For a little background, I'm a new soaper who will be creating his first batch this weekend. I'm really excited to get started, particularly since I've been reading the forum and getting educated on the intricacies of soapmaking as much as possible over the past few months from a variety of sources.
I'm starting to get my head around all of the possibilities within the CP soapmaking realm, and look forward to the challenge of undertaking progressively difficult recipes, designs, techniques, and processes.
Having said that, I am a very methodical and goal-oriented person when it comes to crafts/hobbies. In other words, like many of you I value the feeling of momentum and achievement in activities I pursue. In committing myself to soapmaking, I promised myself I would undertake it with rigor and start slowly.
In other words, I hope to master the basics before moving on to more advanced techniques and recipes with an eye toward starting a business one day, perhaps years from now if that's what it takes. In short, I want to lay the groundwork for achieving that goal in the most efficient and least-frustrating way possible. Therefore, I have a two-fold question:
1. I'm curious what you experienced soapers out there would choose to have done differently when you first got started, if anything? And, what would you advise for a new soaper in light of that?
2. Can any of you sketch out a list of soaping techniques that is progressively difficult to master? For instance, I'm looking for advice along the lines of "First, work with these oils with distilled water before moving on to these other oils with goat's milk." Or: "Focus your time on how fragrances impact the trace time before experimenting with color and swirling techniques." If there are materials available on the web or elsewhere that have been indispensable to you (and that offer soapmaking instruction in a methodical way), I'd love to hear about those too.
Maybe I'm coming at this differently than most, but I'm eager to hear the wisdom that many of you have. Thanks ahead of time!
I'm starting to get my head around all of the possibilities within the CP soapmaking realm, and look forward to the challenge of undertaking progressively difficult recipes, designs, techniques, and processes.
Having said that, I am a very methodical and goal-oriented person when it comes to crafts/hobbies. In other words, like many of you I value the feeling of momentum and achievement in activities I pursue. In committing myself to soapmaking, I promised myself I would undertake it with rigor and start slowly.
In other words, I hope to master the basics before moving on to more advanced techniques and recipes with an eye toward starting a business one day, perhaps years from now if that's what it takes. In short, I want to lay the groundwork for achieving that goal in the most efficient and least-frustrating way possible. Therefore, I have a two-fold question:
1. I'm curious what you experienced soapers out there would choose to have done differently when you first got started, if anything? And, what would you advise for a new soaper in light of that?
2. Can any of you sketch out a list of soaping techniques that is progressively difficult to master? For instance, I'm looking for advice along the lines of "First, work with these oils with distilled water before moving on to these other oils with goat's milk." Or: "Focus your time on how fragrances impact the trace time before experimenting with color and swirling techniques." If there are materials available on the web or elsewhere that have been indispensable to you (and that offer soapmaking instruction in a methodical way), I'd love to hear about those too.
Maybe I'm coming at this differently than most, but I'm eager to hear the wisdom that many of you have. Thanks ahead of time!
