Intro to spoon carving (per person, full day workshop)

A course for individuals, siblings, a group of pals, colleagues. A day at the bothy learning the basics behind carving spoons in the tradition of sloyd, using head, hands, axe and knife - no machinery required! You'll be introduced to the tools, materials and techniques to get started on your journey carving spoons. This course is intended for beginners, as we'll start with the basics.

In what will be a productive but relaxing day, we'll squeeze in a look at examples of spoons, wood types and where to source raw material, various tools from entry level to more advanced, and of course the hands-on techniques to get you hooked on your spoon journey. You should leave feeling safe, knowledgeable, inspired and hopefully relaxed from a day in our beautiful bothy workshop.

Needless to say, what you make is yours to keep and use (or just admire!).

You'll tackle several projects, starting with a simple utensil - a Scandinavian-style butter spreader - before moving on to your first spoon. We'll look at splitting a billet, marking-out a design, axing-out your blank, then getting stuck-in to the knife work.

All tools needed are provided. If you have acquired your own, you're very welcome to bring them along too. Other aspects such as tool maintenance/sharpening can be discussed, time-allowing.

Tea/coffee is provided. Please bring a packed lunch with you on the day. The atmosphere is relaxed, and you'll be able to take breaks as needed.

This workshop is intended for adult participants. Please see our other workshops if you're looking for crafts for youngsters.