How do you gain the patience to master this craft?

[Picklekin]

I'm very new to all this, and I'm loving virtually all aspects of it, the creativity, the chemistry... my house smelling divine... but I'm finding it REALLY hard to stay patient!!

I made my first "pretty" soap yesterday (just two layers with a spoon swirl) and it took so much effort to stop stick blending and wait for the best moment to pour - I think I actually stopped blending a bit to early and had to stir for AGES... ok, maybe 20 minutes....

And now, it's sitting there.... in the mould. I can almost hear it whispering "Go on, have a peek.... you know you want to see if the swirls worked... ". I gave it a little poke earlier and it's not coming away from the sides yet, so I know it's not ready.... The last one I turned out to early and lost a lot of definition so I know I have to wait... but it's SO hard.

Does it get easier after you've made a lot? How do you stop yourself from poking stuff?!

 

[LynetteO]

@Picklekin
Oh how I wish I could say YES patience comes with time & maybe for some it does. For me however, every step is exciting, thrilling & patience is certainly not one of my soaping virtues. I can barely handle the No Peek after soap put “to bed” phase. Yes I CP my soap, no HP. I take every chance to fondle my soapies.

 

[Megan]

I'm very new to all this, and I'm loving virtually all aspects of it, the creativity, the chemistry... my house smelling divine... but I'm finding it REALLY hard to stay patient!!

I made my first "pretty" soap yesterday (just two layers with a spoon swirl) and it took so much effort to stop stick blending and wait for the best moment to pour - I think I actually stopped blending a bit to early and had to stir for AGES... ok, maybe 20 minutes....

And now, it's sitting there.... in the mould. I can almost hear it whispering "Go on, have a peek.... you know you want to see if the swirls worked... ". I gave it a little poke earlier and it's not coming away from the sides yet, so I know it's not ready.... The last one I turned out to early and lost a lot of definition so I know I have to wait... but it's SO hard.

Does it get easier after you've made a lot? How do you stop yourself from poking stuff?!

I'm not a patient person (I probably never will be)...I get really annoyed if I have to wait more than 12 hours to cut. Maybe my patience is just expended in other areas of my life .
So I do whatever I can to make it so that I can cut sooner. I use sodium lactate and I force gel (CPOP). My recipe also is just able to be cut in that amount of time (especially with the aforementioned tricks). Every so often I'll come across a fragrance oil that slows it down too much and cutting it early just isn't possible, but in general these things work for me.
You can also try hot process if you want to cut sooner (that probably depends on the recipe too, but I've only tried with mine and could cut much sooner...basically as soon as it was cool).
Or try a high coconut oil soap! You'll be able to cut in under 4 hours!

 

[TashaBird]

The best thing for me is to distract myself with other things. Also, I have to think about changing my relationship with time. When I’m always making something, after awhile, then there will always be something new that’s ready.

 

[earlene]

Making small batches of soap more often can help with that. Spending time making sure soaping notes are thorough & clearly written is another. Include in those notes how long it takes 'x' recipe to be ready to unmold. Then when you use said recipe agan, refer to those notes & put a note (I use masking tape for notes on my molds) on the mold with the anticipated unmolding time. Careful preparation and cleanup can help with that. Spending time on the before and after tasks of soapmaking is still a part of the process, so it can help feed the need to be there with your soap. Spending time planning the next soap, writing out some particular soaping goals or creating a Soapmaking To Do List can help with developing patience by taking your mind off the urge to unmold too early or whatever other thing that impatience is tempting.

Just some ideas on how to cope with the urge to do things too early. Basically what I am suggesting is creating more work that while it keeps your mind on soap, also distracts from the urges to do 'whatever' too soon.

Also, do other things. Plan to go for a walk or go shopping or visit friends outside the home or go to a movie, etc.

As for patience of the steps involved during the making, like the urge to over stick blend and the like, that really takes time and experience, which frequent small batches of soap can help you learn how to recognize those 'right' times for stopping with the stick blender or other thing.

