I’ve written before about the crazy things people knit, but let’s not forget that there are some awesome crochet patterns too! If you love sea creatures, you need to take a look at these:

(Remember, these are all patterns only, not the actual items!) You can find these patterns at Wunderkammer. There are other fantastic sea creatures in the shop, such as an octopus and some lovely coral.

Right now, there are mostly just patterns in the shop, but do keep checking to see occasional specimens and more embroidery. Or, you could buy a pattern and ask a friend of yours very very very nicely to make a sea specimen.

The lovely Tamie Snow of Amazon.com.

Tamie has been featured on indie*galore before for her awesome patterns. Take a look back and read about her here.

Ah, embroidery. It’s not just for marking your initials on your clothing or a hankie or a bag anymore. It’s for adding pizazz to everything from clothing to some curtains to purses.

If you’re looking for really cute embroidery patterns, you might want to stop by and check out PimpStitch, a new site devoted to bringing folks original patterns.

PimpStitch was started by Tamie Snow of Roxycraft and Missy Ballance of Mohair Circus. They also recruited Amy Cluck of Peptogirl Industries and Lauren Brandy of Goody-Goody to contribute patterns.

You’ll find everything from animals to kitchenware to cute sleeping kids and something for your favorite homie (or homeskillet):

(Look carefully at the collection because the macaroni pattern there is also priceless!)

There’s also this cutie:

Another neat thing about PimpStitch is that some of the patterns have been adapted from other mediums, like this turtle. Tamie originally created the pattern as a crochet pattern and now has it for embroidery. You can create an army of turtles for yourself if you like.

Patterns are released every week, so there’s always something new to see. You can also keep up with the PimpStitchers on their blog, where you can even pick up a few free patterns.

If you ever sit around and debate with your friends over the old adage of “which came first, the chicken or the egg?”, you can get yourself a visual representation to make your case:

It’s actually a knitting pattern for a plush toy that turns inside out, from cracked egg to spiffy chick. How ingenious!

This pattern was dreamed up by Anna Hrachovec of Mochimochi Land. In her shop, you’ll find all kinds of fun plush patterns, many of which involve a) some whimsical character and b) lots of individual moving parts (the more for you to play with, silly)!

Among my favorites: Sleepy Snake and Mischievous Mouse and Sausage Dogs (I have a great love of Dachshunds).

And there are, of course, the stackable cats:

There are just so many fun things to choose from. And each pattern is a mere $5! Knit up some fun toys for yourself. If you don’t know how to knit, Anna occasionally has toys in her store, but that’s very rare, so you’re best served finding a friend to knit the toys for you.

In some parts of the country, it might be close to 100 degrees right now, and wool might be the last thing on your mind. But kick that way of thinking! There is always a place for wool, especially that of the pretty handspun variety:

Those lovely skeins are from Bees Knees Knitting, based in Michigan (where it’s probably not 100 degrees just yet). Jenny is the gal behind Bees Knees, and you’ll love her great selection of handspun yarns and art yarns. Many of her yarns are chunky, so if you’re a fan of quick knitting and giant needles, this is the place for you.

Sure, you might not want to wear something you make from the yarn it right now, but you can stock up early before the fall rush. Besides, you could get a really, really, really early start on those Christmas presents.

Or you could just admire the pretty colors.

Jenny also makes scarves of the lightweight variety, if you’re feeling so inclined:

See, just another reminder that yarn isn’t always for cold weather!

Do vegetables make you sad? Well, these may be the perfect gift for you (or your veggie-phobic friends):

These awesome pins/magnets/applique patches are made by Chrissy at BitterSweets. She says she began making these BitterSweets characters in between art classes and loves coming up with new ones. They’re pretty cute and funny and are wholly appropriate to stick all over your fridge.

These characters come in pin, magnet or plain ol’ patch form. (Read each description carefully to determine which one you’re ordering.) Some even come in keychains! You could carry a bitter eggplant around with you!

