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It came home in the form of to boxes full of handmade ceramic bowls, mugs, tumblers and tea bowls.
I am taking a ceramics throwing class this semester in school and it has been difficult but wonderful. Our mid-semester critique was yesterday and I got to bring home 17 bowls, 13 mugs, 11 tumblers and 25 tea bowls. They're all lovely. I must say, I feel about the same about tea bowls as I do about pinch pots: useless. But that's okay. I made some really pretty ones.
I was rather saddened by one of the comments another student made about the clay bodies we use at school. She asked if there was a clay body we could use that didn't have speckles in it. :(
My professor's response was, "Ohhhhh! I cannot believe you're asking me that." The most wonderful thing about handmade pottery is that it has the speckles and doesn't look like commercial/manufactured pottery. My Fiesta-ware is about as close as I can get to "handmade".
Anyway, I'm certain I won't keep everything I've made, but I'm not sure what I want to give away because I love everything that I've made SO much. We shall see. I know it will feel nice to know that my lovingly made pieces will find nice homes in my family and friends but it's still hard. It's like giving someone a small piece of yourself. Which is good because then they have it, but it's hard too.
On another note: I MISS WEAVING!! I haven't woven anything for a couple of months and it's very sad! My poor Mac sits empty and unused. I feel guilty! I just really don't have time this semester! I'm so busy! Two jobs, and a full load of classes is a lot. I never have time to just sit.
I keep hoping that maybe over fall break (this weekend) I'll get to sit down and at least dress the loom so I can weave when I have a chance. I have an 8yd. scarf warp ready to be put on and I think I'm going to just thread it for tabby. That way at least I'll be able to get some scarves out. I think it could be quite simple and lovely. And I'm all about simple and lovely. It's a Rayon in natural colors and I think I'd like to just let that speak for itself.
Just talking about it makes me want to do it! I'm a bit nervous about winding an 8yd. warp on the loom in my tiny apartment, but I somehow managed to do it on the little Dorset that I borrowed from mom last fall so I'm certain I can do it!! I'd like to try twisted fringe on the scarves and see how it works. I've never tried that form of finishing before and I need to learn sometime. Now if only I could find some time...
~JoAnna
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Friday, October 2, 2009
Hats...Pumpkin hats!
I'm already halfway done with my first hat from the Knit Picks yarns I just got earlier this week. I'm so excited!! If I get a chance I'll try to put pictures up...It's difficult not having a camera... Well, here's some pics of the colors I'm using for the hat I'm working on. (Pictures from Knit Picks website) Anyway, I especially LOVE the orange. It's called pumpkin which is perfect for fall. Hopefully I'll be able to get this one done soon and get it and two others felted. I've been so busy going back and forth to the craft center that I haven't had a lot of time to do other things.
Friday is the day that Weavezine articles typically come out and today was no exception. This summer I couldn't WAIT until Fridays because it meant a new article! (And because it was the weekend.) I just glanced over the article, but just that and some Weavolution forum surfing made me miss weaving SO MUCH!! I'm definitely enjoying my time in the ceramics studio and I'm super excited about all the lovely bowls, tumblers and mugs I've made, but I miss the wonderful feeling of yarn and a shuttle in my hand. I'm hoping that maybe over fall break I can get that scarf warp on the loom and be able to just sit and weave every now and then in the evenings. It's not like I have homework or anything. Seriously...I don't study. Never really have. And I still manage to have a pretty good GPA...I don't really care that much about grades.
I want to buy more yarn. (For weaving this time) haha. It's a never ending cycle.
~JoAnna
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Fall, yarns, cold weather, ceramics
I suppose I shall go with the trend. Everyone here is talking about the wonderful fall weather we're having. It was chilly this morning when I woke up. I love the smell and feel of fall. I love that it's sunny but crisp when you walk outside. I love the sound of leaves crunching beneath your feet, I love walks in the woods (but I love that any time of year.)
Anyway, it feels like when fall hits I want to craft even more. Maybe it's the whole idea of preparing for winter (even though there's pretty much no chance of getting snowed in here in TN) I just always feel like fall is a time to buckle down the hatches and get ready for the real cold that's coming in a few months.
I got my yarns yesterday for knitting. I can't tell you how much I miss weaving!! Knitting does dissipate the feeling of longing to work on my loom, but it's still there.
