Heckathorn Turned Wood - Artisan Crafted Yarn Bowls for Knitting & Crochet
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​As The Yarn Bowl Turns.

"A bad day woodworking is better than a good day working."

​~ Author unknown

The Value In Spalted Wood

8/17/2020

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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.
'Getting spalted (wood) is like ‘finding truffles in the forest’.
–J. Hicks, Woodshopnews.com
Some spalting forms  "zone lines" –sharply defined black lines, often called "black-line spalting". Zone lines may appear as single or double lines. This is the result of the spore colonies creating a protective barrier either around themselves (single-line spalting) or in what is basically a "war" with a neighboring colony (double-line spalting).
In some trees, such as oak or maple, spalting is rarely black-line often resulting in vague, amorphous, blotchy black or dark-gray areas. On rare occasions, spalting may cause colorful changes other than black. ​​
When nature gifts Bob with an interesting piece of wood that nature has spalted, it makes a rare and particulary beautiful yarn bowl. He usually sets these specimens aside for up to a year to encourage more spalting. Then, when his wood supply is depleted and with no fresh wood on the horizon, Bob will turn 2-4 highly spalted  bowls at one time. Once these uncommon yarn bowls are finished, the spalting process stops, embedding artful designs into the wood.
Spalted Maple. Heckathorn Turned Wood.
XL Spalted Pecan Yarn Bowl #1186
These rare offerings are usually snapped up quickly by collectors! So, on the rare occasions we list a couple spalted bowls at one time; it's a clue that Bob's wood is in short supply!
For more on spalting, please visit:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spalting
https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/spalted-wood-trend
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Collectible, Functional, XL-Jumbo Jumbo Yarn Bowls

9/2/2019

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Easily turn this Jumbo Yarn Bowl Set like a wheel by your side as every ball of yarn and all your tools are now quickly accessible and super organized while elevating your yarn works into a work of art!
The main function of a Yarn Bowl is to hold your yarn ball so it doesn't roll all over the room while you're working. Our Medium, Large, and XL Yarn Bowls serve that purpose very well! However, when we started getting numerous requests for bigger bowls, Bob started creating XXL, XXXL and occasionally  "Jumbo" Yarn Bowls. As I started testing their functionality, I fell in love with the organization and smooth work flow. Easily turn this Jumbo Yarn Bowl Set like a wheel at your side as every ball of yarn and all your tools are now quickly accessible and super organized and a pretty site to behold!
Our XXL - Jumbo yarn project bowls make big yarn projects more portable and stash-busting easy to manage. Some yarners may find the groove more decorative than functional in a bowl of this size, but when the bowl is unpacked for a work session, two large balls of yarn will roll nicely through the groove at the same time.
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Jumbo Cherry Yarn Bowl/Cup Hub Set. Bob doesn't make many wood tool cup/hubs because they are small, they're very hard to finish!
I prefer to top pull my yarn(s) when using our XL-Jumbo Yarn Bowls. Others prefer to utilize the yarn groove. However, while two balls of yarn will pull smoothly, three or more balls will have a tendency to tangle even though there may be plenty of space in the bowl for them to roll freely.
TIP: Add a small cup or jelly jar in the middle of the bowl creating a "hub". The cup will hold your tools and scraps and allow multiple balls of yarn to pull freely from the top without tangling
When working a big stash buster project with multiple smaller balls of  yarn; I pile one of each color into my Jumbo Yarn Bowl, then pop my yarn on the hook into a ("workhorse" –single ball ) LARGE YARN BOWL for a smooth and portable workflow. All the backup yarn is conveniently stored in hidden spot, there to replenish each color when necessary. These mammoth yarn bowls have the space you need when your #wip is set aside to be admired by all. A splurge for most, our collectors consider our XXL - Jumbo yarn bowls fiber work decor at it's best!
We've had requests for DEEPER Jumbo Yarn Bowls... those would be too a challenge to lift easily, more than the cost of the bowl to ship, and function would go out the door!

Tool Cup/Hub UPDATE!

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Read "Jumbo Yarn Bowl Sets; How & Why They Were Designed," which resulted in free glass cup hubs with all our larger (XXL, XXXL & Jumbo Yarn Bowls). They increase the functionality of our larger bowls and gives me a chance to include a fun little extra. Recently I found the perfect size/shape, so style will vary slightly from some shown in photos.

​Eyeing a particular XXL - Jumbo* Yarn Bowl that doesn't include a glass cup hub in the description? Just write: "please include a free glass cup hub" in the checkout notes and it’s yours!

*Glass cup hubs are free with our (larger) XXL, XXXL & Jumbo Yarn bowls only.
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Translucent Qualities in Wooden Yarn Bowls

8/21/2016

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Translucent Qualities in Heckathorn Turned Wood Yarn Bowls
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Translucence in Heckathorn Turned Wood Large Yarn Bowls
Many of our segmented pine yarn bowls mention “translucent qualities” in the wood, usually indicated by dark brown markings in wood grains. When held up to a strong light, these areas are transformed to a beautiful, rich translucent gold color. This is due to the heavy concentration of resin or sap, a natural secretion of the wood, which glows a reddish amber color when it collects in high concentration.
Amber is a result of fossilization of this sticky sap resulting in varnishes and many other by-products made from it throughout history. Some wood turners enhance the effect by many soakings in solutions of their choice. I prefer to achieve this effect naturally and let nature take its course by simply hand-buffing each pine bowl as usual with several layers of finish. However, when resin laden spots occur naturally, it’s a nice bonus; enhancing that bowl even more.
Usually, you need to hold the bowl over a bright light to see the translucent areas. Or, if placed in bright sunlight* will light the bowl up naturally. So, look for these features if you want a little “hidden surprise” when choosing your yarn bowl!

*Note: Any wood product can suffer damage if subjected to excessive heat. Never display/store your yarn bowl in direct sunlight for a prolonged period of time!


​
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What The Heck Are “Perfectly Imperfect” Yarn Bowls?

8/15/2016

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Perfectly Imperfect Yarn Bowls at Special Pricing from Heckathorn Turned Wood Yarn Bowls.
​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!

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Custom Sparkle Inlay

11/23/2015

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You'll find that select YARN BOWLS in our Etsy shop feature our proprietary "Inlay" or "Sparkle Inlay" enhancing a knot or set into the rim of the bowl for added appeal. We have developed a special process of mixing custom colors and textures to match the style and color tones of each individual bowl Bob adds Inlay to.
Custom Sparkle Inlay set into the rim. Large Wood Yarn Bowl; Heckathorn Turned Wood.
This eye-catching element raises the bowl value and collector status. So, be on the lookout for yarn bowls that mention "Inlay" in the title... the detail of the inlay doesn't often show on the main product thumbnail. However, when inlay is added to a yarn bowl, close up photos are usually provided to show this beautiful added feature.

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New Shooting Star Yarn Bowl!

6/25/2014

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One of the hottest sellers at our new Etsy shop has been my Segmented Pine Yarn Bowls. With demand for these bowls in mind, I created the new shooting star groove design as an alternative to the standard (J) hook design. It just seemed more artistically harmonious and gives easy control of the yarn, while the stars points allow the yarn to be pulled in different directions in a controlled manner.

I use no stains or dyes, sanding each piece to a fine finish so your yarn won’t snag. Choose from small, medium or large with one-of-a-kind variations in wood grain and star groove placement. Each piece is signed and numbered. 

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