May 2024 SMF Challenge: Hanger Swirls!

[akseattle]

^^ This. You cannot submit bars from different batches - even if they are made on the same day. In other words, the bars that you submit must have been poured from the same batch of soap batter into the same soap mold at the same time.

It's not a problem to make two different recipes as long as they are poured at the same time into one mold. A ghost swirl mix would be a good example of this (as long as you also swirled it with the hanger tool).

@AliOop oh, didn't see your second paragraph. Looks like i CAN use two different recipes, in two different pots, as long as they go into the same mold to produce one loaf only.
THANK YOU !

 

[AliOop]

@akseattle correct! I was in the midst of changing my wording to clarify this when you posted your first response.

 

[dibbles]

To enter the May 2024 SMF Challenge, copy and paste these instructions and the entire list into a new post, adding the next number and your name to the bottom of the list.

Sign-up list:
1. Justsomeguy - it's gonna be nerve wrecking but I'm in. My first venture into multicolored soap
2. Ackosel - I need to get a hanger and learn how to use it. Expecting to enjoy the learning process, submit a very unimpressive entry, and have fun doing it!
3. Relle
4. dmcgee5034 - have hanger, will swirl
5. McKherringFarm
6. akseattle
7. Firefly24
8. SoapM0m - I've been making soap for over 25 years and I've *never* done a challenge! This should be fun!
9. The_Emerald_Chicken
10. Vicki C
11. Zuleika - Hang myself on this.
12. Tammyfarms - starting to plan the design. This is the most time consuming part for me.
13. dibbles - it's about time for me to attempt a Luna Swirl

 

[ackosel]

Oh my~ Just made a batch of soap with the hanger swirl method. I was hoping to use it for this challenge. I have absolutely no idea if it is going to work. Granted it was a recipe that is slow tracing, however, it may not get hard at all. Who knows? It's in the oven now and I am going to pray, light candles, or eventually laugh and say, oh well. Happy Sunday!

Did your soap ever harden? How did it turn out?

 

[Firefly24]

Did your soap ever harden? How did it turn out?

Yes it did finally harden. It turned out ok. Not great but ok. Still debating on using it for this months challenge.

 

[CLMP]

Well it's 3:15 am in the morning and I just finished my soap for the challenge and put it in the oven. I had to drink coffee and make soap all night because everyone in my house caught a very bad flu and I started to feel it coming on around 9:00 pm so I figured I better make soap quick before I become to sick to do it. I might of over swirled it I went over it twice I hope it turns out nice! We will see in 18 hours .

 

[AliOop]

Awww please don't get sick, @CLMP! And if you do, definitely don't stay sick till the end of the challenge, either!

Swirling twice through your batter is almost certainly not over-swirling. Lots of folks swirl 3-5x. I am usually too nervous to do that much!

 

[Tammyfarms]

Well it's 3:15 am in the morning and I just finished my soap for the challenge and put it in the oven. I had to drink coffee and make soap all night because everyone in my house caught a very bad flu and I started to feel it coming on around 9:00 pm so I figured I better make soap quick before I become to sick to do it. I might of over swirled it I went over it twice I hope it turns out nice! We will see in 18 hours .

Hope you and your family are feeling better soon and that your soap turns out great!

 

[CLMP]

Hope you and your family are feeling better soon and that your soap turns out great!

@Tammyfarms Thanks so much I've been drinking lots of lemons and limes with honey ginger and cinnamon that always seems to help I'm excited to cut my soap in one hour. I'll let everyone know in a couple hours how it turned out.

 

[ackosel]

I cut it.
I like it.
Complete miss on what I envisioned though.
I asked some of the vendors at the farmers market today if they preferred the plain single soap or the multicolored one. Single color didn't get a single yay.

I'm fighting the urge to make another batch this month. Good news is I think I'll be making more soaps this way in the (near) future

Edit: someone purchased what I had at the farmers market as a college graduation gift (school colors represented well) even after I Said come back in 8 weeks (they're gonna let it cure for 8 weeks and bring it back if anything goes away)

I cut it.
I like it.
Complete miss on what I envisioned though.
I asked some of the vendors at the farmers market today if they preferred the plain single soap or the multicolored one. Single color didn't get a single yay.

I'm fighting the urge to make another batch this month. Good news is I think I'll be making more soaps this way in the (near) future

Edit: someone purchased what I had at the farmers market as a college graduation gift (school colors represented well) even after I Said come back in 8 weeks (they're gonna let it cure for 8 weeks and bring it back if anything goes away)

Same here. My soap only had holes in the end pieces from being to stiff to pour. The swirl turned out almost exactly like I hoped it would! I want to try again to get more vibrant colors.

Also, I made a pair of hanger tools with a coat hanger and silicone straws. The one I originally used was wrapped in plastic wrap and packaging tape. The new ones are much nicer. I made one for my 10-inch rectangular mold and a small one for the 4-inch square mold, and only used one hanger.

