Thirty small pots made today ( I know, not a lot!) but a delayed start due to housework.
When "bad light stopped play" it was 4.30pm, a quarter hour to pack up and leave everything clean then back to the house.
Both The Carpenter and The Oily One were computer watching....so I tidied the kitchen, kept the clean dishes and pans and put another batch of apple rings on to dry.
We now have no Oily One and a disgruntled Carpenter who has no wish to make supper on his own.
I thought they'd grown up....toddlers have "strops" about eating food, but enjoy making it. Seems like it turns the other way round after a few years and preparing and cooking it "too much of a faff" to quote The Oily One when asked to deal with some potatoes.
People say I shouldn't be doing all the housework and cooking.
Someone has to do it and I'm still living here most of the time so why should I suffer it not being done? Asking, saying or telling them what needs doing doesn't seem to work. Making a rota doesn't work when people don't say when they'll be here or not, which I always try to do.
Rant, Rant!! Well, ranting at them wont work, so I suppose it is better to let off steam here!!
Off to make supper........
Tuesday, 8 November 2011
cold and damp
Well, it is November...
The heater came back into the workshop for the first time in months, as I started this batch of throwing.
It may be that the last (now deceased) scales were inaccurate, but the throwing weights seem wrong.
Perhaps I weighed out then, with stiffer clay? I don't know, but so far I've needed to add about ten per cent extra weight to get the right dimensions . I've checked that I'm not throwing thicker as well.
My hands are still achey but they are better for being back in use.
Back to the wheel now that lunch is over.
The heater came back into the workshop for the first time in months, as I started this batch of throwing.
It may be that the last (now deceased) scales were inaccurate, but the throwing weights seem wrong.
Perhaps I weighed out then, with stiffer clay? I don't know, but so far I've needed to add about ten per cent extra weight to get the right dimensions . I've checked that I'm not throwing thicker as well.
My hands are still achey but they are better for being back in use.
Back to the wheel now that lunch is over.
Sunday, 6 November 2011
bike!!!!
Two hours on the bike today, a nice little potter down to the Velodrome...again!!!
A reasonable cup of real coffee, say hello to friends and pootle back home...and no hills walked!!
The weather is beautiful, clear sky, sun and enough breeze to dry the washing without making it to hard on the bike!!
No pictures until I work out how to get them onto the laptop- the usb thing on the Carpenter's computer is playing up.
A reasonable cup of real coffee, say hello to friends and pootle back home...and no hills walked!!
The weather is beautiful, clear sky, sun and enough breeze to dry the washing without making it to hard on the bike!!
No pictures until I work out how to get them onto the laptop- the usb thing on the Carpenter's computer is playing up.
farmers' market day
Friday afternoon and night was very wet, with a lot of standing water on the roads. The drains have blocked quickly. My regular Friday night journey to the Velodrome was...interesting!
Our club session has been pushed back an hour, so is now 8pm to 10pm. So we've lost half an hour of time, and lost regular attendees as it is too late, even if you don't have to travel a hundred miles or more to get home.
Even after leaving before the end of the session (I do the paperwork and help when needed) it was a late night before an early start! At least Usk isn't too far to drive and you only need to be setting up by nine for a ten o'clock start.
This Saturday was different, Usk Farmers' Market bustled from nine o'clock, the hall was full and there were ten stalls outside..lucky the sun shone too!
I didn't sell much this time, but it was good to see many regular market shoppers and be welcomed back. I'll do the next one in two week's time, and possibly a month after that too.
We'll see..it is a dilemma. You need to keep going to get established in peoples' minds....but after a while you've saturated your market.
Straight back to the velodrome from the market to work as a commissaire (official) at the Welsh Youth Track Championships. I just work at the signing on table. Even though the signing on doesn't last long you need someone there all day to field queries and direct people .
You need two or three on the table as you are posting results as they come through for the riders and team helpers to read as well. Then you have to get all the numbers and pins back in exchange for their racing licences!
The velodrome link is with Olympian Geraint Thomas, a previous member of C.C. (Cycling Club) Cardiff.
Our club session has been pushed back an hour, so is now 8pm to 10pm. So we've lost half an hour of time, and lost regular attendees as it is too late, even if you don't have to travel a hundred miles or more to get home.
Even after leaving before the end of the session (I do the paperwork and help when needed) it was a late night before an early start! At least Usk isn't too far to drive and you only need to be setting up by nine for a ten o'clock start.
