Some say soap making is like riding a bike. Once you've learnt how you never really forget. Sure you might fall off but it is important to get back on and keep going.
Where has the time gone?? This year has flown by so quickly that until yesterday I didn't realise that it has been almost 12 months since my last batch of soap. Why did I leave it so long? There are a number of possible reasons.
1) I started a new job at the end of last year.
2) We moved interstate and took a long time to adjust to the reality of downsizing from a house to a 2 bedroom apartment.
3) Dealing with the passing of some special people in my life.
4) Trying to make time to complete work related course work.
5) Supporting my husband whilst he was in between jobs a we settled into our new lives.
6) Travelled back to the UK to visit family.
Or perhaps I simply lost my creative spark. I don't know what happened but late last week my husband asked me when I was planning to make some more soap as the stash of my honey and oatmeal soap had been depleted and how he really likes it.
His comment took me by surprise as I hadn't realised how much he likes my soaps. He also noted that he knows soap making makes me really happy.
So with this in mind yesterday I set aside time to make a double batch of my honey and oatmeal soap that is made with olive oil, coconut oil, rice bran oil. cocoa butter, vitamin e, honey, oatmeal, lye
 |
| Honey poured into traced soap |
On the whole I thought I had it in the bag but boy had I forgotten a few things.
I forgot;
1) That the lye solution takes alot longer to cool down than what I remembered.
2) Using a rand new stick blender can cause the soap to trace more quickly.
3) Honey can speed up acceleration.
You wouldn't believe how quickly my soap turned from a nice thin trace to the beginning of soap custard. I was able to get it into my molds and thankfully this was planned as a simple log with no intricate patterning to be included.
The annoying thing is that I know all of the factors but somehow let them skip to the back of my mind. Maybe it was because I have made this soap so many times before that I felt I didn't really need to think about it.
Well my soap seems to have turned out okay. Time will tell when I remove it from its mold later on.
Has this frightened me away? Absolutely not. What I will do next time is be more prepared in advance. I'll also take it easier with the stick blender and remember that less is more when it comes to using the blender. I'm also going to make time each week in 2016 to get my mojo back.
