Raku fun and Yarn sadness

Seriously - sad day in yarn land - Simply Knitting is shutting its doors - if you're in the area, it's 50% off EVERYTHING (she's selling her bookcases, furniture...everything) so get up there...

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This is an extruded form I did last year - it was fired and ready to go when the raku option came around... so i tried it and love the way it looks!  I think it might end up being a planter (but I have to line it first)

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on to fun news... I got to do RAKU on Saturday in ceramics... this white bowl is approx. 7" dia x 5" high and will be used as a planter.  Raku is not food safe, and is not watertight but with a liner, it'll make a cute little planter.  I apologize for the poor photos - but wanted to share.  What is raku, you ask?  Well, once a piece is made and dried, it is fired to ^6 (cone six) which is around 1830 degrees I think - after that firing, the piece is called bisqueware.  Then, special raku glazes are addes to the piece, using whatever techniques the artist wishes - and those are allowed to dry a minimum of 24 hours.  After that, the raku kiln is taken out (we did it outside) and the kiln is loaded and the pieces are heated back up to ^6 - THEN while the pieces are glowing red hot, the kiln is opened (deep breath; hope nothing explodes from the thermal shock of "normal" air temperature hitting the wares), the pieces are removed using tongs and put into metal trash cans filled with anything combustible - newspaper, straw, dried leaves, sawdust, even vegetable oil!  The material burns hard and fast, and a lid is put on the can - the flames go out, smoke billows out, and the oxidation process takes place.  After about 15 minutes, the can is opened, the piece removed, put on a fireproof tile, hosed gently down and allowed to cool slowly.  In the end, you get beautiful color... it's unpredictable - the colors react with the burning pieces... and chancy - the pieces can break or explode... but it's super fun and felt like Christmas all day long!

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Knitting Needle Vase - knitted ceramics - approx. 4" dia x 5.5" high

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"Knitted" ceramic platter (flat piece) approx. 7" x 10"

SOLD

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starburst interior with fish scale exterior, hand painted wax resist and raku bowl, approx. 7.5" dia x 3" high

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"More Yarn Please" raku yarn bowl (suitable for sock yarn or something small) - approx. 5" dia x 3.75" high

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Link Bowl - wax resist and 2 color raku interior, black oxide exterior with raku rim, approx. 7.5" dia x 3" high

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And the best for last... Raku Yarn Bowl, approx. 6" dia x 4" high (approx. 4" opening) - this is what the pieces look like... as far as the type of coloring.  I am considering putting ALL of them up for sale - so if you're interested in any of them, EMAIL me and let me know how much you are offering - of course, we'll have to ship these (in most cases) so there's that additional cost... as always, a portion of any sales I make from the website go to Living F

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in progress.... waiting to get into the kiln!

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