Handling Mugs Worth the Effort

My son Levi spent the first part of this week throwing mugs for the shop and pulling handles on those mugs. I showed him how I throw a mug and pull a handle and he made nearly 50 mugs.
As he worked on the mugs, I continued to work on the awards for the Uwharrie Mountain Run - glazing and firing and loading a bisque kiln. But we both sat down and pulled handles today and yesterday. I don't think it's his favorite task in making pots. I remember learning to make handles. It can be frustrating, pulling too hard and tearing the clay, not getting that nice arch shape on the handle, feeling like I'll never make a nice handle. But by the middle of the afternoon today, when we finished handling the mugs, he took a bit of time to line up the mugs with their handles facing the same direction (pictures), satisfied with our work.
Tomorrow, it's some work outside as we nail up some siding inside the new tool shed so I can move some tools out of the "future workshop" and get ready to finish the "future workshop."


Levi also took a break to make our shop cat, BC, a new bed. She really liked it.