Upon overhearing a conversation between two hipsters in which one asked the other “what’s Etsy?”, I realized: there might be some poor soul out there that has yet to discover one of the most innovative and crafty online superstores on the internets. What is Etsy?! This exploratory eCommerce site is home to a cornucopia of little stores, focusing on unique, handmade products. Part Ebay, part artisan’s boutique, Etsy is the place to find a one-of-a-kind recycled-gold ring alongside an amigurumi robot. As a primer for you newbies, here is the first of several Lo’s List posts featuring my curation of Etsy shops and products, as well as some helpful tips on how to navigate the site along the way.

Tip 1 ››› Wade into the Etsy waters by browsing the Showcase! Once you get a feel for things, modify the parameters to customize the selection.

Amigurumi (編み包み), literally meaning knitted stuffed toy, originated in the country of all things cute: Japan. Made using either crochet (one needle) or knitting (two needles) patterns, amigurumi are typically animal forms but in recent years, with a rise in popularity and crossover to the States, countless other patterns are being explored. Browsing Etsy, I found: a potted beansprout, a safety cone, a Mario Bros venus fly trap, fried chicken, a trio of cacti, even the molecular representation of Ethanol… One site that has particularly great amigurumi patterns to master is Danger Crafts, where I found Francis the Charismatic Monster (above), Chester the Bashful Bunny (below left), and Robbie the Radient Robot (below right). Most patterns include difficulty levels in the description so be sure to start out simple (Chester) and work towards more complex designs (Robbie and Francis are both intermediate). So go on! Knit & purl yourself some fuzzy friends! And remember the words of Wiki:

“The pervading aesthetic of amigurumi is cuteness. To this end, typical amigurumi animals have an over-sized spherical head on a cylindrical body with undersized extremities.” – Wise Man Wiki

Danger Craft Amigurumi!

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