Thanks for the replies, everyone.  Yes, it is being knit top down - I may reverse the pattern and knit from bottom up instead!

And I'll check out that magic loop method as well.

I did a quick search through the help topics, but didn't find anything that really matched my question, but apologies if I've missed the answer...

I want to knit my first hat. I've played with circular needles before, so that's not an issue.  The pattern calls for a size 11, 16" circular needle and a set of size 11 dpns.  You switch to the circulars towards the end.  I'd like to knit it entirely on circulars, but I can't figure out how to join the 12 cast on stitches.  Is it possible to do this entirely on the circular needles, or am I just going to have to start it on the dpns?

Thanks for your help!

Haha, I think that's the same yarn I used when I knit my first project!  I was going for a scarf, then started using it to test new stitches, then finally said f-it and started knitting useable scarves.

I don't remember the brand right offhand; it was on sale at my local Kroger and I snatched it up.  It is an EVOO, I remember that much, and is pretty yellow in color.  The last batch I made, just this past week, I was trying to do a lightish purple (lavender soap) and I was getting frustrated at it not doing much more than a muddy gray.  So I kept adding color - BIG mistake!  All of a sudden it all mixed together, and after I cut it Sunday I got concerned that there's too much colorant in there.  I may have to rebatch it with some plain CP soap to spread it out a bit.  I believe I have the pigmant sampler pack from BB.  I'll keep my eye out for a lighter olive oil and go by your calculation, MareMare.  Thanks both for your input.

Did a search and couldn't really find an answer to my question, but apologies if it's been asked a bajillion times:

I'm having problems with colors for my CP soaps.  I use olive oil as my main base in all of my soaps, and I got the sampler pack from Bramble Berry, but I can't seem to get any good colors going.  They all have a yellow base to them from the olive oil.  How much of the oxide powder should I be using, is there a way to counteract the yellowing (other than not using olive oil) and would liquid colorants be better than the powder?  I'd love to be able to do a creamy white / swirled with other colors.

Thank you for telling me that milk soaps smell kind of funky to you at first - I went downstairs after I read that and found that my soap is starting to smell very pleasant   So that's only one batch tossed out!

I've never really gone for starting with the easy stuff and working my way up...I always like to just jump in and learn from my mistakes and then go from there.  Seems to be a lot more fun to me.  But thanks for the tip

I haven't wasted any. A batch can almost always be saved. What was wrong with the batches you threw out?

Technically I've only thrown out the first one....I didn't let it trace long enough and when I went to check it in the mold 2 days later, all the oil had risen to the top.  My soapmaking book said that what was left would be too caustic to use, so I tossed it.  I tried the same recipe again (it's a goat's milk recipe), and while it did fully trace and hardened in the mold, it's a funky color and smells kind of...I don't know...not pleasant.  None of the essential oils I used in it came out, and I don't know if the milk was about to turn and that's what's causing the smell.  I thought about rebatching it, but if the milk went rancid, probably not a good idea.

I am a very new newbie to CP soapmaking.  Of the 3 attempts I've made, 2 of them have had to be trashed.  All that coconut oil and olive oil down the drain!

So how much money have you wasted?  I think I'm just trying to feel better about this! 

Updated pics on the first post.

I am a huge sucker for snowmen and your mini quilt is so cute and perfect!  I love the font you wrote 'winter' in and love the colors.  The recipient is very lucky indeed.