What with all the pit firing issues, I decided to give it a break this Wednesday. The wind was still blowing and that may be contributing to the problems. That's my excuse anyway. Sometimes you just need a bit of distance on a problem to work out the solution. I also felt like I needed to do something new, so I got sketching. The swan necked vessels (which we have nicknamed "the parsnips") seem to be popular. It got me wondering whether the same technique would work in another shape. I drew out a few ideas, picked my favourite and got carving on Wednesday. It was too wet to finish properly so I will sand out all the last imperfections this weekend. What do you think? I like it (though its early days and soon I will see all the ways in which its not so good). Anyway, I am going to try again this weekend - the aim is to make a larger version and see if can extend the asymmetry a bit. It should also give me an idea how they look in a group. The parsnips always look so sociable, but these have a quieter aura... not as chatty! The pit fire will also be back in action this weekend. Hopefully the pit fire gods will be in a more cooperative mood!