Fresh hardwoods are not always available here, and while Florida live oak is plentiful, premium hardwoods like cherry, pecan, cedar and camphor to name a few are a rare find. Recently, Bob found a reliable source for prime cherry hardwood; a particular favorite for its minimal warping, stunning tones and a very hard durable finish that resists dents and dings.

Turning fresh hardwood into yarn bowls is a lengthy process spanning several months. Each bowl starts after fresh log is cut into blanks. Each log is stripped of bark and trimmed with a chainsaw into a cylindrical shape.  Next the blank is mounted on the lathe for a rough turning, shaping and hollowing. After roughing out, each bowl is set aside for a drying period of one to four months time depending on weather conditions (humidity, barometric pressure and temperature). 

The drying period is the most critical stage for  fresh turned wood. A stretch of dry, cool weather for example can cause the bowls to warp and crack. Some hardwoods (like cherry) are less prone to warping and cracking, other hardwoods gently warp, while many crack considerably, or warp and crack. Nature determines the condition of the bowl when it’s dry enough; as interesting wood patterns and challenges emerge. The choicest bowls are finished first. 

Most wood turners reject cracked and warped bowls; discarding them to focus on more pristine specimens. Bob sets these nature challenged bowls aside until his supply of hardwood gets low, and he has the necessary hours to rescue these gifts from nature. This is when the real magic begins –with restoration techniques that result in his most artful offerings. 

The larger cracks are filled with our proprietary inlay; in custom colors mixed to complement the bowl. Fine cracks are filled to match the wood tones. Bob’s process follows the ancient Japanese philosophy “Wabi-Sabi”, embracing the flawed or imperfect; highlighting the cracks and repairs to honor the life of an object rather than allowing its service to end at the time of its damage or breakage. Performing "Kintsugi" (the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery) on hardwood yarn bowls results in some stunning effects! For details and photos of this work in process, check out “Wood Wabi-Sabi Trending Home Decor 2018.”

I'm now taking the time to show/list the circumference of our #JumboYarnBowls. If you want to convert these measurements to circumference (or even meters) this site has a quick and easy tool: OmniCalculator.com

We may upsize an XXL (diameter), for example, to the XXXL category if the yarn bowl is unusually deep. All dimensions are approximate as wood has a tendency to warp making the top diameter vary slightly depending on where it's measured across. The depth of our XL - Jumbo Yarn Bowls vary considerably. For that reason, depths aren't listed below on this sizing chart; however, depths are always included on each individual listing :

• SMALL: Under 5.5" Diameter x varying depths. Bob rarely makes small yarn bowls, when he does, they're great for sock and mitten projects.
NOTE: Our small, medium and large yarn bowls are all listed under the Large category, because Bob rarely turns small and medium yarn bowls. Bigger is better right? ​​

• MEDIUM: 5.5  - 6.5" diameter x 4 - 5 " +/- deep. 

• LARGE: 6.5 - 8" + diameter x 5"+ deep. This is our classic "workhorse" yarn bowl; perfect for any project accommodating a single 5-7oz skein of worsted yarn, rolled into a ball ready to glide like silk making all yarn projects easier.

​• XL: 8 - 10" diameter (depth varies considerably depending on style of the bowl).

​• XXL: 10 - 12" diameter (depth varies considerably depending on style of the bowl).

• XXXL: 12 - 14" diameter (depth varies considerably depending on style of the bowl).

• JUMBO: 14" (plus!?) It's rare that Bob gets to turn a 14" Yarn Bowl. He would if more jumbo wood stock was available here, however, his XXXL yarn bowls are very close in size to Jumbo, and we usually have a few in both shops.

 HINT:
Make sure you know exactly what you're buying. A great trick is to find a glass or ceramic bowl of similar diameter/depth to be sure it will suit your needs. It's important that you know what you're getting before the bowl arrives at your door! 

In order to show off the distinct features of each yarn bowl it’s necessary to “fill the frame” of each photo. These close-up, tight product shots can be deceiving. When all the sizes are grouped and viewed together on our main product pages, the smaller bowls will fill more of the frame than the larger bowls because they are not as wide; thus they appear to be much taller than the larger yarn bowls.

That is why we always include one or two images of the bowls filled with yarn and tools as a reference point. We hope this helps you choose the perfect Heckathorn Yarn Bowl for your work style.

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.

Spalted Wood Makes Beautiful Yarn Bowls; but what makes spalting in wood so special to wood enthusiasts? Spalting is the beginning of decay in wood due to natural invasion of fungal spores. These spores start colonies and grow in the wood forming interesting discolorations as the wood fibers begin to decay. If caught at the right time and stabilized, spalting can result in various stunning effects; enhancing the value of the piece.

​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!