So in the last 7 days, I found out that all of the bisqued pots in my shed are probably not going to be suitable for smoke firing, I blew out the bottom of the new carved shape (air bubble or too thick) and had palpitations that my long necked vessels would suffer an attack of bloat in the kiln (like small pox on the surface of the glaze). They didn't but its been a stressful firing week. I need to recover some confidence. On the plus side, the throwing has been going great and I worked really hard yesterday to get six new moon jars thrown and also carved and burnished. This is a tall order in one day but we got there in the end. I also had a good clean up of the shed (tidy shed = tidy mind?). I took the opportunity to take a photo to introduce you to the space. Its pretty rammed with gear but there is just about enough room for me and the pots. It improves in the summer when I can store the woodchip outside and get rid of the dehumidifier and radiator. Assuming I can get the moon jars bisque fired for the weekend, the intention is to have a test firing on Sunday to see if we have sorted the problem. Either way, despite all the backward steps and hold ups, this week does feel like a kind of progress. I am definitely a better potter this week than I was last week, though no pots to prove it yet!