It started out as an idea for making Christmas gifts, and then as an idea for another income. I found a recipe in a book and watched some videos on YouTube.
My holdup began with my search for lye. Did you know that you can't find it on store shelves anymore? One local hardware store has a newspaper article about how lye is used in home drug labs posted on the shelf where lye had previously been stocked. So I called the Red Devil company (1-800-423-3845, recommended in Better Basics for the Home) who referred me to a company where I could buy the lye online. 
I never knew soap was so full of oils and grease - Olive Oil, Crisco, Coconut Oil. As I read more and watched videos I realized that this is no small undertaking. I needed a special kitchen scale, gloves, goggles (it seems that lye is very dangerous and should be used only outdoors and should not get on your skin).
To begin the process I gathered the gloves, goggles, measured the oils and took the lye outside on the carport while my sweet husband (supportive in all my crazy endeavors) melted the fats. I poured the lye into the water and let the temperature slowly drop to the "magic" point (about 95 - 105 degrees) so the lye mixture could be added to the fats mixture. It is apparently very important to the chemical process for the two mixtures to be about the same temperature when mixed together so the lye mixture will turn the fats into glycerin. After mixing everything together I had to stir for about an hour.
Then I added lavender essential oil, poured it into a container, wrapped it in blankets, and have now left it to set till tomorrow evening when I will cut it and let it dry for a few weeks.
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