Sunday, April 7, 2013

Saponification Sunday...Class Act


 
 

There is nothing like teaching...to prove to yourself how much you don't know. On the other hand each time I teach, I learn more.

I taught my first soap making class yesterday and thanks to a great group of first timers it went very well. Even though I had spent a good amount of time trying to figure out (in my head) how to coordinate lye mixing, oil measuring and soap tracing, it did not quite work out the way I planned.

The class was focusing on basic soap making. It was sponsored by the oldest know farm of Livingston County, Spence Farm and called "Little White Lye" since I was to demonstrate how good soap can be made from simple ingredients like lye and lard.

The only problem...I forgot the lard.

I did remember four other kinds of base oils, numerous pitchers, bowls, spatulas, mixers, a scale, plastic gloves, eyes goggles, electric fry pan to keep the coconut oil in liquid form, vinegar, paper towels , essential oils, garbage bags, molds, measuring cups and plastic spoons to name a few items. But the lard got left on the kitchen table. Right where I had out it early that morning so I wouldn't forget it.

Oh well. The group did not stone me or ask me to leave. They were a forgiving group. They even paid for the class and in return I taught them how to mix lye safely and reach trace easily. And each participant went home with 7 bars of beautiful soap they made with their own two hands.

I had great help. Class participants who helped each other measure oils and remind each other how not to get bubbles in their soap. People who reminded each other to wear their gloves and goggles when working with the lye water and raw soap. Folks who came early to help set up and stayed late to tear down. And at the end of the afternoon we left the old schoolhouse smelling better than it had in almost 100 years.

And nobody suffered a lye burn. Yeah for that.

10 comments:

  1. If you forgot the lard, how did you make soap?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hello practical. I made soap with the other base oils I had remembered to bring, coconut, olive, sweet almond and castor. That's the amazing thing about real soap. Many kinds of oils can be mixed with lye to make a great bar of soap!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Sounds like a great class! I have to admit lye scares me. I'd feel a bit more comfortable trying to make my own soap if i could attend a class like yours.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Heya i'm for the first time here. I found this board and I find It truly useful & it helped me out much. I hope to give something back and aid others like you aided me.

    Feel free to visit my web-site ... visit for grooming a golden retriever for show info

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hi Donna, It is great to know you had such a great class. I just so wish I could smell your soap over here, I bet it is beautiful.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Without the lard, what would happen with the lye?

    ReplyDelete
  7. Only forgetting one thing, albeit a main component, isn't bad at all. I bet you made the class a lot of fun and helped dispell the myth that working with lye is scary!

    Wished I could have been there ^.^

    Kinky Witch Soap

    ReplyDelete
  8. Well now I'm going to feel really bad when I post about our successful soap class (with lard:))). I'm sure your students all went home thrilled with their new learned knowledge!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Congrats on teaching your first soaping class, Donna! I'm glad it went well despite the forgotten lard. I also leave things out so I remember to take them with me and then leave without them. I pretty much have to prop something against the front door if I don't want to forget it. I also put things in special places so I won't lose them, and then I can't find them.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Being my first experience with making soap - lye and all, which seemed scary at first! - this was a great class which taught me much! I really enjoyed it, and met a group of very nice people! Thanks, Donna and Spence Farm!

    ReplyDelete