Teach Soap

Is it possible to use the silk fibers in a way that you could dissolve them ahead of time in larger quantitites (like a master batch) to be used for later smaller batches? What else can they be dissolved in besides the hot lye water solution?

For soapmaking, silk only dissolves in hot lye. If you don't have any kids or pets around, you can masterbatch your lye water.

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Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

I pre-mix my lye at 50% strength then (usually) add one part additional liquid to 2 parts pre-mix when I'm ready to make soap. this gives me a 33% solution. I add a pretty good sized ball of raw tussah silk to the pre-mix while it is still hot and can dissolve. Just be sure to mix well before using to keep the silk well blended.

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- Mickey!

Does it have to be tussah silk? can it be mulberry silk or bombyx silk?

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Shieh Design Studio
https://www.facebook.com/ShiehDesignStudio
http://soapandrestless.blogspot.com

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- Mickey!

I see, I didn't know there are so many different silk out there and how they were made. Thanks!

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Shieh Design Studio
https://www.facebook.com/ShiehDesignStudio
http://soapandrestless.blogspot.com

Any time...

I'm no silk expert but as I understand it... the type of worm/moth that makes the silk as well as what they eat prior to making their cocoon can make a difference in the quality and consistency of the silk. Since we're just dissolving it in lye I can't imagine those differences matter they way they would when weaving silk for things like clothing and sheets.

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- Mickey!