You don't have to lie...

[smartinoff]

How often do you make soap? I seem to be slightly obsessed lately. I am used to some sort of quick gratification with my sewing and crocheting and soap takes serious patience, weeks of it...so how often do you make a batch? I've made 2 in the last week and plan on trying a salt bar tomorrow...anyone know a good recipe to feed my habit?

 

[Pepper]

I'm suffering withdrawal at the moment, due to being away from home for a while. It's been over a week since my last fix. Up til then, I had been doing 2 or 3 1kg batches per week. My friends and family love me, and my bedroom (curing room) smells delicious. Last night, I lay in bed for ages, with soap recipes and designs buzzing around in my head. I've promised myself tomorrow is the day

 

[IanT]

I'm suffering withdrawal at the moment, due to being away from home for a while. It's been over a week since my last fix. Up til then, I had been doing 2 or 3 1kg batches per week. My friends and family love me, and my bedroom (curing room) smells delicious. Last night, I lay in bed for ages, with soap recipes and designs buzzing around in my head. I've promised myself tomorrow is the day

ditto that...unemployment= no money for supplies... I cant wait to bring some $$ in so i can buy more olive oil and lye, thats allll i neeed

When I do have money I try to soap at least 1 to 2 times every month at very least (my apt is only 500 sqft and I have no storage so if soap takes over ill be sleeping in the doghouse and my girl will be in our new bed... lol)

 

[Overthemoon]

I make a few batches a week. Occasionally more than one in a day. The consequence is that I have about 40 bars of soap sitting in my house with nowhere to go.

 

[Lynnz]

I have been totally soap obsessed since setting up my etsy store and have done five logs this week and plan on getting back in the kitchen soon LOL goodness knows what I will do with it all as don't think I am going to take off quickly on Etsy but need lots of variety!!!!!!!
Might have to donate to a shelter I think hehehehehehehe

 

[madartist]

We do 4-5 logs a week. Some are 4lbs and others are 8, depending on how much oil and Lye I have on hand (I make an oil run to Jedwards Int'l twice a month and usually get 8-10 gallons. Lye, I buy by the dozen and the hardware store. At one point, the staff thought I was running a meth lab)

.... as don't think I am going to take off quickly on Etsy

It takes time to build a brand, Lyn. At Christmas time, I was getting as many as 4000 visitors a day. Now I seldom get more than 100 and very few turn into actual buyers.

I was thinking of opening on Etsy too, as it is well known to people that like handcrafted stuff. But on off times like these, I'm glad I got my own domain cause sale-less days don't cost me anything. I have two girls that are taking my stuff around to health food stores & gift shops, hawking them at wholesale prices in crates of 12 assorted designs. Also, thank god, my salon clients are still buying. Persevere..."If you mold them, they will come."

 

[evatgirl73]

I'm a seamstress too, with my own (online) store so my main "hobby" time goes to that. I do love soaping and try to make at least one batch/week. Most of the time I try to make 2 or 3 batches at the same time since I have all the stuff out etc.
It's just harder to get everything situated for soaping. My sewing room is always set up but I have to drag all my soaping stuff out and then back, plus I can easily sew around the kids and animals but prefer soaping while the kids are in school only.
My friends love me, they get lots of soap, LOL! I need another year or so of experience under my belt before I even think about selling, but my friends don't mind serving as guinea pigs in the meantime.

 

[ohsoap]

I make a batch or two or three a week. I have a show coming up at the end of April, so we have been building stalk for it, unfortuantely I can only make 6 lbs at a time. grrrr. My next purchase will be more molds.

 

[MorpheusPA]

ditto that...unemployment= no money for supplies... I cant wait to bring some $$ in so i can buy more olive oil and lye, thats allll i neeed

When I do have money I try to soap at least 1 to 2 times every month at very least (my apt is only 500 sqft and I have no storage so if soap takes over ill be sleeping in the doghouse and my girl will be in our new bed... lol)

Yeah, me too (the unemployment = reduced soaping thing).

