The morning weather report… 15 below zero. By the time my sons were waiting for the bus it was a balmy minus 10!
I got into the studio by 9:00 and did everything I could to avoid wedging the cold clay. I did paper work, and loaded a bisque kiln. My fellow potter friend Tom White called. He was doing the same as me… everything to avoid the cold clay. He said his throwing buckets had ice on the top of the water! Tom and I both have nice finished studios, mine a renovated barn, with my chickens living below my studio. I have a very nice wood pellet stove, so technically it should be fairly warm… but it took hours to warm today.
Well by 10:00 I faced the clay. As I wedged my clay my hands became numb. After ten minutes I held them under warm water to defrost, they tingled for another ten minutes. So I came back in the house frozen, and ate another warm blueberry muffin (that I made specifically to help warm the house), and had a cup of tea.
Got back in the studio and finally threw for a couple of hours. These past two weeks between snow storms, snow days with kids, and freezing arctic air, is paradoxically reminding of a heat wave in the summer. When there is a heat wave everything seems to stop. I’m feeling the same way, my body is having such a hard time getting in sync with this weather extreme. The amount of work that is getting done is very similar… a snail’s pace. It all just reminds me that we are not ultimately in control.
- minus 10 degrees, wearing three layers and a fleece to work!
I agree with you completely…it seems as if it was just 6 months ago that it was 100 degrees every day and I got nothing done as well.
Chose to glaze yesterday…and in doing so, I could check on the status of the glaze buckets, to see if they were freezing, because that isnt much fun either.
It can only improve.
Have you hugged your kiln today?;-) Sounds like baking blueberry muffins is a great way to stay warm.
Hello Lucy, how cool – you have chickens under your studio?? Where they freezing as well?? *grin*
Melanie.
Greetings from freezing cold Chicago
yup chickens below… in the middle of the day when they are laying their eggs you hear them clucking away!
Chicago… you must be used to this kind of cold!
Do you ever just put your kiln on and leave it open for a little while just to help heat the studio? I must admit, I do!
Oh man frozen glazes… I used to have that when I heated the studio with a wood stove. Now with the pellet stove and the thermostat I can keep it set at 58 over night. It’s the best thing I ever did for the studio!
And to think that the schools down here called off school for a little snow and a wind chill of -2. Not the temperature, the wind chill. It is amazing how different reagions of the country adapt to their climates.
It has been unbelievably cold here… but today it reached 30… I felt like taking my coat off!
help please.
I needed to throw some bowls today, which wasn’t a problem because I was running a kiln, so the studio was quite warm. My little throwing space is heated with a propane space heater. Must save on heat. WIll my bowls freeze out there tonight? If i bring them into my house my cats will demolish them. Any suggestions?
Living on a prayer and shoestring budget.
Alexsondra
Ooh good thing I’m at the computer. Yes they will freeze. you should keep the heat on, or bring them in the house, and put them in a room where you can shut a door and keep those dang cats out!