Making something besides dinner
Katie
I have been pleasantly distracted by Spring, gardening, cooking, biking around town with my kiddos and local-government rabble rousing. I have not been crafting at all and while it's nice to do something different for a bit, it's getting embarrassing at my weekly stitching group as I have no projects to even bring there to work on.
For my birthday, my husband Michael thoughtfully got me a great little Swedish spoon carving kit from Pinewood Forge. Laura and I learned some spoon carving basics from a knowledgeable friend last summer, and I've been reading and researching now and then ever since. I was intimidated by choosing tools and getting started, so Michael's gift was a great push to begin again. The tools included are different from what we worked with last year, as we used gouges, but it's a start anyway. The tools are lovely and handmade. There is a little sloyd knife:
This is the main carving tool. It is very sharp and comfortable in my hand. The blade is polished to a mirror shine and the handle is apple wood. It comes with a sweet birch bark sheath.
And a left-handed hook knife:
This is for hollowing out the bowl of the spoon. You carve against the grain with it, a new thing for me, and it's also very sharp. It's cool how the curved edge lets you carve from different angles. This knife has an ironwood handle.
I am such a beginner and the only bad thing about this process is that is stinks to not be good at something. My muscles are still learning how to work with my brain and I am still working with soft basswood. But it's so satisfying to finally get better at something, so I guess it's a process.
If you are interested in spoon carving, here are some resources I found helpful:
An article by Rick Mastelli- Carving Wood Spoons
A series of articles by Drew Langsner- Carving a Serving Ladle
Several videos on the steps for carving a spoon from a piece of greenwood.
On June 5, there will be a local class on spoon carving- it's in Lexington, KY and it's only $10.00.
Reader Comments (2)
Wonderful post! I love seeing woodworking with hand tools. Very rewarding.
Very nifty! Can't wait to see your progress.