Soap Nut Vessel

I had a pretty big realization a few months ago, and slowly I've been working on adjusting my lifestyle to make myself feel better about it. 60% of what we put onto our skin absorbs into our bloodstream, and thus pumps through our heart and entire body. This lead into an investigation of soaps, which lead to learning more about eco-friendly washing solutions.

One of which doesn't directly effect the body, but it does effect the environment. There are certain laundry detergents that were created with the intention of being more earth friendly than other detergents, but I think this solution has got to take the cake, as it was created by nature herself.

Believe it or not, these little nuts make soap when they're agitated in warm water. You can read more about them here.

I purchased mine from Zamuta.com. They claim to be the only place in the U.S. who sells them, but I'm pretty sure you could find them at Whole Foods or other online vendors.

After using the little cotton bag that was supplied with the nuts for over 10 washings the cord has become completely shredded and it's no longer possible to tie it closed. I decided it was time for the nuts to have a new vessel.

This whipped up in about an hour. I want to make tons of them, in all sorts of colors and fibers, to hold all sorts of things… like herbs, or stones, or other little treasures… but who knows what time will allow.

If you're going to use the bag for soap nuts, be sure to use a machine washable yarn, and remember to take the bag of nuts out of the wash before moving the clothes into the dryer.

Finished Measurements:
5" tall x 7½" circumference

Yarn Requirements:
Sundance by Classic Elite
50% cotton, 50% microfiber
50 gram ball = approx 83 yards
• 1 balls 6201 Linen

Knitting Needle:
• One pair size US 8 (5 mm)
Or size to obtain gauge.
• Two double pointed needles size US 6 (4 mm) for I-Cord

Gauge: 16 sts and 22 rows in Diamond Lace Pattern with larger needles. Take time to save time, check your gauge.