks in our basic garments. I’ve spent time tweaking patterns and getting to know the machines and trying easy/new techniques. It is paying off now that I am able to make garments easily, efficiently, and not much is tedious. I love that – I hate tedious. If it is tedious, I won’t do it.

Here’s my confession.  You would know for sure that I avoid tedious steps if you saw my garments up close… I’ve stopped doing hems on knits. Truly. And I don’t think anything is lacking for it. The jersey and/or interlock I buy (whether quality bamboo or wool, or thrift store cotton knit), doesn’t run easily. To add a hem or a rolled hem either creates a seam that is susceptible to snapping, or the insertion of the needle weakens the fabric so it tears. Not doing a hem eliminates those weaknesses, and as long as I cut straight, I don’t believe that lacking a hem is noticeable in the least. It would take quite a bit to convince me to add a hem to a knit garment!

We’re leaving for our vacation tomorrow… I won’t be posting so much for more than a week. Definitely taking a break from gnowfglins, since I know I can’t promise to come up with stuff every day. Here I would like to share intermittently. Perhaps just pictures. So, I’ll see you off and on!

These two pictures show a t-shirt I made for Jeff, using bamboo jersey. It was the first time I used the fold-over-elastic on any of garment of his. I gave it to him and said, “This is proof of concept, okay?” because I wasn’t sure whether he would like it or not. Well, he did. And I did. I used the inside (matte-side) of the fold-over elastic. The other side is shiny and more feminine. So that looks good. And it feels good. When he puts it on, he says doesn’t worry about popping any seams when it stretches over his head.

This is a tote bag that a friend asked me to make in exchange for giving me a huge of hunk of that nice denim of which the bag is made. The orange paw prints fleece is her son’s actual school fabric. She wants to use the tote as a purse, thus its small size (10 x 13 inches). She’ll carry it when she goes to his soccer games. The bag is lined with fleece and the pocket is fleece, while the rest is denim. I love her idea to have a single strap go from one side seam to the other – and I made it 4-ply and 2 inches wide since it is the bag’s only strap. The middle is secured with a big button and a ribbon closure. You know, this could be the cutest bag I’ve ever done. Naomi really wants one. And the frayed edge at top is the salvage edge of the denim, which I did not intend to have there – but it ended up there, and then I liked it, so I left it out! A happy mistake.

Finally, I made myself some more of these tank tops. In fact, the one pictured here is now no longer bound by black fold-over elastic. I got some raspberry fold-over-elastic from the Shana, the ebay seller, and replaced it. I didn’t like that I’d gathered the neck and arms so much, and I didn’t want to be limited in what I wore with the tank. I also made myself one in bright blue, light green, and purple. They are really pretty!

Also over the weekend, I fulfilled a custom skull cap order. Since I made the skull cap for Luke Pepper, in the U2 tribute band, I’ve received two inquiries for the same hat – and one of those inquirers wanted to go ahead.

Now, today, I’d like to wrap up some loose “threads” – sew one more t-shirt for Jeff and a nightie for me. Then it is time to pack, pack, pack, for our vacation… Getting so excited, we are.

It’s about time! I finally got back to copying the retro apron that I started in June. (See Copying A Retro Apron – Part 1 for how I created the pattern from a ready-to-wear apron).

I couldn’t construct the binding exactly the same – as the material chosen by my friend was limited. There was not enough of it to make self-fabric binding on the outside, as the original apron featured. So I used ready-to-go binding (thank you, thrift store) in a contrasting/coordinating color on the wrong side of the apron. Everything else is pretty straight-forward.

I think I could have constructed the ties better, but the way I did it worked allright.

Doesn’t Marie look beautiful? She’s standing outside the Umpqua Store and Lighthouse Bakery, where she serves. We delivered the apron to her on Wednesday and we also stayed for Umpqua ice cream. It was over 100 degrees that day, so we indulged!

Click on any of the pictures for a larger view.

The soap wrappers are black printing on scrapbook  paper for a color look (ala my “color” business cards). I love that font, it came on my Mac. It is called “American Typewriter” and I use it for everything – even incoming emails. I’ll probably get sick of it one day, but not yet!

So, hey, if you live in Douglas County, Oregon – you must stop by Localvore! And not just for my soaps. Truly, I’ll still make soap even if nobody buys it.

The store is on the north side of Central Avenue, across from St. Vincent de Paul thrift store, after the second light. Larisa prices her items to be competitive, right in between Trader Joe’s and Market of Choice (in Eugene). That’s a great price point, and on top of that, you’ll find naturally grown and locally produced goodies.

Allrighty. I bet you’re thinking that it took me long enough to show you the cut up bars of goat milk soap (part 1 here).

The reason this took me so long is because it was really hard to do.

1. Remove soap block from mold.
2. Cut into strips (I did 6).
3. Cut bars off strips (I got 2 bars of each strip).
4. Let continue hardening in a place with good airflow – don’t wrap up.

I had two molds to cut up, which is why there are so many more finished bars up there than you’d think would come out of one mold.

Sometimes, I use the whole amount of cooked soap and fill up just one mold, which makes soap blocks. I like those, too.

And I hate to say it, but I’m still not done. These bars still need labels. I guess that will be Part 3.

I’ll be more prompt with part 3, though, because I’m going to deliver some of these bars to Localvore Fresh Oregon Foods tomorrow to sell on consignment there. Can’t deliver them without labels!