The angry food isn’t just limited to veggies, either. There are fruits, ice cream, pastries, and even a few breakfast items. Angry pancakes, anyone?

If you’re a knitter or crocheter, then you no doubt have had some bout with that uncooperative skein of yarn that gets super tangly. Or maybe your skein has gotten away from you. Or maybe it’s not even in a ball in the first place.

Well, if you have a burning need to take control of your yarn so that you know, you can actually create stuff, maybe you need a yarn ball holder:

You’ll find these cute (and functional) critters at Popsie Daisy. Brandi is the brains behind this operation, and she turns recycled wool sweaters into many cute things! She also uses repurposed wood and zippers in the yarn ball holders. How fun!

But back to those recycled wool sweaters! They not only make the yarn ball holders (which, by the way, come in all kinds of animals). You can even pick up a scarf or two made out of the sweaters. Or this hedgehog pouch:

Yay for recycled goodies!

Depending on where you live, it’s probably still cold out. And maybe quite drab and gray (or white). (The snow might be melting, but then it turns into that icky gray slush and probably gets all manner of leaves, debris and other gutter fodder stuck to it. Yecch.)

So perhaps you’d like to knit or crochet something warm, useful and colorful to chase the grays away? Maybe with some nice yarn like this?

You can find this yarn and much more at Kitty GrrlzKnits & Spins. Bobbi is the one behind the wheel at Kitty Grrlz, and she’s churning out yarn for all tastes. There’s single ply. Thinner yarn. Big, bulky art yarn. Two-ply. Three-ply. And all in wonderful, colofrul combinations.

If you don’t knit or crochet and still crave something warm, fear not! Kitty Grrlz also carries finished items, such as hats, scarves, shawls and hand warmers. All the items are handmade by Bobbi from commercial yarns or handspun yarns (either her own handspun or handspun yarn from other fine crafty folks!).

For example, you could find this cool scarf to keep you cozy:

With it being November, you may start to feel a chill in the air. Maybe you need a hat. Or a scarf. Or maybe the knitter/crocheter/weaver/spinner/fiber fanatic in your life seeks some roving/yarn/something to create with. Or you know someone who quilts or sews or works with fabric. Or maybe you eat, breathe, sleep and live for fiber art.

Well, if you happen to fulfill one of the above categories, then perhaps you should check out the EtsyFAST (Fiber Arts Street Team) Trunk Show and its accompanying events!

Here’s a flyer (’cause visuals are always nice and pretty to have):

If you happen to be in the New York area, you can come meet and greet some of the EtsyFAST members at the Trunk Show, which will be held at EtsyLabs! Here is a listing of who will be there:

Yours truly, http://rosebud.etsy.com
Beth Brown, http://bethbrown.etsy.com
Hoolyghans, http://hoolyghans.etsy.com
Foolmoon, http://foolmoon.etsy.com
BklynMoMos, http://bklynmomos.etsy.com
Sunrise Lodge Fiber Studios, http://sunriselodgefiberstu.etsy.com
Sweetyprize, http://sweetyprize.etsy.com

This is but a fraction of the EtsyFAST team!

If you’re not in the New York area and want to support EtsyFAST no less, you can check out member shops who are holding a Trunk Show sale! The sales run through November 16th (the day of the show). Get your shopping on by checking out this list.

You can also check out some of the fiber goodies being sold by member shops at this Flickr link. Photos from the show will be posted there as well after it happens!

Finally, for more information on EtsyFAST, visit the EtsyFAST website, or read the EtsyFAST blog.

You bet fiber’s good for you, in more ways than one.

Even if you’re not a spinner, knitter, crocheter or someone who has something to do with fiber arts, you have to admit that the colors are pretty, at least:

That fibery goodness is brought to you by Julie at Flawful Fibers & Yarns.

