What's Happening Wednesday-

Yesterday's post on infusions inspired me to get some more chamomile comfrey and calendula steeping.
(-------------This is chamomile being infused into water.
This is calendula, also in water ------)




So, aside from watching a steeping pot steep, what's happening this Wednesday? Well, aside from my slowly, but surely going crazy, I'm not sure! LOL. Okay, so that's not exactly new,  nor is it limited to Wednesdays I know, but  still this is what's going on today!
Last night I made my first batch of cold process soap in quite a long while. Talk about crazy! I have spend a lot of time coming up with new recipes, making ingredient lists, lists of things I want to try, lists of scents I want to create, lists, lists, lists. First to make on that list is a new everyday bar. It looks to be a very moisturizing bar, with good, bubbles, and pretty creamy. So when I finally got the rest of my ordered oils in, I was anxious to make a batch of soap. I spent a few hours of going back and forth, finally deciding that I would use chamomile, lavender, and clary sage for the fragrance,  and I would  use a chamomile and calendula infusion too. A bit more anguishing and I decided on leaving the majority of the soap in its natural color, and adding a swirl of color by using turmeric.

All set, I weigh out all the oils, prepare the water and the lye, and stand ready to make soap. I am all set to get underway when I, for some unbeknown reason, take the entire container of turmeric into the kitchen with me. Silly, silly, girl! Yes, I know better, I can't say what I was thinking, obviously I wasn't. When my soap mixture hit trace a bit fast, I grabbed, and kind of dumped, the turmeric into the mixture, without measuring it. In addition to that mistake, I also retained way too much soap for just a swirl. I actually kept enough for an entire layer. So at this point, I have deeply colored soap, and a layer instead of a swirl.
Before I ever began, I knew that I would have more soap than I needed for one mold, so the plan was to put the excess into a one pound mold  for sample bars. What I wonder is, why, when faced with all this extra colored soap, didn't I just do the planned swirl and pour all of the extra into the mold for sample bars? Talk about loosing your mind! It never even crossed my mind until AFTER I finished pouring it. Just after! LOL. While I will be cutting the soap later today, it will take weeks before I will know if its usable, or if I over did the turmeric, ruining the batch. Oh what fun! LOL.

soap molds

getting ready to make soap

turmeric colored soap

preparing to make soap

 
So, a deep breath, a good nights sleep, and another batch of soap in the plans for later today. Of course I will leave the herb container in the craft room this time, and only take the measured amount into the kitchen. Naturally, I will have to agonize again my choice if scent and color, especially since I am still waiting on the arrival of that last supply box. It has blueberry fibers in it, which I am looking forward to using, so of course, everything I think of would just be right with gray/blue coloring. I am having difficulty coming up with a scent that I can't picture in blue! Lol!  So I am going to sleep on it, and hope that I don't dream in blues, but in a kaleidescope of colors. Then I am going to cut the soap, put it out to cure, and  re-line those molds. Then I am going to measure out whatever colorant I've decide to use, and I am going to prepare to make a big, beautiful swirl!!
Right now my eyes are crossed, and I am fighting to stay awake long enough to finish this post, which is really hard, because all I really want to do is to get to sleep. Of course, the sooner I get to sleep, the sooner I can get up, and the sooner I will be making soap! So I am going to say good night now, but since it's really  early morning, maybe I should say good morning to you, and you can say nighty night to me!