What Else To Do With Skinner Blends

Part II:  Making the Plug

Step 21

Roll the blend through a medium setting on the pasta machine (#3 on an Atlas).

Step 22

Now it should look like this.

Step 23

Trim the edge.

Step 24

Trim the other edge.

Step 25

It should look like this.

Step 26

Starting at one of the tri-colored edges, begin rolling up the blend.

Step 27

Keep rolling, all the way to the other end. 

Step 28

Now you should have a log that looks like this.  Press and rub your fingers along the edge to smooth the seam. 

Step 29

Begin compressing the log by pushing one end downwards on your work surface.  Then flip it over and do the same thing on the other end. 

Step 30

Roll the log on your work surface, working inwards from the ends.

Use two hands to do this...you only see one of my hands in the picture at any given time because the other hand is holding the camera!  :)

Step 31

Continue rolling inwards, making the log shorter and fatter.  Also, put one hand on either end of the log and push inward, toward the center. 

Step 32

Continue to compress the log by rolling and pushing it inwards.  Sometimes, it will have a tendency to close in on itself (In this case, the gray and black would begin to spread out and meet in the middle over top of the white.  Just keep working the middle to keep it warm and moving.  Roll it on the work surface every once and while to even it out.  Sometimes, you have to pull outward on the ends then push inward in the middle, then go back and push inward on the ends again.  However, if it does happen, and it appears that you have "lost" your middle color, don't be too concerned because it is still technically "in there.")

Step 33

Continue compressing the log until it is about 1 1/2 inches long.

Step 34

Use your hands and your acrylic brayer to flatten the log into a patty.

Step 35

Continue flattening this patty until it is about 1/2 inch thick.

Step 36

Flatten one edge a little bit thinner - to about 1/4 inch - then trim that edge.

Step 37

Now the plug should look like this and it is ready to be put through the pasta machine.

 In the next part of the tutorial, we will be rolling this out into a very long ribbon...so it would be a good idea to clear a BIG space on your work surface before moving on to the next step.

Part III:  Making the Ikat Canes

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