Every kitchen needs a sugar bowl. Most importantly, one that will become a heirloom treasured by your family for generations to come. That is the thinking behind this series, carrying on from the simple salad bowl in the last issue. The piece should add utility, beauty and be a topic of discussion whenever you have company.
For this project you will need a beautiful piece of defect free highly figured cottonwood (Populus fremontii), or similar timber. This tree grows in abundance all over North America. Most craftspeople will not use it because of its abrasive nature to tool steels, and because it is tricky to cut clean. However, with all its negative attributes, it is hard to deny its beauty. My sugar bowl will also have an African blackwood (Dalbergia melanoxylon) knob that is hand threaded to the lid. This will contrast nicely with the whitish wood and add special interest to the piece. Whatever wood you use, make sure it is pretty.