Nettle Soap Update

You may remember that I made an experimental batch of Nettle Soap a little over a month ago. The six weeks of drying time isn't up as yet but I couldn't resist cutting off a small piece to try it out.

 

Wow, it lathers up beautifully and makes my hands feel like I have just put hand cream on so it was definitely worth the effort. Next time I will add some Rosemary essential oil to it as well. The terrible smell of the interaction between the lye and the nettle juice and tea has dissipated thankfully and I look forward to using this soap...when we get through the Calendula Soap and Violet Soap.

As you can tell from the above photo, the colour has faded to a greeny brown and if you going to trial this and wanted to end up with a green soap you would have to add a colourant I dare say.

So....what is going to be my next experiment? Well as I have mentioned before I would love to make some Violet Salve like Faye from This Blessed Hearth does so I picked some violets the other day to make some but last night when I read the ingredients required I noticed that violet leaves not violet flowers are needed. Duh! So now I have some violet leaves drying in readiness for infusing them in olive oil.

 I am sure I will find something to add these to. ;-)

With rain forecast I headed outside this morning to cut some lavender for drying as Annabel from The Bluebirds are Nesting had a link on her blog the other day to a No Sew Lavender Drawer Sachet  that Jes from Strangers & Pilgrims on Earth  designed. I just had another look at that interesting blog and I will have to spend some time there as I see there is a lot of info about herbs....just up my alley as I try to use the herbs we have growing so that they are not wasted.

I do have the lavender in a large pot but I tried to move it the other day and the roots have gone into the ground. Oops!

There were so  many bees on the plant that I had to be careful where I placed the camera as I didn't have my glasses on...as usual. 

Now the rain has arrived so I am going to use up what I think might be my last cauliflower from the garden and make some cauliflower soup as it has turned cool once again. I plan to make some Slow Cooked Foccacia Bread in the Crockpot to go with it.  

Before then however, I need to sew a couple of rows on this rag quilt that I am making for my little grandson in the fabric that has been used for his room.

He is now trying to walk so I had better finish it before he has grown up and has children of his own. LOL! Nanna really shouldn't procrastinate and spend so much time outside in the garden.

Have a great weekend everyone!