Julie churns out all sorts of colorful goodness, from roving to other spinning fibers (batts, fleeces and locks) to handpainted and handspun yarn. She works with different materials, from silk to good ol’ wool to plant fibers and organics. It’s quite an impressive output and body of work!

There are even spindle kits (for your favorite spinner or wannabe spinner) and finished goods such as hats, bags and scarves. It’s just about everything for the fiber enthusiast!

And if all that wasn’t enough, Flawful Fibers & Yarns also offers three different kinds of fiber and yarn clubs if you crave something new and awesome to work with every month. There’s a club for roving, one for handspun yarn and one for handpainted yarn. The perfect gift for the fiber lover who has everything.

If you’re looking for your daily dose of fiber, it’s definitely a good place to start.

Needle, felt and thread combined to bring you these goodies:

These creations can be found at Loose String. You will find some wonderfully embellished and detailed pincushions, pouches and ornaments. Everything is hand-stitched and super colorful!

The pincushions in particular are mini works of art, featuring everything from tea cups to flowers to elephants (no Fantasia flashbacks, now!) to abstract art to birds. And as the descriptions say, they also make great paperweights, because quite frankly, you almost don’t want to ruin the artistic flair with a bunch of pushpins.

When I was a kid, I used to do a lot of cross-stitching. You know, your usual array of rainbows, hearts, dogs, cats and other cute things like that.

But you get older and you realize that cutesy isn’t really your thing anymore. (Or at least some of us get to that point.)

When you reach that stage, that’s when you must head over to Subversive Cross Stitch.

I’ve always been a big fan because there’s nothing funnier than giving someone a really snarky sentiment all nicely stitched up with hearts and old-fashioned letters. It’s like something a pot-smoking grandma would give you.

While some of them are defintely more ahem, crude, than others, there are a few work-safe ones, which make great gifts if you work at a joint that makes you want to bang your head against the wall. These have been gifted to workmates over the last year:

Curses

Beeyatch

There is plenty over at the shop to make you laugh out loud. They are sold in deluxe kits (with needles, hoop and everything) for the novice, regular kits (with just thread, pattern, canvas and needle) for the more stitch-inclined and just in pattern form if you’re already well-versed and have all the supplies at your fingertips.

It’s snarky fun for everyone!

With the dog days of summer approaching, you may find yourself feeling hot and bothered. Maybe you could use some ice cream. But if it’s not available, maybe you can crank up your fingers and your imagination and this could carry you through a hot spell:

Too bad it won’t cool you down, but it is pretty to look at.

This bowl of goodness is brought to you by Melbangel Crafts. Note that the actual bowl of ice cream isn’t for sale — it’s the crochet pattern. (Hence the cranking up of your fingers.)

There are a whole host of cool crochet patterns available at Melbangel Crafts — some dolls, some animals — but the food ones are especially cool. If you’re feeling dessert-y but don’t ice cream, you could always try some cake:

You could have a veritable bakery in your house!

I’ve written about fellow Sacramento craft mafiosa Missy before — she is the cool cat behind Mohair Circus — but Missy is so crafty that her wares can’t be held in just one store.

Missy also runs Crafty Carnival, which as her tagline says, is “a mish-mash of all things crafty.” There, you will find cards, buttons, post-it books and these stamps:

These stamps — all original doodles by Missy — are also available individually. Add a nice touch to some of your tags, cards or anything stampable.

It always amazes me what sorts of goodies can come out of a sewing machine (because I can’t sew to save my life). So I enjoy looking at the work of those who sew.

Like this little gem:

This little mouse (meeces?) is from one of the Sacramento Craft Mafia’s newest members, Lauren of Speckled Hen. You will find many sewn and fabric-related goodies at Speckled Hen, including purses, smocks, hairpins and pouches.

You will also find lots of pincushions, because all good sewing people need them, right? But I thought this pincushion was just ingenious:

Perfect for someone who’s a chocolate lover and sews! (They come in lots of colors, too.)