Working on the Weekend

This weekend I got a lot of knitting, crocheting, and soapmaking done for my Etsy orders. The alpaca throw is wrapped and boxed, and ready to ship. Today is a holiday, so I'll mail it out  first thing tomorrow morning. I am nearly done with the crocheted baby blanket. I have a few more rows to complete before I start the border. It's looking very sweet.

On Saturday I made a batch of Yogurt Parfait soap from Ann L. Watson's book. You mix the yogurt with distilled water and freeze it. It makes a lovely soap. I decided to try out my sample of red Brazilian clay that I have in with my supplies. Because this is a milk soap, the final product shifted into more of a pastel pink. I love the shade. It's so muted and soft. It reminds me of a powder puff.

I think I'm going to try using the purple clay again, because I think I might be happier with it as a solid color. I used it to swirl a batch of olive oil soap, and it turned out a bit brown for my taste. We'll see how it looks in this recipe with a larger amount of the clay.  I love that the clay is a natural colorant. When you freeze soaps, it's a totally different effect than what you get when you gel them. The heat brightens and strengthens the colors. The cold and white milk or cream softens them, and gives you pastels.

I picked some rosemary off of my bush in the garden, and am letting it dry on the kitchen counter. (The Aussies would call that a bench.) I am going to use the rosemary in some soaps for Christmas that I'll be making. I have a fir tree mold, and will infuse the oils with the herb. I remember receiving a bar of rosemary soap years ago, as  a gift. It was very special. I liked the healing properties, and the texture. What's happening in your neck of the woods?