Making a Yarn Bowl on the Potter's Wheel! Day 37 Quarantine Distraction Video

Coronavirus Quarantine: Video 37
I will be trying to post simple daily videos for inspiration for my students, and my subscribers to help give us some learning and distraction during this national emergency. Here is a link to the playlist I am adding to: • Online Learning During...
This video shows how I make a yarn bowl on the potter’s wheel. Of course, you can make a yarn bowl out of any method- whether it be slab, pinch, drape, etc- but the principles used when cutting the cut-outs remain the same… clean cuts that won’t snag yarn! I show a super fast example of my throwing, trimming, then mostly real-time cutting the spiral and holes. I made this bowl from approximately 2.5 lbs of clay, thrown a teensy bit less than 1/4" thick (after trimming foot). I used Laguna Bmix without grog, cone 6 midfire
If you are new to wheel throwing, you may want to check out my wheel throwing playlist which covers many of the basics from centering, opening, pulling, and recentering. • Beginning Wheel Throwing
Check out this link to a live searchable Google Doc I continually update with lots of my favorite tools on Amazon using my associate links! (also some non-amazon suggestions on here!)
docs.google.com/document/d/1X...
You can also check out my Amazon Influencer Store Here: www.amazon.com/shop/karanspot...
I am a public high school ceramics teacher at William Mason High School in Mason, Ohio. (Mason is currently the largest high school in Ohio!) As a potter, I have been working in clay for over 30 years, and I have been teaching for over 28 years, the past 20 have been specifically teaching high school ceramics. I love what I do! I have my own studio in my home basement, where I work on my personal pottery for my Etsy site; www.etsy.com/shop/KaransPotsA...
I started my KZbin channel a few years ago, to make videos to help my students if they are absent and miss a demo, or if they would like to explore more advanced techniques independently. I have been amazed to reach such a wider audience than my own students!
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[@beachyv16]

I'm a fiber artist who's taking my first official ceramics class. I'm thinking of using this for my next project!

[@KaransPotsAndGlass]

wonderful!!!

[@YaoiHoshi]

Thank you so much! Yarn bowls was something I wanted to try my hand at :)

[@karri8998]

Glad to hear you are going to talk about you kiln vent hood. It is very interesting and would love to know more about it. Thanks.

[@skcamerican]

Good project! Thanks.

[@okaminess]

How lovely.

[@georgeRVI]

Wonderful, thanks!

[@yolandacastillo1974]

j'aime beaucoup vos videos , merci

[@lacchoo]

Super !!❤

[@christiewilder9057]

Thank you! Yarn bowls are something I’m currently working on, and hear they are somewhat persnickety. My first is currently in bisque firing - fingers crossed! 😊

[@katherinehaar7]

Thanks so much for making this video! I am in the process of making my first yarn bowls now. :)

[@shelliegustafson7768]

Hi Nice work.

[@KaransPotsAndGlass]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@joyfulthings1]

Any tips to keep the top of the bowl, or the spiral, from warping? Drier leatherhard best?

[@KaransPotsAndGlass]

The key I find is to leave adequate clay supporting the spiral, and to dry it slowly! I usually am a little softer leatherhard to prevent snapping the spiral when I cut!

[@rachelkane6538]

I watched another video where the potter put the clay he cut out for the spiral back into the gap for the bisque firing, he said that doing that helped to prevent warping

[@sammi-joreviews1135]

These are beautiful! Thanks for the video. I’ll be giving this a shot soon. Both my girls crochet. Same is true of their Nana. She crochets too. How hot does a kiln get on the outside within the room? Is it tolerable to be in the same room? I’m hoping to get a kiln; hwr, the cost is what stops me. Our home has a 60amp breaker & a room with a concrete floor. I keep hoping we’ll be able to get another smaller building to store what is left in the barn that’s been turned into a small studio. I’d much rather a kiln go in the detached barn where I throw pots. It doesn’t have a concrete floor though. I haven’t ruled out a propane kiln. I’d rather not go the raku kiln bc most of what I throw needs to be fired safe for food & beverage items. Im in the city limits so I can’t pit fire here, tho two my bil live outside city limits. The one closet to us has part of his lot on outskirts enough for pit & his lot backs up to a field. 🤞🏼 that I can attempt to fire some there this spring, summer, or even fall. Thanks for any assistance or ideas for a kiln. I’d like one deep enough to fire 18”-24” tall. I’d like to get better at throwing taller vases.

[@KaransPotsAndGlass]

Hi Sammi-Jo! A kiln gets hot enough you can't set anything on it during firing- but on a cold day, it is tolerable and cozy to work near mine while firing (BUT - as long as it is well ventilated) Otherwise, I wouldn't hang around it all the time working if you can smell fumes- as fumes= potential dangerous things you don't want to be constantly inhaling. That's one reason I really like my overhead vent... I feel like it removes more of my fumes (and also radiant heat, keeping down my overall room temp). I have a video on how I installed my vent if you wanted to see it. If your barn has a wooden floor, you can put down a cement board above the wood to protect it and keep the heat away. (I did that with my first studio when I had it in a little wooden shed). I have had two Skutts over the years- started with an 818 manual and now have a 1818 Km with electronic touchscreen panel- and I love it. I have some L&Ls at school too... love them, but they were a little more out of my budget. The 1018 is 18" high inside which has been proven to be fine for my needs- I've never really wanted to go over that height with anything- and yet is is wide enough for my largest bowls and platters!

[@sylvia4425]

From a crocheter's perspective: We really look for detail from where our yarn is being pulled through the bowl as we crochet. A non-smooth edge (sharpish?) will tend to fray our yarn. 😬 **So the smoother the edge.... the better! 😊👍

[@KaransPotsAndGlass]

Absolutely- excellent point!!! I always use something to make that cut edge buttery- smooth to ensure no snagging! :)

[@Emma-jw4wi]

We also like the yarn to not come out of the spiral, as it defeats the purpose of the bowl if it does. When designing your bowl, keep in mind where the yarn is going to be and what direction it will be pulling from!

[@lefeal9707]

How long do you let it try for before firing? Also how long does it take in the kiln?

[@KaransPotsAndGlass]

That depends on many things... how thick your piece is, how high the humidity is in the location where it is drying, and how full your kiln is, and how fast you fire. For me... I usually dry for at least 3/4 days, and my pieces are 1/4" thick. I preheat my kiln for about 1-2 hours... (longer for pieces which I may be concerned still have moisture) and the bisque fire on my kiln will roughly take 6-8 hours. :)

[@lefeal9707]

@@KaransPotsAndGlass Thanks a lot. Making my first piece since grade school as a christmas gift for GF, your help and channel is quite appreciated.

[@morganchurchill5193]

What weight of clay do you find best for a yarn bowl?

[@KaransPotsAndGlass]

Hi Morgan- I always have that information in the video description under the videos! That was 2.5 lbs- as I remove some of that for the trimmed foot.

[@morganchurchill5193]

@@KaransPotsAndGlass Ah, good to know about the description! You do lovely work-your students are so lucky!

[@heidijensen1322]

Hi, how many pounds of clay do you use for this yarn bowl and how thick do you keep the wall? Thank you.

[@KaransPotsAndGlass]

Oops! Sorry I forgot to mention that! It was roughly 2.5 lbs, and a teensy bit less than 1/4" in wall thickness. (after trimming, of course!)

[@heidijensen1322]

KaransPotsAndGlass thank you! 😊💖

[@jacobaccurso]

Great video. Please consider leaving enough time to read the word edits.

[@samanthanicholson9015]

How much for a yarn bowl?

[@KaransPotsAndGlass]

$35! I just don’t currently have any listed!