Hello....

my name is Kris and I am a soap-a-holoic. Yep. I am. I went to the studio this morning to work on wool. I need more dryer balls. More pumpkins. More little needle felted sheep and other critters.

But no. I made soap. Yeah, 3 more batches of soap. I cannot help myself. I lay in bed at night, thinking of soaps I can make. Different combinations. Different things to use instead of water in the lye. Ways to use more natural scents and colors. I have a problem.

But look what I made! Isn't this pretty? It's basil soap. I used fresh basil from a friend and my garden that I ground in the grinder, then added to the oils. I also used dried parsley that I made into powder by grinding it. Also had some basil EO I added at trace. I love this scent. I just wish it would stay this pretty color.

Then I made this. Peaches 'n Cream. With 1 1/2 fresh peaches, skin on, cut up and grated. And some raw cow milk yogurt from my friend Sarah's Jersey cows. No scent. I kept a little out and added some Wilton Cream Peach Icing gel to that and put it on top. Then swirled it a little. You can see on the sides the color before I added the dye. I wish this would stay this color. But I peaked and the dye color is almost red. It and the green soap has to stay in the molds for 48 hours.

Then this is a soap I saw on a soap video. She gave the ingredients and amounts too. It's European clay with yogurt. Just a 2 pound batch. This will be a facial soap. No scent in this either.
 

I did go back over after dinner to work on wool. But when I walked out the door, there were hundreds of dragonflies, flying all around the house. It was amazing. I have never seen so many of them together before. Wonder if they were migrating? Or getting ready to? I have no idea. Sure was cool. And the sunset was beautiful tonight.

Just a beautiful day here. I was home all day. I love being home. I am so thankful I am able to be doing what I'm doing.

And, when I went into the milk room to get some burger out of the little freezer for dinner,  I found the package of nettle seeds I had lost! I am so happy! I had prayed about this and just asked God to lead me to where He knew they were. And He did! ( It only took a week) I don't know how many times I had been right there to get feed for the chickens every night. The seeds were right above the barrel of sunflower seeds on the shelf. Right there this whole time. I don't know what made me even see the little white envelope this time. But I had to look twice. And when I realized it was the nettle seeds, I almost shouted! God is good! So I will go plant them Sunday. We are supposed to get rain that afternoon. I am so glad I found them. Now we will have our own patch of nettles next year. And I hear they make  soap a pretty green color too!

My market booth

 I dreamed about this new way to set up my space at the market. I have a canopy and have always had the long table in the back with the 2 smaller tables on either side. So people would have to walk inside to see things. The soap is always on the bigger table, since I have so much soap. Then the salves on the medium size table and felted things on the smaller one. So sales haven't been that good the past month. This is the new set up. I love it! And I sold a lot yesterday. Don't know if this is why, but I think it helped so much. People don't have to actually come inside now. The bigger table is sort of katy-corner with the other 2 tables tiered at the other side. All the other vendors liked it. I do too. And I can always flip it around  too.

I love this little wicker laundry basket I found at Michael's. It's perfect for wool dryer balls. And I found this pumpkin table cloth at a thrift store a few years ago. So cute for fall.

And all the soaps go on this bigger table. I just love making soap. I have so many ideas for more soaps floating around in my head right now.  I used the milk crates for height in the back which ads more to the table. I just love it. I need a farm sign now to hang  in the back. I might try to make one. There is a quilting class Oct.4th I think and I may just quilt a farm sign instead of the baby quilt. That'll make me thread up my brand new machine.(So sorry for another horrible blurry picture. But you can see what the soap table looks like anyway.)

I really do think this new way made a big difference in sales yesterday. I sold a lot of soap and some dryer balls and a pumpkin. But about 5:30, this lady came by and just fell in love with all my wool things. She ended up buying all my pretty dryer balls that were decorated real cute, several pumpkins and the set of sheep I had made last week! Over $100 worth of wool items! AND, she's not using the dryer balls in her dryer. She said they were too pretty to hide in a dryer. She has a better idea for them. I just love her! I told her she just made my deposit for the JC Folk School class on beginner spinning I want to go to in Nov. She was happy she could help out.

I just love fall. Just a perfect time of year. Do any of you who read my blog go to farmer's markets? What do you look for when you go? What draws you to certain booths? I would love to hear what you think. I know some of you are vendors too. I'd love to see pictures of your booths.

Knitting

Last Saturday, I went to another knitting class. A friend has a camp not too far from me and is wanting to start a school to teach things like knitting, quilting, crochet, sewing. Hopefully a soap class too.

I can knit the basic stitch already. I have knit a few prayer shawls and scarves. Even made a hat a few years back. But I tend to forget things if I don't keep doing it.

This was a class on knitting a hat. For a baby. But I got big yarn. So this will be a hat for a big person. Or I may just keep it for me.

I really learned a lot of different stitches. Or whatever it's called. This hat is more like a sampler. It has 6 different stitches. Can't remember them all. But the girl who taught the class made this pattern. It's going to look good when it's finished.  Just not so good right now. But you can see all the different types of knitting here. This is half way done. Then I start over with the knit stitch. So fun! And I am actually following a pattern. When it's done, but not sewn together, I have to wet it and tack it down to shape it. Or stretch it. I'll get it done at Mrs. T's, I hope.

Today, after spending most of it with my mom, I came home and made jewelweed-plantain salve. I had to remelt it because it wasn't solid enough. Had to add more bees wax. I hope it sets up tonight.

I also made several more batts from Adele's wool. Finished picking it to be ready to card.

And I found some alum in Lafayette at this little country grocery store. I figured they would have some. So I got all 7 little bottles of it. I now need to look up how to dye fiber with natural dyes. And find a whole day to do it.

And I hope I am able to get into this beginner spinning class at the John Campbell Folk School in N. Carolina Nov. 14-16. I REALLY want to go to this. And they have classes in sock making, natural dyeing, soap making, knitting... So many classes I want to take. I need to learn so much.

I also bought a bottle of red wine with a citrus flavor to make some soap with. I saw someone's wine soap on-line in a soap forum and it's beautiful. So I'll try it. Also want to make soap with yogurt too. My friend Sarah, who has Jersey cows, makes the best yogurt. So got some from her today. Now I need some good organic peaches. I want to make a peaches and cream soap. Doesn't that sound good?

And want to make some more soap with green colors. I made a lime-patchouli yesterday, now wish I had waited. I got some parsley flakes. Someone said they grind them and add to their soap and it's the prettiest color green. That would have been perfect for lime soap. I can always make more! I love making soap.