soak.

There are lots of new treats in the soap shop. Some old favorites, too.


The mineral sea salt soaks turned out just gorgeous. This stuff is heavenly to soak in. A supremely beautiful mélange of pure Dead Sea salt, Epsom salt, Breton organic gray sea salt, and Himalayan pink salt. And so, so good for your skin.

I had a great birthday weekend full of wine drinking, cake munching, and sock knitting. Thank you all again for every single one of the well wishes! I may be truant from blogland this coming week, as it is looking like a hectic one, but I'll try to keep Flickr updated when possible, and I'll certainly be around to send out some soapy goodness, if anyone feels the urge to treat themselves!

Have a grand week!

Soft as a bunny's bottom.

I'm making great progress on the Cottontail Cardigan... I see, now, how when you are totally infatuated with a certain yarn paired up with an intriguing pattern, things tend to just fly across (and off!) the needles. I am finished with the back panel, and it really seems like it has taken me no time at all.


The shaping though the waistline is most fascinating. As are the combinations of textures throughout this sweater. And all of these captivating details are captured so crisply by the Cottontail yarn. I have decided that Norah Gaughan is a genius. I am her newest disciple.


Here you can see the magic of Norah's method of shaping--the ingenious switch to needles two sizes smaller than the main needle size just in the midsection ribbing panel. But because the midsection panel is still ribbing, it stretches easily to conform to whatever size it needs to. It's like an elastic waistband for your pants, only not a fashion faux pas at all, because Norah has made the elastic pretty.


Pretty, pretty details. Love the combination of seed stitch, garter stitch, 3x3 ribbing, and lacy ribbing. Who would have thought such a busy combination would be so fetching?


My adoration of the soft, ever-so-slightly furry Cottontail continues. And speaking of things soft as a bunny's bottom...


You can now find new Silky Hand and Body Creams in the soap shop. I guarantee that this stuff will work wonders on dry, rough skin. Check it out if you are at all interested in having skin soft as a bunny's bottom. And, as knitters, we could all use a little help on the hands.

Happy April, everyone!

Not just for drinking, anymore.

Bath tea! Try soaking in it. Try splashing around in it! It's a lovely experience. But don't take my word for it... it's now available in the soap shop.

And ::thank you:: to everyone who left cheery notes and personal flood stories during the Leaky, Spurty Kitchen Pipes Crisis '07, which, I am happy to report, has been swifty repaired. Commence washing dishes. And not having sink sewage everywhere. Hurrah!

Skin Candy.

More of the good stuff is available, so go check out the Soap Shop and get your birthday suit a treat for Skin Candy Friday.



I've thrown in a few new soaps, too, so have yourself a little peek.



And say, what's this? I've been doing a little experimenting, concocting, and product-developing... new, exciting things are on the horizon for the lil' old Soap Shop. Mmmm...bath teas and salts. Pure epidermal boon. Just out of curiosity, would there be interest out there for skin candy such as bath teas and salts?



And can I just say *WOW* and *THANK YOU* to everyone who left me a comment on my short-cut fingerless mitts! I hit a new zenith in comments! Thanks for taking the time to comment: I love, LOVE hearing from y'all!

I also really do need to send out an appreciative WOOT! to both Brooke and Val for their wonderful reviews of my skin candy. I have on my grateful face right now. It looks like this.


Have a terrific Friday, everyone, and Happy March!

Vessel Wednesday: Soapy Goodness Edition.

In honor of Carson's most intriguing and delightful Vessel Wednesday, I give you the Soapy Goodness Edition.



The Soap Shop has been updated with three new soaps. Here they are, in my favorite handmade rice bowl.



Did I mention that they are all-natural and so very good for your skin? Your birthday suit will thank you for the treat.



Also, I would love feedback from y'all, so PLEASE let me know what you think about the soap. You can leave me a comment here or email me at megan@goodsoapworksofathens.com.

Happy Vessel Wednesday, all!
And check out some other marvelous vessels here and here.

Sunday musings and LOOT.

It's been a relatively lazy, plain-vanilla weekend Chez Philistine. For some reason, I feel as though I've been bustling about, getting things done, knitting up a storm... but then I sit down to recount it and there's really not so much to tell or show. Except for some sweet, new LOOT!



This pile of goodness is the stash-enhancing, bed-warming result of some swaps I did with Ashley and Kirsten. Soap for amazing bedwarmer à la Ashley and delicious tweed and sock yarn à la Kirsten! And look: Edwin, despite his uncanny ability to sense and evade impending photographing, has shown up for the treats. Though he hardly looks interested in them; well, I never said he was the smartest cat ever.



Yum! Treats! Ashley's bedwarmers went like hotcakes over at her Etsy shop, so I am glad to have cajoled one out of her before she tossed the others into the vortex. And I feel lucky to have scored some Sweet Georgia yarn from Kirsten's stash, especially having heard the news that Felicia has granted herself a well-deserved hiatus from dyeing. (I *might* have also recently ransacked the Sweet Sheep and gotten a few more Sweet Georgia colorways as well, but more on that some other time). And, well, Rowan tweed is what it is: utterly amazing, and these guys will make an excellent EZ Ganomy hat, agreed? Thanks again, Kirsten and Ashley for some super swapping! Now about all of that knitting with nothing to show for it...



A little peek at what I've been working on. While it may not look like much, to me it looks like nothing less than a small miracle! I have had an exceedingly antagonistic relationship with my skein of Yarn Pirate merino/tencel sock yarn. Despite it being the nonpareil colorway for this month's Project Spectrum, it hasn't exactly been at all cooperative on the non-pooling front. After many attempts and MANY patterns, I was *this* close to giving up on it and relieving myself of the pooling horror by letting it fend for itself over at Good Yarn Karma (this new site is ingenious, by the way... unwanted yarn FREE to good homes?! It certainly DOES seem to be the year of the clean and tidy stashes, indeed!). And then... I tried ONE. LAST. THING. And so far, so good.



And, finally, I really must send out BIG HUGS to Ashley and Kirsten, for the raving reviews of my soap! And, of course, BIG THANK YOUs to all of those who've decided to try some for themselves. Anyone who ordered soap this weekend: your soap is packed up and on its way to you! I updated the SOAP shop this afternoon, so there are a few new treats in there ready for new homes in YOUR shower! Go check them out!

Now, it's off to Tria for some delicious and cheap Abbey Dubbel-style Belgian ale.

Have a wonderful Sunday night, all!

A moment of shameless self-promotion.

Finally! My handmade soap is now available on Etsy!

Have a warm and cheery Monday, all!