I honestly never know how these things are going to turn out. After a shaky start (I literally flattened it on day two) this one just kept getting better.

Dorodango #5, aka Simi Valley is a gift for my wife’s father Duane and his lovely wife Jana. We had a chance to visit their home this March and they graciously humored me when I asked to collect some dirt from their back garden. Thanks guys! I’m looking forward to delivering it personally on our next visit.

By all measures Simi was my quickest piece with a working time of just ten hours and a start-to-finish of seven days. I’ve learned of techniques that could accelerate this but for now I’m satisfied with the pace, which felt natural and didn’t interfere with work or other responsibilities.

As demand increases I’m going to have to start thinking about things like shipping, packaging, and writing a ‘care and feeding of dorodango’ guide. This could get interesting.