Assembly Required

Nick Johns (Industrial designer, curator of boulders, surfer) sent me his latest product from Melbourne this week....thing is it's so beautiful in it's disassembled state I can't bring myself to put It together. For ages 8+ available at SPACE in Australia/Singapore.

Throwing With Voulkos/1974

Ready For The Cold

The evenings are actually cold in LA right now. Top to bottom-WW2 USN woolen watch cap (PCC)-Sherlock cap, Donegal Tweed, handwoven in Ireland for Kevin & Howlin (Dublin)-Stormy Krommer Cap-est 1903!(WI via MI)-Saint James watch cap in Cousteau red (Paris). The Summer lineup.

Sunday Morning...

Some good finds at the PCC on Sunday, total mixed bag- headed out at 5:15 am, prior to setting up our own yard sale (a rising schedule reserved specifically for flea markets, airport departures and that summer spent lobster fishing with my brother during art school). Loot to be Itemized and posted soon.

Cream Red/White Blue

Hand tailored tie, 100% cotton, made in Kyoto by Workers...ordering details (in English) here.

In House Wegner

J16 Rocking Chair, FDB 1944 + WW2 Japanese flag. Sewing table w/drop leaves, basket, Andreas Tuck 1950 + Stan Bitters ceramics & antique ceramic mining crucibles. CH 24 Wishbone chair, Carl Hansen 1950 + Japanese boro/sashiko textiles.

Some classically driven photography between the girls and boys from Hedi Slimane's Fashion Diary.

Shakey Delivers!

To quote David Berman, "I about shit my heart out" when I got an email today confirming that the Neil Young Archives Vol 1, is now available for pre order from Amazon (DVD and Blu-ray format). Anyone who's read Shakey (and every human should), will know how long this project has been in the pipe line, tweaked and groomed into audible existence by Neil and Co at Broken Arrow. Thanks to Peter and Jon for the word.

The Engineer's Note Book

Note book pages by R.A Greene, Browning Engineering Co, Cleveland, OH, from way back when breakfast was 75c and fountain pens ruled the world. The book contains records of travel budgets, grammatical rights and wrongs, and technical sketches for engineering projects. Found at the PCC a few months back...PCC is on this Sunday.

Farewell Odetta 1930-2008

There Is No Innocent Room

When I attempted to live in London town, Donlon Books, run by a tasteful chap named Connor (and located within Herald Street Gallery) was a thoughtful place to spend spare beans. Seems the store is moving to a new space, around the corner. Independent bookstores-long may you run. Details here.

photo via Homework.

Shirts Big & Small Pockets

After seeing the last round of Workers shirts on Reference Library and ACL, I gave in.You order your size/style via their site (they always sell out), pay when the stitches are complete and wait for the package to arrive from Japan two months later...a program I've taken part in before with Sonomitsu. Workers concentrate...really concentrate on quality reproductions of extinct American workwear items, and the website also acts as a mini archive with vintage items and advertisements posted. Here's the latest Workers items, and here's to a company doing one thing at a time, and doing it well.

Life Without Bansaws

Back to the block, keeping the slow saw movement alive and bypassing the bandsaw for the Japanese pull saw (Nokogiri). More news from the block in around two months.

Higher Ground

New green Treehouse designs from Tom Chudleigh (Canada), Dré Wapenaar (Holland) and Tadashi Kawamata (Japan), more here. Thanks BCR for the linkage.

Happy Thanksgiving

Our first home cooked turkey, sourced from Healthy Family Farms stand at Hollywood Farmers Market (who also have the best eggs and smaller fowl)... perfectly crisp skin, and juicy meat, thanks to the roast salted turkey recipee Les found on the LA times.

Season Of The Owl

I spent a few Sundays carving these Owls into Jed and Jess's tree in Silverlake this summer, and now they've finally seasoned and feel a little more settled into their nooks. With the only brief being 'think Topanga Canyon Tree Wizard', the results are, well suitably wizardy.

Reference Library "Gets A Room"

Andy Beach, behind the controls at Reference Library, has been making an art out of losing for the past two years, with his awesome 'Items I Didn't Win' (from ebay) posts, which have proven to be a winning formula and daily stimuli for followers of the blog. So what's he been winning?...find out this Friday when Reference Library gets a room, as part of Kiosk's mini exhibition series, and if you live in New York bring your wallet!...full details here.

Photos:
American Workwear buttons
Andy's limited edition Denim Work Apron, made by Workers, Japan
Half a Fink's Workwear Advertisement sign (and part of a larger collection)

Home Is In My Head

Deadstock Hood, Small for the M-1943 Field Jacket, some nice details and functional tricks to this one, pretty much turns the M43 jacket into a one man tent.

What Would Paul Thek Do?

*There's a great Paul Thek article on Dennis Cooper's blog from last Dec...something of a reader. Word is, there's to be a long overdue survey exhibition at LACMA next year. Photo: Peter Hujar, 1976.

South Willard Sale

Dries, Band Of Outsiders, Patrik Ervell, Raf Simons, A.P.C are all on sale at South Willard, Los Angeles, as of today...merch online...I'm planning on dropping in on the Cardigan Pushers in person...things go fast. Shop Local!

James Castle

A Retrospective of James Castle's Drawings and Objects is up at The Philadelphia Art Museum, and will be traveling to The Berkeley Art Museum (yes!), and the Art Institute of Chicago during 2009. Castle (1899-1977) who was deaf, mute and untrained as an artist, produced a rich archive of drawings and assemblages, using found materials from his parents Post Office in Boise, Idaho. There's a dedication and intimacy to these works that's really beautiful, a measured appreciation for space, inside and out. Details here, Publication here.

Birthday Loot 08

Some reading, looking, listening, carving, swimming, fishing, ceramics, note taking and drawing suggestions from friends in LA...the rightness of it all is killing me, many thanks!

Green Room

Ryan Conder, has finally buckled and posted some Surfing footage on the South Willard page...some classic clips of living legend George Greenough at one with the Dolphins and Waves. Yes Mr Conder, I need one on these inflatable mattress rides (read:shark biscuits) in preparation for my summer spell in Byron Bay, Australia.

Cowichan Sweater

Why so serious?, you just made the most incredible sweater ever...