This Saturday was different, Usk Farmers' Market bustled from nine o'clock, the hall was full and there were ten stalls outside..lucky the sun shone too!
I didn't sell much this time, but it was good to see many regular market shoppers and be welcomed back. I'll do the next one in two week's time, and possibly a month after that too.
We'll see..it is a dilemma. You need to keep going to get established in peoples' minds....but after a while you've saturated your market.
Straight back to the velodrome from the market to work as a commissaire (official) at the Welsh Youth Track Championships. I just work at the signing on table. Even though the signing on doesn't last long you need someone there all day to field queries and direct people .
You need two or three on the table as you are posting results as they come through for the riders and team helpers to read as well. Then you have to get all the numbers and pins back in exchange for their racing licences!
The velodrome link is with Olympian Geraint Thomas, a previous member of C.C. (Cycling Club) Cardiff.
Wednesday, 2 November 2011
a good start
First firing this year, and it went well all considering the cold and damp start! Once the flue warmed up, it started drawing air through and I could relax. Until then it can overheat at the top, and fill the workshop with fumes! Needless to say the door and windows are open to start with!!I missed the first gas bottle running low, so it spent half an hour gaining three degrees, but after changing over to the other bottle all went well. I have enough gas for the next bisque firing, I wouldn't risk another glaze firing from it as I wouldn't like to run out mid firing!
This firing's Menagerie!!
My Best Black Glaze- almost finished now, and I haven't been able to replicate it with commercial oxides. A good reason for a visit to North Wales!!
I may have glazed this a little too thick- this glaze always needed to be thickly applied. It could also be that it is the end of the glaze bucket...
I'm still trying to learn how to work with this kiln, to regulate the atmosphere- there is evidence of reduction throughout the kiln. Here the inside of the green jug is pink!!
This glaze has a tiny bit of copper as well as cobalt, giving pink flashes on the blue glaze.
Always learning, never stop!
I feel I have to master working with this kiln before I move to another. It is teaching me much, not just about the basic firing, but also about how the weather affects how I have to adjust damper and gas pressure .
Tuesday, 1 November 2011
Lemon Yoghurt Cake
I found this on a blog a while ago.....
Oven to 350 degrees F
grease and line 8" square cake tin
5 Tbsp softened butter
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup lemon yoghurt
2 cups flour (nicest with 1 each white/wholemeal)
1 tsp baking powder
half tsp bicarb
half tsp salt
Beat together the wet ingredients, I use a slotted serving spoon. Add the dry ingredients. Mix well. Place in the tin, smooth thetop and if you like, sprinkle granulated or demerara sugar on the top
Bake until a knife comes out clean. This is an hour in my oven, could be less in other ovens, will be less in a fan oven.
I left it to cool in the tin, I'd say leave it in the tin until it is at least lukewarm.
Enjoy!
Whosever it is, many thanks as it works!!
You could add lemon zest for that extra bite, or use different flavour yoghurt...go on, experiment!!
Oven to 350 degrees F
grease and line 8" square cake tin
5 Tbsp softened butter
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup lemon yoghurt
2 cups flour (nicest with 1 each white/wholemeal)
1 tsp baking powder
half tsp bicarb
half tsp salt
Beat together the wet ingredients, I use a slotted serving spoon. Add the dry ingredients. Mix well. Place in the tin, smooth thetop and if you like, sprinkle granulated or demerara sugar on the top
Bake until a knife comes out clean. This is an hour in my oven, could be less in other ovens, will be less in a fan oven.
I left it to cool in the tin, I'd say leave it in the tin until it is at least lukewarm.
Enjoy!
Whosever it is, many thanks as it works!!
You could add lemon zest for that extra bite, or use different flavour yoghurt...go on, experiment!!
New Year
After a soaking night, the low clouds are lifting and the sun is shining through.
I'm risking the showers and am getting on with a mountain of washing!
The kiln took a while to draw properly, with the flue chilly and damp. Now it is gaining temperature nicely, so hopefully it will be not too late reaching temperature (cone 9 to 10)(1280-1300 C )
I'm risking the showers and am getting on with a mountain of washing!
The kiln took a while to draw properly, with the flue chilly and damp. Now it is gaining temperature nicely, so hopefully it will be not too late reaching temperature (cone 9 to 10)(1280-1300 C )
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
