If you’ve ever looked at beauty tutorials on Pinterest, you’ve no doubt come across a number of DIY lotions. I decided to try one out since I had been using Bio Oil all over, but that stuff is expensive. So I thought coconut based lotion would be a good alternative. Plus, I also found a recipe that used cocoa butter, so it smells like chocolate.

The one things I didn’t count on while making it was how much it would look like frosting while beating it in the mixer. You see, I have a tendency to lick my hands when making frosting. A lot. It took a lot of restraint to remember I wasn’t actually making food.

Anyway, I whipped everything together in the mixer and then transfered it to smaller containers and added different essential oils. I made two peppermint and two perppemint/orange mixes. And with the cocoa butter, it smells amazing.

Unfortunately, during the heatwave it all melted, then resolidified in a way that I couldn’t get it from the container. So I had to set everything outside to melt, bring it in and add some beeswax, and then pour it into these little containers to make lotion sticks. But I think it’s much easier to put it on this way anyway.

I finally had to toss my favorite washcloth when the worn spot in the center finally became a giant hole. And then I forgot I had one less washcloth until I went to get my third “set” of towels down to use for this week and it was just a towel. I already had the water running that day (because that is how bad I am at planning that I didn’t realize I didn’t have a towel ready until I had already turned the shower on) so I just washed as well as I could and then set about making a new washcloth.

After a few different false starts, I finally devised a system utilizing a couple knitting needles to keep the tension on the edges. Before it had been pulling in more and more with each row, leaving the whole piece about three inches wide. Not exactly washcloth sized. So once I figured that out, it got way easier.

I started with just the white yarn, but I decided I didn’t want a fully white washcloth. So I found a second color in what I think was some cotton yarn and made stripes. I attempted a terrycloth style technique at first, but it wasn’t working out. I used a plastic take-out fork to pack it down tightly so the end result is a bit thick and fluffy instead.

The end weaving process was a bit dull and cumbersome, but that is to be expected with any project. Especially one that you want to use almost immediately. I was literally waiting to take a shower until it was done, so I really didn’t like having to weave in all those ends. I’ve got to figure out a way to work it so I don’t have those left.

The end result turned out really nicely. I was afraid it would be stiff or rough, but it is nice and soft once you run it under the water. Just like any other washcloth, really.