Man I can't tell ya how I needed to read this thread tonight LOL.
So I decided to do my second ever batch of soap. I've been trying to make it for days but life kept getting in the way, so tonight was my first chance. Plus my friend was here and eager to see how it works.
Big mistake having an audience cuz it distracted me and I made mistake after mistake... ugh!
First, I'm setting up and I've got my recipe written down etc, all my tools assembled, and I go to make the lye water. I realize as I'm mixing it that I've forgotten about my goggles so I stop and grab them, go to put them on, and they slip out of my hand and fall right into the friggin lye water. I fish em out and drop them in the cold water bath my lye pitcher is sitting in cuz I'm obviously not going to be putting them on after that :/
Next I put it in the fridge to continue to cool while I melt oils. I go to grab the pitcher from the fridge and almost knock it out of my hand as the fridge door hits my arm on its back swing to close. Scares the living begeebers outta me cuz I'm still nervous about the lye part of soaping and I'm standing frozen in place as I stand there saying ten million thank yous to the soap gods for not dropping it or splashing I it all over the kitchen and myself lol
Then after I add my lye to the oils and pulse the SB a few times, I toss in my FO , pulse some more, and put the SB in the now empty lye pitcher to sit while I separate portions of the soap batter into cups to be colored with the natural colorants I made. I reach for another measuring cup and my elbow knocks the SB and the lye pitcher over, damn near taking the pitcher of remaining soap batter with it.
I'm standing there swearing at it and checking to be sure that no residual lye water got on the carpet or me, and I turn back to disconnect the blade segment of my SB so it's not so top heavy and won't fall over again and I drop the soap covered blade portion on the carpet.
About this point I'm doing a crazy combo of laughing at the stupidity of the whole thing, swearing in frustration, and beginning to feel discouraged.
So I take a calming breath and I soldier on and I add my color to my cups then go to stir them up only to realize they are all thickening up very quickly - grrrr! - and whatever plan I had to do a very very simple pattern is so not gonna happen now - double grrr!! - I keep on going though, and plop the stuff on as best I can considering the thickness and hope for the best. I look at it and think damn that is gonna be some butt ugly soap but I guess it will have to do LOL. I figure, screw it, I'll put it up and see how the ploppy looking stripes come out when it's set up.
But as go to pick up the mold, it slips in my hand, and there is a moment of comical juggling as I contort like a noodle to prevent the mold from hitting the floor or flipping. I manage to get it securely only to realize in my attempt to save the mold I have buried three gloved fingers of one hand smack dab in the middle.
Cue lots - LOTS - more swearing as I plop the mold on the table and stare at it with my hands on my hips growling.
It is at this point that my friend, who has been very quiet throughout this process so far, erupts in laughter, pointing at my face, and says "holy cow, G, I wish I had video taped that whole thing, and girl you have serious ninja catching skills!"
I lost it and damn near peed my pants laughing, which was good, cuz it made me less likely to take the mold full of butt ugly, hand printed, deeply gouged soap, and launch it at high speed out the door. LOL
So...in the end I stuck a plastic spoon in it, did some wackado scoopy type moves and said !-@$ it, it is what it is, I'm not meant to soap tonight it appears. Then I tossed all the sloppy gear into a box, shoved it in the closet to be wiped down when it's dried up, lit a smoke and looked for the last of the wine hahahaha.
I am not defeated, I will conquer the soap dammit LOL. I just wish I knew what made it thicken up so stinking quick. The FO specifically said it didn't discolor or accelerate. Oh well, live and learn. Will try again tomorrow night if I can figure out what to do to keep it thin enough for longer, to allow me time to play with a simple pattern.
I have the planer on standby to skim off layers and try again.
