Making soap and lip balm for the holidays!

Making soap and lip balm for the holidays!, originally uploaded by Auggy D'Auggy.

I ordered my supplies from Ponte Vedra Soap . They have all natural pre-mixed bases for a variety of cosmetics including glycerin soaps and lip balm. They also sell additional items to mix into these including colors, scents, and flavors (for the lip balm).

Soaps!, originally uploaded by Auggy D'Auggy.

I am using 3 of their melt and pour glycerin soap base - Crystal Clear, Goat Milk, and Shaving. I am also using their Fragrance Oils but I think next time I will look into using essential oils. The synthetics smell great and are the right price, but the essential oils just give the final product a certain depth.

For the lip balm, I bought their kit and a few extra flavor oils. Note that their kit does not come with vitamin E oil. Vitamin E is used as a preservative to keep your lip balm from going rancid. Most drug stores carry it, so it's no biggie.

Harney and Sons Tea!

Ok so this post isn't really "crafty" related other than I was introduced to this wonderful brand of tea at a knitting retreat. The brand of tea is Harney and Sons. My mom and I bought tins of a few different flavors, including Paris, Black Current, and Decaf Midsummer's Peach. The tea comes loose or in silk sachets. Well, Nick really liked the Paris tea and we managed to finish it! I went to the Harney and Sons website to order more and they sure have a lot of teas!! Besides loose tea and sachets, they have sample packets, small tins, and sampler variety boxes. I have been stalking our order ever since I placed it. We were supposed to get it Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving, but it was delayed, so we didn't get it until today. Totally worth the wait. Anyways, so here's the lewtz (not pictured -- a one pound bag of Paris):

Mariebelle Aztec Chocolate, a sampler box of Harney & Sons sachets, Sampler pouches of loose tea, originally uploaded by Auggy D'Auggy.

Peach Fruit Tea (it smells GOOD), originally uploaded by Auggy D'Auggy.

Small Tins with 3-5 sachets in them, originally uploaded by Auggy D'Auggy.

Peach and Kiwi Strawberry Fruit teas, originally uploaded by Auggy D'Auggy.

Peppermint Herbal, Rose Scented Black Tea, Chamomile Herbal, and Indian Spice (Chai) Tea, originally uploaded by Auggy D'Auggy.

Brown Teapot!, originally uploaded by Auggy D'Auggy.

Monster Hats!

Green monster hat, originally uploaded by Auggy D'Auggy.

My first knitting project. I made this in early 2009.

Monster hat for Nick!, originally uploaded by Auggy D'Auggy.

I made this for Nick as an early xmas present :D

Waving Lace Socks in Vesper Semi Solid Gin Bottle Blue

Waving lace socks in vesper gin bottle blue, originally uploaded by Auggy D'Auggy.

Finally finished! Now to start on xmas presents...

Latvian Wrister

LATVIAN wrister from a class i took last year, originally uploaded by Auggy D'Auggy.

I found this and thought I'd share! This was from the Latvian Wrister class I took in March 2009 at the Norwegian Knitting Festival. A friend couldn't make the class at the last minute so I went as her. This was my first time doing lace AND color work! Cast off is too tight and I have to sew down the picot edge but otherwise, pretty decent for a first timer!

New Sock Yarn from Frog Creek Fibers

New Sock Yarn from Frog Creek, originally uploaded by Auggy D'Auggy.

Went to the So Much Yarn Fall knitting retreat this weekend and the gals from Frog Creek Fibers were there with a huge stash of their lovely Ebullient sock yarns! I bought Ice Wine (bottom) and Pink Flamingo (top).

Mom's Sock Yarn from Frog Creek, originally uploaded by Auggy D'Auggy.

My mom bought several colorways as well. She ended up trading the Pink Flamingo in her pile for another colorway on account of someone else really wanted that Pink Flamingo.

Gift: Fetching Gloves from Mom

Gift: Fetching Gloves from Mom, originally uploaded by Auggy D'Auggy.

My mom made me these adorable gloves!! The pattern is called Fetching and it's available for free from Knitty.