Find and process wild clay

Step-by-step

1. 1

   Look at cutbanks, riverbends, and exposed subsoil below the leaf layer.

2. 2

   Grab a handful, wet it, and roll a snake the thickness of a pencil.

3. 3

   If it bends around your finger without cracking, it's usable clay.

4. 4

   Slake: break it up in water, stir, let sit. Sand and gravel sink, clay stays suspended.

5. 5

   Pour off the milky water into a cloth-lined pit; let it drain until leather-hard, then wedge (knead) to remove air.

Tip: Test-fire a small pinch pot in a hot fire. If it survives without exploding, the clay's clean enough to use.