What are some simple starter swirls?

[SoapyGoats]

I'ld like to try swirling using clays for color. What are some easy starter ones?
(Pictures appreciated)

 

[lsg]

I think In-The -Pot Swirl is the easiest. There are several good video tutuorials on the web.

http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/cold-process-soap/in-the-pot-swirling/

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJ5gDKiuLVQ[/ame]

 

[Marya]

I think videos are the most helpful. It's been years since I last made cp soap and I never did make more than a few batches. I want to get into it again, but then I've said that before...there have been more than a couple of false starts! But recently I did youtube searches for swirling techniques and I couldn't believe how many great tutorials there are, e.g. the one above! I had to try my first swirl without a video. Someone online wrote me the steps. Gotta love youtube. I've only ever done the kind in the video above but one day I hope to get gutsy enough to try this:

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNl8KCTLtIE[/ame]

or this:

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVqumEo-Bew[/ame]

Neither look necessarily hard, but it's the part about dividing the soap into different containers the makes me nervous - I would be afraid I'd gone too far into trace or else not far enough. So it would definitely be experimental!

 

[falldowngobump]

I agree, the 'in to post swirl' is super easy and it looks pretty cool....I have to fight the urge to stir too much once I pour my colored portion sometimes.

 

[dixiedragon]

I do a super-lazy version of "in the pot" swirling - I put some colorant in the soap pot itself, then blend it in by moving my stick blender up and down over the colorant, and then moving it back and forth in a very small area. The goal is to color about 1/3 to 1/2 of the batch. I have successfully done this with 2 colors while also leaving some of the soap white. Then when you pour, you move the pot slowly back and forth over the mold, using a spoon to pull soap from the different colored areas. It's best to use a log mold for this.

If you are using a column mold or even individual molds, you can still do this - just spoon up soap from the different areas of the pot and plop them in the mold. When the soap is in the mold, give it a single strong stir (3 stirs at the very most) to add more swirl to the soap.

 

[houseofwool]

I really like ITP swirls. I pull out roughly half of my batter and color it. I then pour it in 3-4 different spots in the main pot, starting fairly high and slowly lowering the colored batter closer to the surface to ensure that the color is disbursed through the pot from top to bottom. Once all of the colors are added back to the main pot, I give it a quick stir through each of the colors and pull the spoon into the middle before removing it from the pot. Then, I simply pour into my loaf molds.