 

[TashaBird]

@earlene you said what I wanted to say, but much better!
And also, shopping and researching, watching videos, etc.

 

[Megan]

@earlene you said what I wanted to say, but much better!
And also, shopping and researching, watching videos, etc.

Oh yeah, watching soap making videos is great for getting a soapy "fix", and scrolling IG or pinterest for inspiration!

 

[Misschief]

@Picklekin
Oh how I wish I could say YES patience comes with time & maybe for some it does. For me however, every step is exciting, thrilling & patience is certainly not one of my soaping virtues. I can barely handle the No Peek after soap put “to bed” phase. Yes I CP my soap, no HP. I take every chance to fondle my soapies.

No Peek??? Forget that. I peek all the time. I put my fresh soaps on a rack in my soap room; I don't cover my soaps because I don't purposely gel them. I peek constantly. I touch it. I want to know: is it gelling? is it getting too hot? cracking? rising? getting firm? firm enough to cut? It's part of getting to know your recipes, as far as I'm concerned. For instance, I know that if I make a goat milk & lavender soap and use one of my larger, wooden molds, it will get hot and it will rise and crack; that's why I try to make it only in the winter, when I can put the loaves outside to help keep it cool. Or, I'll make two smaller batches in my thinner pvc molds and keep a fan blowing over them. It was only by watching them, touching them, feeling the molds, and checking temperatures that I became familiar with how the recipe reacts.

I believe patience comes with knowledge. Once you know how your soap behaves, you can leave it alone to do its thing.

I gave it a little poke earlier and it's not coming away from the sides yet, so I know it's not ready

It's soap, not cake. I line my molds with butcher paper; I've never seen it pull away from the sides and it isn't an indicator that your soap is "ready". It should have the texture of cheddar cheese (at least, that's the description I've read over and over). I touch my soap; does it feel firm to the touch? It's ready to cut.

No need to overthink it.

 

[TheGecko]

I took a Soaping Making Class a few years before I started making soap. It was made with Crisco Shortening, Olive Oil and Coconut Oil. I was the only one who brought an FO...a tiny bottle that I bought at Hobby Lobby. When mixed by hand and poured into milk/juice cartons. I remember carefully wrapping that carton in towels and putting a seat belt on it in the car. We were supposed to keep it on top of our frig for 24 to 48 hours hours.

I barely made 12 hours before I was trying to get it out of the carton and what a mess. It was still soft and sticky and by the time I got done, I had six bars about the size of the long skinny sticks of butter we used to get in Arizona. I then put them on two paper plates back on the frig and cover with a paper towels to 'cure' for four weeks...I lasted two weeks before I grabbed the first bar and took it in the shower with me. It was soap...that smelled faintly of Orange. We went through four 'bars' in less than two months (I gave two bars away). It was not good soap though it was slightly better than using Dial.

From lessoned learned, I was more patient when I finally decided to try again. Some things that I think helped...was making soap late Sunday afternoon. Since I worked, it was easier to wait until I got home the next day to unmold the soap. And I think it also helped that the first month or so that I made soap, that I only made uncolored or single colored soaps. Waiting for the soap to cure wasn't as easy so what I did was to take a couple of bars, cut them in half and then 'test' them at the sink as I waited for the rest to fully cure. Seeing and feeling the difference in the soap along it's journey made me understand the importance of letting your soap properly cure. Another thing...after screwing up a few 50 oz batches I bought a 4" Square Silicone Molds and some cavity molds. I make smaller batches and a little more frequently so I always had soap in process. And from many failures (or "opportunities to learn" as I call them) I've learned the value of "testing"...a new scent, a new colorant, a new additive, a new technique. I buy 1 oz/trial sizes of FOs/EOs, I buy 'sample' sizes of colorants and additives and I play around.

And it probably helps that I have other things to do...I enjoy reading and I crochet and loom/needle knit. Over time I have learned the value of patience...not that it always helps, but I know that its important to wait.

