This week I got my mugs back :) They aren't the most well thrown or glazed pieces but I am still pretty happy with them - I am particularly happy with the black underglaze brushed across the surface.

We also got down to some practical stuff and helped to ball up differing weights of clay for Kyra to throw with. The smaller amounts we just patted into ball shapes but the ones weighing 2 1/4 and 4 1/2 pounds we wedged - which was a pretty good work out for our arms! After this we set about more recycling of clay - this time getting the really sloppy stuff which had been in the buckets with water for over a year and spreading it over the wooden boards - ready for Kyra to put into arches in the week and then to go through the pug mill the next time we are there. It was so much fun slopping the gooey clay around and smearing it over the boards! We then refilled the empty buckets with water and put in all of Kyras dry left overs (they need to be completely dry so they all suck in as much water as they can as evenly as possible) to be left for another year to soak down. Finally we cleaned the floor which was pretty mucky after the open studio event at the weekend...

After lunch Kyra went over our briefs for 3rd year with us and gave us such helpful and constructive advice :) This included finding out that flower pots are the shape they are so that when a frost comes and the earth expands the pot doesn't break because the earth can just easily move upwards - so obvious yet I'd never thought about it! Also pots generally have foot rings so that less contact is made with the surface they sit on making it easier for the pot to sit without wobbling and glazing the inside of the foot ring helps to prevent the glaze cracking because it has an even tension on both sides during the firing.

My mugs 

Honor wedging the clay 

Filling up the bucket with water ready for all the dry clay