Anyway, I'm excited to knit up some lovely hats. I plan on making some and trying to sell them at my mother's booth in an upcoming craft fair in Nov. I don't think selling them for $30 is unreasonable. Most quality hats and beanies sell for about that much. Or at least the ones from the outdoor stores do. I guess they sell for between $20-$30. But I'm going with $30. :)
I have been SO tired this week! I've spent...14 or more hours working in the clay studio in the past 4 days. And I'm going back later today, tomorrow, and probably over the weekend too. I have made so much stuff!! It's been a lot of fun but it's exhausting. Spending that much time bent over a wheel makes you ache all over. But the majority of my stuff is currently in the kilns being bisque fired. Then all I have to do is glaze it all and high fire it.
I've been a bit nervous about using the kilns, but my instructor showed us how to use them yesterday and it wasn't really all that complicated. (kinda like a microwave...*lol*) The main thing is keeping track of time. For a bisque firing, you have to set it for 8 hours to come up to temperature because you don't want anything to crack by heating the kiln up too fast. I'm not really sure how high firing works. I suppose I should read my book. That's what my instructor would tell me.
At any rate, I'm excited that I'm learning things. I really can't wait until I have my own studio so that I can fire things right when I'm ready instead of having to wait for everyone else in the class to get there stuff ready and all fire at once.
I'd like to get one of the electric kilns like we have at school. My mother has one that needs some fixing up, but it's a good little kiln. I was really surprised how much fits into just one! you just put shelves in it and you can stack and nest everything and pack it in very closely. It's pretty cool. Most everyone's stuff fit into just one 23" electric kiln. And we all had about 6 mugs, 6 tumblers, 4 bowls, and a variety of other things that got put in.
Needless to say I'm very excited to start setting up my own studio. I think I could be quite happy weaving scarves, knitting hats, and throwing bowls for a very long time. :) I really enjoy bowls. I think I just need more practice with pulling handles because at this point, I don't love it. Someday soon I shall be able to do this all the time and make what I want.
~JoAnna
Anyway, it feels like when fall hits I want to craft even more. Maybe it's the whole idea of preparing for winter (even though there's pretty much no chance of getting snowed in here in TN) I just always feel like fall is a time to buckle down the hatches and get ready for the real cold that's coming in a few months.
I got my yarns yesterday for knitting. I can't tell you how much I miss weaving!! Knitting does dissipate the feeling of longing to work on my loom, but it's still there.
Anyway, I'm excited to knit up some lovely hats. I plan on making some and trying to sell them at my mother's booth in an upcoming craft fair in Nov. I don't think selling them for $30 is unreasonable. Most quality hats and beanies sell for about that much. Or at least the ones from the outdoor stores do. I guess they sell for between $20-$30. But I'm going with $30. :)
I have been SO tired this week! I've spent...14 or more hours working in the clay studio in the past 4 days. And I'm going back later today, tomorrow, and probably over the weekend too. I have made so much stuff!! It's been a lot of fun but it's exhausting. Spending that much time bent over a wheel makes you ache all over. But the majority of my stuff is currently in the kilns being bisque fired. Then all I have to do is glaze it all and high fire it.
I've been a bit nervous about using the kilns, but my instructor showed us how to use them yesterday and it wasn't really all that complicated. (kinda like a microwave...*lol*) The main thing is keeping track of time. For a bisque firing, you have to set it for 8 hours to come up to temperature because you don't want anything to crack by heating the kiln up too fast. I'm not really sure how high firing works. I suppose I should read my book. That's what my instructor would tell me.
At any rate, I'm excited that I'm learning things. I really can't wait until I have my own studio so that I can fire things right when I'm ready instead of having to wait for everyone else in the class to get there stuff ready and all fire at once.
I'd like to get one of the electric kilns like we have at school. My mother has one that needs some fixing up, but it's a good little kiln. I was really surprised how much fits into just one! you just put shelves in it and you can stack and nest everything and pack it in very closely. It's pretty cool. Most everyone's stuff fit into just one 23" electric kiln. And we all had about 6 mugs, 6 tumblers, 4 bowls, and a variety of other things that got put in.
Needless to say I'm very excited to start setting up my own studio. I think I could be quite happy weaving scarves, knitting hats, and throwing bowls for a very long time. :) I really enjoy bowls. I think I just need more practice with pulling handles because at this point, I don't love it. Someday soon I shall be able to do this all the time and make what I want.
~JoAnna
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