Wild Oats?

[Maria Alvarado]

Here are some recent items with a theme. Was inspired a while back by Steve's spurtles, so I thought I'd try some and while I was at it, my own version of a porringer to go with them. Not quite the weather for oatmeal, but they work as personal snack bowls too!
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/picture.php?albumid=197&pictureid=2091
Spurtles: Top to bottom: Cherry, walnut, cherry, pear. Not quite traditional, but I can vouch that they're comfortable and they work!

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/picture.php?albumid=197&pictureid=2092
Walnut Porringer & Spurtle. Handle and ring detail hand carved.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/picture.php?albumid=197&pictureid=2093
Bottom
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/picture.php?albumid=197&pictureid=2096
As it is meant to be held.

[Maria Alvarado]

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/picture.php?albumid=197&pictureid=2095
Cherry porringer & spurtle

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/picture.php?albumid=197&pictureid=2094

Pear porringer & spurtle, slightly more traditional on the porringer. Handles and ring detail hand carved. Spurtle warped before I finished it, so the knob has an off-axis look.

Comments/critique welcome.
Thanks for looking.

[Richard Madison]

Damn, those are pretty Maria! The porringer thingys. Very nice work. Now I'm going to google "porringer".

"shallow, round bowl with one or two flat, horizontal handles set on opposite sides of the rim and, usually, a shallow lid. In recent usage, the word has also been used to refer to late 16th- and early 17th-century English silver vessels of cylindrical form with two vertical scroll handles. The precise purpose of porringers, or écuelles, as they are known in France, is in dispute; but it is thought that they were used to hold broth or gruel."

Yep, that's them.

[Mark Norman]

Nice work Maria!

I bet yer a leftie aren't ya?

Do you still eat porridge? I dont think I ever have.

I'm more curious about the spurtles. Like a stick-spoon for the poor?

[alex carey]

They look great but I don't know what the stick is. Consider me uncultured.

[Mark Norman]

. Consider me uncultured.
BTDT Alex....j/k nbl

[Graham Sugar]

Top work Maria:):)
it is nice to see some more of your work
Keep it coming
Regards
Graham

[David Walser]

Maria,

I'm very impressed with both your spurtles and with your porringers. You've turned that fruit and nut wood into some very special, yet useful, objects. Very well done. These are worthy of a (serious) tutorial.

[Jeff Nicol]

Maria, It is wonderful that you have turned and carved some of the most important pieces of our old history! Our forfathers used this type of wooden bowl and stirring/portioning stick each and every day of there lifes and some were very highly decorated by each craftsman and carried with them into the wild to hunt and gather food for the village. It takes me back to all the things I love about all of our history and heritages! Great work and craftmanship!

Thanks for sharing,

Jeff

[Curt Fuller]

Those are fantastic!

[Bernie Weishapl]

Those are some great turnings Maria. Really well done.

[Maria Alvarado]

Thanks guys (particularly for the "attagirl's" ;)

The spurtles are based on the scottish stirring stick (Steve posted some more accurate examples last year I think). Supposedly the shape of the top is meant to represent the thistle. I didn't include the round bead that represents the body of the thistle, I tell myself it's because they're more comfortable to use this way...yeah, that's it. Anyway, they are apparently better than a spoon for stirring your oats (for anyone whose oats take longer than Instant) because they won't mush them. I can tell any cooks here that they work as stated and won't scratch your nonstick pots. I need to make one to try on risotto, where I'm a bit more concerned with a lack of mushiness than in my porridge. As for the porringers, none of them are really based on an actual example, more the idea. The walnut is my favorite, sadly it was made for a friend, so I have to let it go (from my left hand Mark, I'm a rightie ;)). The design was based on scoops with some use of a low angle spoke shave to shape the ring and handle.
Thanks again for the encouragement, much appreciated.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Maria - these are all very impressive work! The Spurtles look comfortable to use and I like their streamlined design. The Porringers are outstanding! Great form, clean details and great looking woods! Very nice work on all the carving!

Have to think these would make for wonderful gifts - or if you decide to sell them I firmly believe they would be huge sellers!

Very nice work! Thanks for sharing!

[Chris Rae]

Beautiful work Maria, those are lovely!! I like everything about them.

[Reed Gray]

Never tried the porridgers, but look like fun. I do turn the spurtles though. A great gift for the kitchen that thinks they have everything, as well as a nice exercise for the skew. The end ornament is the Scottish Thistle. There was an invasion in the 1200s by Norway I think. They were attempting a night time sneak attack, and were ordered to take off their boots to b more quiet. Well, some one stepped on a thistle and let out a yelp, and it gave the invasion away. Scotland was saved by the lowly thistle. A great tale to tell when selling them.

robo hippy

[Bill Bolen]

Great pieces Maria. I just had to copy them to my favorites folder for easier copying later...Thanks for posting such a fun looking project...Bill..

[Mike Marmon]

While traveling in Scotland, we stopped into a Coffee shop for a snack. The man running the shop was also a turner that had a number of Spurtles for sale. He had also take the prize for the best porridge in Scotland for several years. His secret was that when in Sprutle was not being used it is marinating in a bottle of Single Malt Scotch. This is a brilliant idea. :D

Cheers!

[Maria Alvarado]

His secret was that when in Sprutle was not being used it is marinating in a bottle of Single Malt Scotch. This is a brilliant idea. :D
Oh my god, why didn't I think of that?? That's the best idea I've heard in a long time! Now where did I put that single malt?...

Steve, thanks for the comments and the inspiration (not just for this project!), I've already got a commission for a porringer, so we'll see if that's the only one.
Reed, thanks for the historical info, I never knew why the thistle was particularly revered. That's part of the fun of revisiting the traditional, you always learn something interesting and certainly get an appreciation for how they did it all without mayo or mustard :rolleyes:
Thanks again to everyone, hope you have fun trying them, but watch your knuckles!

[Mark Norman]

! Now where did I put that single malt?...
LOL, a woodchick I could hang with:D

[Jim Kountz]

Wow those are really nice!! A bowl with a handle, maybe with one of those I could eat cereal in the living room again without spilling it!!