No New Work

I was rehearsal free last night, so I thought I'd go and get some pottery done in the studio, but I got to the Arts Center and they had already closed. I could have sworn that Tuesday nights were one of the scheduled "Open Studio" nights, but I guess not. I generally get in extra time on the weekends since on weeknights by the time I get going, it is about time to clean up. We've been out of town a lot recently so I was trying to make up some lost time with glazing a few pieces that have already been bisque fired (which wouldn't have taken as long as throwing or hand building and wouldn't have taken up valuable class time). These are pieces in Brownstone, so they'll be fired in the regular (gas? electric?) kiln. (so I guess I can save them for firing any old time) This session of the class we are using raku clay, and since it has special firing requirements, it only gets done about twice a year. The next scheduled firing is in December.

I helped out with the last firing in June and really like the look of raku. What I've discovered in the meantime is that what I really really like is the look of Naked Raku. In "regular" raku the glaze gets crackled and some of the process of the firing can produce metallic and other color variations in the glazes which are really beautiful. In naked raku you put slip and glaze on the piece that you intend to remove later, and where the glaze cracks, the smoke from the proceess gets in there and blackens the actual clay body, and where the slip remains stays light. Since the glaze and slip layer come off in the end, it is called naked.. or at least that is my basic understanding of it. I'm really excited about it and have all these exirements I want to do. No one in the class has done this method before, so it will be a learning curve for all of us, although at the moment, I'm the only one intending to try this process. We've got class tonight, so hopefully I'll get some things accomplished.

Didn't do any knitting last night. I did some house chores, and went to the grocery store. They are expanding it, and the construction was in full swing last night. Robert who is the scanning coordinater, (in charge of price tags) was trying to work around them last night, but wasn't happy since they were all in the way...I did manage to call him when the RedSox won their game to make him a little happier. He'll be too nervous to watch any of the remaining series though.... which is kind of unfortunate since if they win they will have broken the curse, and he won't have seen it... apparently he's not alone in this camp of RedSox fans...

While I say, I didn't do any knitting, I did re-organize my stash. I ended up putting novelty type yarns in a different place than the wool since the main bin was getting a bit crowded. I may have enough novelty stuff left over from my vegan fox to make a whole new one. I'd forgotten I had some of what I had, so now I've got to figure out what it wants to be... Wool is no porblem to find projects for. I've been doing a lot of felted things, and have several WIPs that are meant to be felted. (I keep eying those new Pattons felted bags patterns.. I love the houndstooth one. Maybe after Christmas... ) Additionally, I need to find someone locally who sews though to help me with a lining for my recycled silk purse... it is finished except for that, and I am NOT a seamstress.