During my recent trip to Mississippi, my sweetheart took me to the Preview Party for the Chimneyville Crafts Festival. I saw quite a few high quality pieces that I really loved, but the one that completely captured my heart was this simple, handmade wooden scoop. I wish you could feel how smooth and buttery the wood is!
I like craft fairs. It’s good to know you are buying direct from the craftspeople and to have so many unique pieces to choose from, created from characterful materials with imagination and pride.
My scoop came from Sis and D’s Handmade Spoons together with care advice to keep it looking nice: no dishwashers for this little scoop, and it will appreciate a little oiling now and then.
On their website, Celeste Wise and Doug Lamb, who design and create the cookware, compare starting to work on a new piece of wood to opening a Christmas present. The awe and excitement they feel when working with natural materials is put to good, practical use.
They aim to make each piece feel ‘just right’ in the hand – perhaps that’s why I was so reluctant to leave my new treasure behind once I’d picked it up.
I forgot to ask, but my sweetheart says it’s made from a local wood, American sweet gum (Liquidambar styraciflua). I love some of the other folk names associated with it, such as satin-walnut and alligator-wood.
Sis and D make many designs, including pie servers, gumbo spoons, avocado scoops, batter beaters, iced tea spoons as well as one-off designer pieces. All items can be made for left or right-handed cooks. I hadn’t realised that there’s a difference, but our left-handed friend Bill told me my scoop would just suit him, so I guess I got that bit wrong, by choosing the one I wanted by the beauty and feel of the wood. I’m not planning any major feats of scooping with it, so there’s no harm done.
I’m always happy to give praise when it’s due: their website is http://www.handmadespoons.com
Susan Rushton 
Beautiful scoop! Wood has great natural beauty, doesn’t it? I brought home a number of small olive wood cutting boards from Italy this year to give as holiday gifts. Each has its own personality.
I love olive wood too – it has such a warm colour and lovely swirling grain patterns. I thought this was olive wood when I first saw it on the other side of the stand. The wood carver explained he’d been looking through them all once more before they left for new homes and put this one on top as it was one he liked himself.
It looks like a beautifully carved piece. I love almost anything made from real wood. It is so tactile and usually smells fantastic!