Yesterday I shared a new heiter prompt over on Instagram. I asked the community to get their jumpers, cardigans & co. ready for autumn. The beginning of the colder seasons is always a good idea to declutter a bit, have a think about what items bring your joy (or not) and get your wardrobe back in shape. Since the topic is not just something that interests my Instagram community, I thought I’d share my “heiter knitwear tips” here too:

Take out all the knitwear items you have and have a closer look at them. The pieces you definitely want to keep go straight back into your wardrobe.
The items you’re unsure about go on one pile. The ones that will go straight to charity on a second pile and if you have knitwear that needs mending or pilling removing, put it on a third pile.
Try on all the pieces you’re unsure about. Look at yourself in the mirror and think about how the individual pieces make you feel. Do they make you feel confident, stylish or well dressed? Do they make you feel the opposite? Are they comfortable or scratchy? Do they remind you of a certain situation? Can you invent a new outfit with them?
All pieces that felt good (or “heiter”) are keepers and go back into your wardrobe.
The knitwear that evoked negative or uncomfortable feelings goes onto the charity pile. Alternatively, pass it on to someone you think would like to have it instead.
Take care of the pile with the stuff that needs mending, caring. Once you’re done, put the individual items back into your wardrobe.
Optional: think about a few outfits you can create around your knitwear and write your outfit ideas down. If there’s an autumn day where you don’t know what to wear, pull out your list for inspiration.

Words: Katharina Geissler-Evans, heiter magazine

Image: Ben Geissler-Evans

My mother-in-law is an expert when it comes to soap making. When we visited her (and my father-in-law) a few weeks ago, she showed me how to make my own soap too. I absolutely loved the process — so much that I created a “heiter soap” recipe. Interested in making yourself some heiter soap too? Then follow the instructions below.

Please note that you need biocarbonate of soda for this recipe. Biocarbonate of soda is a chemical and gets very hot once mixed with water. Make sure you wear protective gear (gloves, googles) and use non-cooking pots/cutlery throughout the recipe. I would also suggest making the soap without your children close by.

The Heiter Soap

Ingredients (for about 6 bars):

375g olive oil

100g coconut oil

25g almond oil

65g biocarbonate of soda

60g almond mild

105g water (ideally, rain water)

essential oils:

about 30 drops of rosmary oil

about 30 drops of bergamot oil

about 24 drops of lemon

Equipment:

silicone soap molds

stainless steel thermometer

stick blender

Disolve the biocarbonate of soda in the water (use a container you don’t use for cooking!). Careful, mixing the two results in a chemical reaction, it gets very hot! Make sure you wear gloves and goggles. Leave on the side (ideally outdoors) so that it can cool down.

Melt the coconut oil, add the olive and almond oil. Heat the mixture slowly.
Once the biocarbonate of soda and the oil mixture have about the same temperature (somewhere between 42 and 48 C degrees), mix them slowly. Again, please be careful and make sure you use special pot/saucepans, gloves and googles.
Mix until the soap mixture gets a “custard like” consistency.
Add the almond milk and essential oils.
Carefully fill the soap mix into moulds.
Cover the moulds with a plastic sleeve and a blanket/old towel and leave in a dry room for at least 24 hours. If the soap mixture is still very soft after that, leave for another 24 hours.
Once you can easily get the soaps out of the moulds, do so and shape the soap to your liking.
Leave your soaps to cure (in a dry place) for four weeks before you use them.

Images: Katharina Geissler-Evans, heiter magazine

Recipe inspired by Joanne, my lovely mother-in-law

Decluttering, the heiter way: get your knitwear ready for the colder season

The Heiter Soap: how to make your own

The Heiter Soap