I'm making really small batches of 8 to 16 ounces tops and testing a wide variety of recipes. Setup and time are about the same, so I still get to play a lot, but I'm not using huge amounts of oils at a time. A good scale is a must with batches that small.

I've done six CP and four MP this month so far, so my average is every other day...the latest, today, being a Natural Clear MP soap for dogs.

 

[jennikate]

Some weeks two batches other weeks one or even none so avg about a batch a week. This week I did one batch waiting to unmold after work tonight.

 

[IanT]

ditto that...unemployment= no money for supplies... I cant wait to bring some $$ in so i can buy more olive oil and lye, thats allll i neeed

When I do have money I try to soap at least 1 to 2 times every month at very least (my apt is only 500 sqft and I have no storage so if soap takes over ill be sleeping in the doghouse and my girl will be in our new bed... lol)

Yeah, me too (the unemployment = reduced soaping thing).

I'm making really small batches of 8 to 16 ounces tops and testing a wide variety of recipes. Setup and time are about the same, so I still get to play a lot, but I'm not using huge amounts of oils at a time. A good scale is a must with batches that small.

I've done six CP and four MP this month so far, so my average is every other day...the latest, today, being a Natural Clear MP soap for dogs.

Yeah that's why I measure everthing in grams, my scale goes to the hundredth , oh how I wish I had a triple beam, has been my dream since using them in college, they're the most accurate scales pretty much and last forever!

 

[MorpheusPA]

Yeah that's why I measure everthing in grams, my scale goes to the hundredth , oh how I wish I had a triple beam, has been my dream since using them in college, they're the most accurate scales pretty much and last forever!

I'm jealous--mine only measures to the gram! On 8 ounces, 226 grams, with a theoretical almost half-gram error per item, I have a potential error of about 3 grams, or about 1.5%. I tend to increase superfat to 8% to counter that--it'll definitely fall between 6.5% and 9.5%.

I'd also love a triple beam, but they're not exactly cheap...

 

[IanT]

which is exactly why i dont own one lol... been waiting for one to pop up at a garage sail lol....

I think mine is acurate to .01 of a gram.. thats good stuff it was only $20 too!

 

[ChrissyB]

I have been totally soap obsessed since setting up my etsy store and have done five logs this week and plan on getting back in the kitchen soon LOL goodness knows what I will do with it all as don't think I am going to take off quickly on Etsy but need lots of variety!!!!!!!
Might have to donate to a shelter I think hehehehehehehe

Lyn I'd love to have a sticky beek at your etsy store!

I'm a once or twice a week soaper.

 

[Bubbles Galore]

I haven't made any soap for over a month as other things are currently taking priority. Big change from when I first started as I was making soap virtually every day. I have heaps of supplies so must get started again soon. :wink:

 

[Pepper]

I'm suffering withdrawal at the moment, due to being away from home for a while. It's been over a week since my last fix. Up til then, I had been doing 2 or 3 1kg batches per week. My friends and family love me, and my bedroom (curing room) smells delicious. Last night, I lay in bed for ages, with soap recipes and designs buzzing around in my head. I've promised myself tomorrow is the day

One 850gm batch of sour cream soap, sitting in my fridge right now
I'm working my way through the recipes in Anne L Watson's Milk Soapmaking Book. So far I've done yoghurt (beautiful creamy soap), buttermilk (not ready yet), and today the sour cream. Still to come are whipping cream, goat's milk, coconut milk, and butter. I'm nothing if not adventurous. :wink:

 

[jenn624]

I made five 4lb batches yesterday. I get crazy like that once or twice a month, occasionally more often, depending on my mood and urge to soap.

 

[Bukawww]

I try to soap at least once a week - Fridays. I usually have my friend's preteens over to spend the night and hubby works. So they help herd the kids during the dangerous parts and hold things while I pour etc.