 

[ackosel]

@Tammyfarms Thanks so much I've been drinking lots of lemons and limes with honey ginger and cinnamon that always seems to help I'm excited to cut my soap in one hour. I'll let everyone know in a couple hours how it turned out.

Looking forward to hearing how your soap turned out, and hoping that you're feeling better soon!

 

[justsomeguy]

Same here. My soap only had holes in the end pieces from being to stiff to pour. The swirl turned out almost exactly like I hoped it would! I want to try again to get more vibrant colors.

Also, I made a pair of hanger tools with a coat hanger and silicone straws. The one I originally used was wrapped in plastic wrap and packaging tape. The new ones are much nicer. I made one for my 10-inch rectangular mold and a small one for the 4-inch square mold, and only used one hanger.

Thanks for this!
I'm gonna "tube" my hangers too!

 

[CLMP]

So I just finished cutting my soap and I will admit my soap bars look beautiful I really like them, but the big buttttt, they didn't turn out the way I planned. I'm going to still enter them in the challenge though. Either I over swirled or I swirled them with a trace that was to thin or I didn't add enough blue. They look a little muddy like the colors mixed to gether a bit in some places and some places my pink and blue mixed to gether and made a purple color so it looks like I swirled purple in there to but I didn't. They still look nice though but not what I wanted I could of sworn my trace was at medium trace but oh well. I still think everyone will like them.

 

[CLMP]

To enter the May 2024 SMF Challenge, copy and paste these instructions and the entire list into a new post, adding the next number and your name to the bottom of the list.

Sign-up list:
1. Justsomeguy - it's gonna be nerve wrecking but I'm in. My first venture into multicolored soap
2. Ackosel - I need to get a hanger and learn how to use it. Expecting to enjoy the learning process, submit a very unimpressive entry, and have fun doing it!
3. Relle
4. dmcgee5034 - have hanger, will swirl
5. McKherringFarm
6. akseattle
7. Firefly24
8. SoapM0m - I've been making soap for over 25 years and I've *never* done a challenge! This should be fun!
9. The_Emerald_Chicken
10. Vicki C
11. Zuleika - Hang myself on this.
12. Tammyfarms - starting to plan the design. This is the most time consuming part for me.
13. dibbles - it's about time for me to attempt a Luna Swirl
14. CLMP this was a fun challenge!
15.

 

[ackosel]

CLMP, I hope you're feeling all better now. I'm glad your soap turned out pretty!!!

 

[AliOop]

So I just finished cutting my soap and I will admit my soap bars look beautiful I really like them, but the big buttttt, they didn't turn out the way I planned. I'm going to still enter them in the challenge though. Either I over swirled or I swirled them with a trace that was to thin or I didn't add enough blue. They look a little muddy like the colors mixed to gether a bit in some places and some places my pink and blue mixed to gether and made a purple color so it looks like I swirled purple in there to but I didn't. They still look nice though but not what I wanted I could of sworn my trace was at medium trace but oh well. I still think everyone will like them.

I bet they are going to be great! Glad you were feeling well enough to cut them. Hopefully the rest of your house is on the mend, too!

 

[CLMP]

I was just thinking of sharing a tip that I thought of when making my hanger swirl for any one who wants to try Holly's hanger swirl with figure 8's. I measured a half a inch mark all the way up the side's of my hanger tool so I could consistently lower my hanger tool every half a inch every time I made a figure 8. So I would make a figure 8 and then lower it a half inch and then make another figure 8 and lower it another half a inch again and so on till I reached the bottom and I'm sure you could use any measurement you want depending on how close together you want your figure 8's. I also measured a mark in the center of each end of my mold to match the line on my hanger swirl to make sure I evenly came back to the middle every time I swirled a figure 8. I hope this makes sense. Also in Holly's hanger swirl video she does the figure 8's all the way to the bottom of her mold once. I tried going over it twice and even though it still looks nice I think only one time is necessary mine was just about over swirled. I hope this will help if your trying Holly's figure 8 hanger swirl it's a nice one to try and very fun. It just makes it easier to make nice figure 8's if your not use to it I hope this helps.

 

[AliOop]

Wow, fantastic tips there @CLMP! My gear ties are black so I may have to run out and get a lighter one so I can mark it.

 

[CLMP]

Wow, fantastic tips there @CLMP! My gear ties are black so I may have to run out and get a lighter one so I can mark it.

Thanks @AliOop maybe you could use chalk or a white paint pen. It might be cheaper then buying new gear ties. It's a funny thing even though I'm sick still all I can think about is soap making ha ha. I guess I will get lots of soap videos in while I'm in bed lol.

 

[akseattle]

but the big buttttt, they didn't turn out the way I planned.

@CLMP , I don't think soap ever turns out the way we planned! I'm still looking at Utubes, but, I'm going to try to make my soap this weekend. I'm telling myself over and over not to get too attached to what I THINK it should look like! But, I can't wait to see your soap!