10th ave. soapworks

I've recently teamed up with Danielle of Meadow Ridge Alpacas , a fellow vendor at my local farmer's market...my soaps with her alpaca fiber.  I can already tell it's going to be a great partnership. The idea of felted soaps was a new one for both of us but it seemed logical given our products.  So we turned to our good friend, YouTube.  After watching lots of videos, I gave it a try.   It was a Goldilocks kind of project--the first one was too thick, the second was too thin, but my third, fourth, and fifth attempts were just right .  It's a strange concept, the idea of turning a mass of soft fibers into a scrubby, felt washcloth attached right to the soap.  But it really works! I love the color variations of the natural alpaca fiber.  But of course, I can never leave well enough alone, so my next project will be learning how to dye the fibers to add a splash of pretty color.  (Because we all know prettier soap gets you cleaner.) The m...

One complaint I've heard about "real" soap is that it tends to get a little slimy if it sits in a puddle of water.  It seems that a lot of soap dishes are made just to look nice and function is overlooked entirely.  Soap mats are the best solution I have found to avoid that melty, gooey effect and to dry the soap between uses, making it last longer.  You can either rest it in your current soap dish or use it instead of a soap dish.  Whenever it starts looking a little soapy, just wash it along with your towels and such. After a bit of practice, I learned how to make my own little mats to rest my bars of soap.  And they work great!  If you don't know how to crochet, look for an online video for a lesson or do what I did and find a book that explains how.  I use a single crochet stitch.  In order to get the ridges on the mat that allows for more air flow, I only crochet through the back loop and not both o...