reading and misc.

[helwen]

Did some reading up on how glycerin is made, because someone I was talking with online had read how it was petroleum-based, but questions the info now. Glycerin is a by-product of soap or biofuel making, and comes from animal or plant fats/oils. I expect like most manufactured things that petroleum in involved in producing it, although it isn't an actual part of the material. Some processes use bleach, for making the glycerin clearer for soap -- although you can get soap glycerin that isn't super clear, so that isn't a necessary part of the process. Will probably need to do more reading on it, to put together something coherent.

Talked with fitzw about soapmaking, what lye is made of, etc. Maybe some reading on that too. John Seymour's book on self-sufficiency has some stuff on that.

Also reading an article on permaculture, but I had to take a break because my brain was getting full. Excellent article though! http://permaculturetokyo.blogspot.com/2007/02/healthy-life-from-healthy-soil.html

I'm working 2-6pm today, so I should put in a wash this morning, especially if I want my jeans to be dry by tomorrow :D Then some reading/practicing of AODA things, some Tai Chi and a little Chi Gong.

fitzw made soda bread last night, which we will be trying out as sandwich bread for lunch today!

Comments

[bunnyjadwiga.livejournal.com]

One of the people from our group (she's changed her SCA name to something Japanese and I'm afraid to get it wrong) made soap with wood ash leached lye for one of her first A&S projects. She said it was very easy to make the lye. The biggest trouble is that your lye will vary in strength, and it's not something you want to do with kids around-- it's a slow-drip process.

soapmaking and lye

[islenskr.livejournal.com]

Yes, I've read about making soap (and dyeing things, actually) with lye and how lye was produced 'way back when'. The strength does vary if you make your own lye water. Be sure to use wood ashes only! The test that was used to get in the neighbourhood of the correct strength was to put an egg in. When it floated or stayed below the surface a certain amount, then it was perfect for soap.

This is an excellent link:
http://www.florilegium.org/files/CRAFTS/Lye-Soap-art.html

[helwen.livejournal.com]

So true about the lye strength. Definitely something I'd want to do plenty of reading on and prep for, before even thinking of trying it.

I don't even know if I'll have time to try it this year, but I'm working on acquiring useful information to put into binders, so that I'll have it in case the web sites or books that I got the info from aren't available at a future date. And sometimes a book is just plain handier than a computer, ya know?

Re: soapmaking and lye

[helwen.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

[beard5.livejournal.com]

I also remember, vaguely, from the deep mists of prehistory (probably the 70's) the Firefox series of books had something about making your own lye, to make soap, to dye, to clean etc. (Oh and to make lutefisk)I know the Wilton public library has those books in their reference section. Hope this helps.

[helwen.livejournal.com]

Interesting memory... :) Yes, we have some of the Foxfire books -- I haven't had a lot of time to look through them recently, but they have a lot of neat stuff in them. Years and years ago when some friends of mine and I were engaging in a what-if scenario of some sort of collapse of society, we all agreed that we would take fitzw with us because of his general intelligence and experience, and his collection of Foxfire books... And he wasn't hard on the eyes, either ;)