In 2014, Bob designed our first  "Shooting Star Groove"  and over the years has created many Large - Jumbo's with these functional star grooves (when motivated). Every time Bob’s workflow gets faster than mine and I can't catch up, I "motivate" him to to slow down and craft some long-awaited star groove bowls.

​In the beginning, creating functional yarn grooves that are pleasing to the eye was a challenge. In the final step prior to finishing every yarn bowl, Bob hand draws the groove on the bowl as a guide to hand cutting.

Bob has always wanted to carve elegant embellishments on yarn bowls. That’s why when he got a pneumatic power (dental) drill in January, I wondered where he was going to find the time to develop this new skill along with his 40 hr. week turning habit...

I finally got in a few practice sessions carving the words knit, crochet, yarn, etc., on wood samples and was ready to start something simple. Bob was a bit concerned when I asked for three segmented pine yarn bowls to carve words big on bowl in order to practice accurate curves, straight lines and removal. After carving, I filled the grooves with our sparkle inlay making three very blingy yarn bowls. He thinks they’re a bit tacky, I think they’re fun and festive –what do you think?

Now I’m hooked. Yesterday, Bob roughed out a XXL Cherry Yarn Bowl that’s begging for a nice carved relief border around the rim. I’ll certainly need get to work on carving technique in the next few weeks while the bowl cures.

Power carving is fun and relaxing when I have this 500,000 RPM tool in my hand. However, I was recently paralyzed with fear when my hygienist used a similar drill to clean my teeth on my last dental visit. I was suddenly struck by the trust I was putting in my dentist, with this high powered tool

Caring for your Heckathorn Yarn Bowl is as easy as an occasional buffing with whatever furniture wax you use at home. However, many of our yarn bowl enthusiasts ask what we use.

Before we ship each yarn bowl, Bob applies a fine coat of Renaissance™ Micro-Crystalline Wax Polish and gives the piece a vigorous hand buff with a soft cloth. This wax adds brilliance and resists fingerprints and serves well for a multitude of other household polishing purposes.

Renaissance™ Wax is a mix of "refined waxes blended to a formula used by the British Museum and restoration specialists internationally to revive and protect valuable furniture, leather, paintings metals, marble, ivory, etc..." Although it's a bit pricey (currently $15.95 on Amazon.com) it's well worth it. The small 200 ml can should last a lifetime unless you decide to restore your leather couch or polish your marble countertops with it!

The origins of Renaissance Wax are interesting. Find out what makes this wax so different at http://picreator.co.uk/renaissance-wax/

While his lengthy finishing process hardens the wood (and sadly masks its nice scent); Bob notes that cedar yarn bowls are more prone to small dents and dings over time, which give personality to your heirloom bowl for future generations.​

Harder woods (like cherry, oak and pecan), are more resistant to dents and marks with continued use; although if you love the look of our cedar yarn bowls like we do, place it on a round cutout of non-skid fabric or crocheted mandala and give it a little extra TLC! Your magnificent and functional cedar bowl will turn your #wip into a conversation piece wherever it rests.

​In August I started looking for a round crochet tablecloth pattern. Google searches produced lots of vintage (white and ecru) lace tablecloth patterns. Some were beautifully intricate, most comprised of circle motifs. And, while I love crocheting hundreds of little circles to relax, joining circles into a giant circle was daunting to me... not the long relaxing #MindlessCrochet project I was looking for.

Round pointed afghan projects gaining popularity on Instagram inspired me to bust out my stash of ultra fine cotton and a small hook. I kept increasing a "12 Pointed Star Crochet Throw" pattern (lots of free ones on www.ravelry.com) to a 74" diameter tablecloth. These patterns adapt well to finer crochet cottons with a smaller hook. 

I can't figure out why there aren't many newer style round tablecloth patterns to be found. If you have one please share. Tag me if you make one!

Paula
 
*I purchased most of this cotton from www.loveknitting.com -they stock almost 60 gorgeous colors, have fast shipping, pack in those sweet organdy bags, and offer sales frequently.

Today, as I brought him his daily hydrating tea at 11 o'clock, I thought about the work he does every day in a shop with no climate control. Although Bob has always enjoyed working in the heat (?) I constantly marvel about what he accomplishes in the 95-105 degree humid heat of Central FL early June into October. Now that his northern body has acclimated to the climate here, he says he prefers it to the (temperate 60 - 70 degree) "winter" weather I enjoy late Dec. - March. After suffering from my summer version of cabin fever I say "bring it on!"

In the spirit of sharing, I thought I'd take a moment to say how much admiration I have for my hard working husband/lathe artist. He does a lot of amazing work under some pretty harsh conditions. So here's to you Bob, I'm your biggest fan; knowing that along with the heart and soul you put into all these yarn bowls there's a heck of a lot of sweat, too!

​On rare occasions Bob finds some fresh “green” hardwood (Cherry, Pecan and Maple to name a few) from a fallen tree or local tree trimmer. And, although turning green wood bowls on a lathe is easier because it’s in a soft state, the necessary drying process that ensues is risky!
 
After a fresh wood yarn bowl is turned, it is set aside to dry. Depending on the current weather conditions (like relative humidity, barometric pressure and temperature to name a few) the drying process takes one to three months. As the hardwood dries, it has a tendency to warp and crack. Warping usually adds nice character to the yarn bowls; however, Bob feels that cracking; which is easily repaired in the finishing process, is an undesirable feature in some of his collectible art bowls. As his partner, I try to respect those high standards while at the same time viewing the cracks that ensue as the final word from nature!
 
Too often, I’ve watched Bob throw a beautiful yarn bowl into the recycling bin and felt that his lack of control over a few small cracks deprived a fellow yarn crafter of a unique and naturally beautiful piece. After some whining on my part, Finally, Bob acquiesced and started finishing these natural wonders when the occasion arises. Now, I’m able to offer a distinctive piece at deeply discounted price.
 
There’s a lot of value in our “Perfectly Imperfect” Yarn Bowls. Each one takes ten to twenty hours (at the least) to make –the same amount of time it takes to create a first quality bowl. For those who may not be able to invest in our first quality yarn bowls, I consider these pieces to be a special offering from Heckathorn Turned Wood as they are all authentic gifts of nature!

Some #HeckathornYarnBowls feature our proprietary "Inlay" or "Sparkle Inlay" enhancing a knot or set into the rim of the bowl for added appeal.

In 2014, with no real colorful options for inlays, we developed a special process of mixing custom colors and textures to match or compliment the style/color tones of each individual its intended for.

When so inspired, Bob will add a channel to the rim of a bowl, a few orbits or a star to the sides for those that like a little bling. Sometimes he uses this special inlay to restore/repair natures damage to a piece which can occur when it dries; using age old "Kintsugi" techniques.