 

[cmzaha]

As Misschief mentions above, it does not hurt to peek and many times it is very advisable to peek. I sold and made a lot of soap so I knew my recipes quite well, but I did force gel by putting my mold in low crates and wrapping them with a heat blanket, so I would have to check on them periodically in order to make sure none were overheating. By doing this many of mine I could unmold in 10-12 hrs which would cause me timing problems at times if I was going to leave the house for hours because I could not let my soaps sit too long after cutting or they became too hard.

So, always as mentioned made smaller batches so you can make soaps more often without becoming inundated with soaps. Below is a link for a mold I loved when testing new fragrances which will make 4 nice size bars, and you can still make nice swirls. Otherwise, a nice 1 lb loaf mold works well. Patience comes with time. Also, look up pouring at emulsion, I very seldom poured at trace unless I could not help it due to my formula.
Crafter

 

[Zing]

Well, isn't that a loaded question!!! So I hate to break this to you, but after unmolding, you have to wait 4-6 weeks for the cure time!

 

[Zany_in_CO]

The first rule of soaping is PATIENCE. Like any other act of creation, you start it off with an idea in mind and then "your baby" takes over to do its thing in its own good time. Once you "get" that, it's easier to just let go and let it happen.

 

[artemis]

I think you learn patience when you ruin enough loaves by unmolding too soon.

 

[KiwiMoose]

I'm a peeker, but not an early unmolder. Wouldn't want to ruin the cut.
@Picklekin congratulations on doing the opposite of most new soapers and NOT overstickblending! You deserve a medal for that!

 

[Relle]

Whatever you did before you made soap, do that and forget about the soap, it will still be there waiting. I sometimes have to wait 2-3 days before I cut. Time is precious, it is something you can never get back, don't waste it waiting around to cut soap.I'm sure you have other projects in your life that need doing.

 

[Picklekin]

I poked it again this morning, and it's STILL NOT READY... I wish I had remembered to add the sodium lactate heh heh

I do have plenty of other things to do, I made some concrete candle jars (also need to cure!!)... I've frozen some coffee for my next soap... I've even.. done some WORK.. But the soap keeps calling me...

 

[Trinbago27]

Good job! I’m about 1.5 yrs in the soaping games do I think I am just getting to my stride… I am finally able to let the soap sit for at least 36hrs. It has helped with unmolding as well as soda ash. My peeking was exposing the soap to air and in my area soda ash is a major issue. At the beginning Zing in this forum told me to ”step away from the soap”. He also told me about lotion bars. I don’t make bars, but I make lotion. It gives me that instant fix

 

[Marcia Thorne]

I think you learn patience when you ruin enough loaves by unmolding too soon.

Yes I agree. I used to get real impatient and spoiled a few but realized ok you ha e to wait and I wait the 24 hrs. I try to wait more but I have only done that when I was busy. But my mind always on soap

I'm a peeker, but not an early unmolder. Wouldn't want to ruin the cut.
@Picklekin congratulations on doing the opposite of most new soapers and NOT overstickblending! You deserve a medal for that!

What happens if you over bleeding?

What happens if you over bleeding?

Over blend

 

[Picklekin]

The more you blend the faster you get to trace and you're more likely to end up with a gloopy mess (my first and second batch were.. messy). I've been practicing on getting to emulsion (I've watched the "I dream in soap" video at least 3 times...) then pouring.

 

[Zing]

Over blend

@Picklekin is right, the more you blend, the thicker trace you get. You still get soap. But some designs require more time to swirl which is easier at emulsion or light trace. Also, it's easier to add scent and colorant at emulsion or light trace. However, I do a landscape that is easiest to do with thick trace (pudding).

In my noob days I overblended. Now I use my stick blender more as a stirring spoon with occasional bursts of 5 seconds. It took me a year to master emulsion and I watched 2 videos like a 1,000 times.