SPOON # 52 - 2nd January 2014

So, it's 2014 - a year since I began this blog and now, a few spoons down the line, I have finally completed my 52 spoons - I've actually done a few more than that, but who's counting? And what have I achieved? I think I understand the form, design and production of spoons a little better. I'm probably a bit handier with an axe and knife and I'm probably a little better at sharpening my blades. Are my spoons perfect now? No, I still have the odd cock-up, but on the whole I feel I can turn what is in my head into an actual spoon.  I would have liked to get a greater variety of woods - more fruit woods perhaps and some with more interesting and colourful grain patterns, but beggars can't be choosers.

So here is spoon 52, carved from a piece of ash from a tree that blew down a couple of days before Christmas.

I've had this design in mind for some time from a spoon I saw about 2 years ago so thought it
would be a good choice for my first spoon of 2014. Sorry about the photo quality (or lack of)
but I couldn't find an SD card that worked so had to use my iphone.

My wife suggested that, since the first spoon of my 52 had been gold-leafed, that I do the same for the last, so here it is in all its shimmery 24 carat glory.

Not my best letter carving, but that ash is really tough stuff -
which means lots of slips and opportunities to cut myself if I'm not careful.

That knot gave me a bit of trouble and actually fell out when I was finishing off the bowl
and I had to glue it back in with PVA.

Not sure why this photo is upside down, but Blogger wont let me edit it.

 



 

So what am I going to do now with all those spoons?

 

This isn't all of the 52 spoons that I posted about over the year - there were a few that I gave away as gifts or sold and I've included a couple that I didn't post, but it's about my output for the year, give or take the odd spoon, spreader or spatula. It's strange to look back at some of my earlier spoons, spoons that I remember feeling particularly proud of but that now don't look so good and that if I produced now would end up on my 'unsatisfactory' pile.

People have asked me what I'll do now - I don't really know. I'd like to concentrate on a few designs that I can perfect and produce to a consistently good standard. I'd like to organise a bit of a Midlands Spoon Meet, which I've talked about with Rob and Julian so watch this space for further details.

I'm not sure, now that I've completed the year's challenge, whether there's any point keeping this blog going - I can always put my work on my other blog, but I haven't quite decided yet.

Either way, have a great New Year and carve some spoons - its incredibly therapeutic and satisfying.