You call that a craft site?!

Unusual sites to help with your crafting
Beyond blogs and forums there are lots of other sites online that can inspire and inform your crafting.


For Information:

Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiki
So I got all into Sashiko recently and wanted to find more information. Craft blogs are not the best for searching and Google tends to list store sites first. So I tried this online, collaborative encyclopedia and got a pretty informative article with some links to more information at other sites. Now whenever I have a question about a technique or want a little background on a craft, I go to the Wiki first.

Yahoo Answers - http://answers.yahoo.com/
I can ask or search for questions...and hopefully get answers. Nada? I'll post my own questions and other users will answer them.
(Note: Need to register to ask or answer questions. You can search and read the information without registering though.)

YouTube - http://www.youtube.com/
Sometimes the words in a tutorial just don't click. I need someone to show me how to do it. YouTube has lots of videos showing basic to not-so-basic techniques. Check out this short video demonstrating hand quilting.


For Inspiration and Information:

Google Image Search - http://images.google.com/
So I found out some information about Sashiko from Wikipedia but there weren't any pictures (some entries do have pictures but usually not that many) and I like to see LOTS of pictures. Google Image Search results offer only images found on web sites. My search for "Sashiko" gave me almost 10,000 results. You may end up with some random volleyball pics but you will also see some really cool new ideas. (Turns out the volleyball player's first name is Sashiko.)

Flickr - http://www.flickr.com/
We crafters like to show off our stuff. Flickr not only lets you post your pictures for free, you can join groups to share your photos and information with other users. When I have a craft question, I go to Flickr first to ask other users. I get lots of good information and ideas really quickly.
(Note: Need to register to post pictures or participate in the forums. You can search and view images without registering.)


For Wanted Items:

CraigsList - http://www.craigslist.org/about/sites.html
Need a new sewing machine? Shelves for all that fabric? I often forget to look in the classifieds for items I need. Here I can search the biggest classified section out there.


For Organization:

Bloglines - http://www.bloglines.com/
There are many other 'feed readers' - Google Feedfetcher, My Yahoo, Firefox Live Bookmarks, etc. I just happen to use Bloglines. I'm able to collect all my favorite blogs in one place and I'm notified when they are updated. Makes my blog addiction much more manageable.
(Note: Requires registration and an initial set up.)

What unusual sites help you out with your crafty endeavors?