Sun streams in the window. The café cat, Luna, sprawls across a polygon of light, licking her paws. An espresso machine purrs as customers of Mind’s Eye Coffee Lounge line up for a mid-morning hot beverage fix. A door in the back of the coffee machine and counter opens into a shop with works in […]
Crafts
Posted inSpecial Sections
The Old-Fashioned Way
The Back Porch 1380 Ninth St., Arcata Open Friday and Saturday, 10 am–5 pm or by appointment. Locals remember when you could go down to the old recycling center in Arcata and get a door, or an old sink, or some random wood for a project you dreamed up that morning. Well you can again, […]
Posted inStories
The Craftsman
“Here’s a cool thing. I just figured it out,” confides Eric Hollenbeck, sitting on a worn chair next to a scavenged 1960s Double Star potbelly stove. “You know that saying, ‘What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger?’ Well, what does that mean?” He coughs a deep, smoky cough and continues. “Does it make you physically […]
Posted inShopping
In the Loop
For ladies or gents who fancy a good old-fashioned stitch n’ bitch, our local knitting shops are amply stocked to keep your hands busy. Whether you’re new to handicrafts or looking for guidance, Humboldt’s yarn shops are ready to help you get started. Yarn A good first stop on your knitting shop scavenger hunt is […]
Posted inPerfect Trips
Perfect Winter Trips
The North Coast doesn’t really do seasons the way the rest of the world does. We don’t believe in dividing the year into four neat periods, each with their own weather. Instead, mix up our rain and fog, darkness and light in varying quantities and distribute it in ever surprising ways throughout the seasons. Our […]
Posted inShopping
Hurly Burly
Welcome to redwood burl country, where artisans and craftspeople are turning knotty local wood to create wild and wonderful things. Korbly Wood Products Since the early ’70s, Bernie Korbly’s been turning out gorgeous wooden bowls on a vintage lathe. You’ll recognize him — he’s the guy in the San Francisco Giants ball cap sprinkled with […]
Posted inShopping
Hands Down
There’s something about clothing and objects designed by a singular imagination and made by an actual person’s hands. This pair of Humboldt shops rounds up quirky and beautiful things with personality and soul, like the people who made them. The Bodega H.A. Pearson, the vivacious owner of The Bodega, is known for her super soft, […]
Posted inArts + Scene
Oh SCRAP!
As we speak in the September sunlight behind the Marsh Commons, Tibora Girczyc-Blum is still catching her breath from dancing in the Samba parade at the North Country Fair. Her whole group stitched together its outfits from reused materials. At our table built from used railroad ties, the sun glints off of her shimmery gold […]