The first thing you notice when you walk into Frock is COLOR. From the Tiffany blue walls to the racks of rainbow-hued clothing, this is one vibrant place. Frock has also got to be one of the funnest places to shop for handmade clothes in this town.

Co-owners Angie Coffin and Ali Wykhuis have an amazing sense of fun in fashion. On a typical visit to the shop, you might find a demure little Audrey Hepburn peacoat, and a wild candy-striped Mrs.

Jennie Hake's art is very simple and pristine, with a bit of nature, and the kind of smooth, velvety color that can only come from the legendary Gocco press. It manages to be both cheery and serene at the same time. I love it! You can see more at her Etsy shop.

Redux absolutely rocks. And sure, it's because of all the great handmade things, and because Tamara Goldsmith, the proprietess, is so nice to chat with. But really, Redux rocks because the handmades are created from reclaimed and recycled materials. And they could not be farther from their trashy source materials.

If you knit, which a whole lot of you do, sooner or later you need some stitch-markers. And sure, you could bend some paperclips all out of shape and make do, but why not go all deluxe instead? Danielle Dowhaniuk makes the prettiest stitch-markers around. Like jewelry for your knitting. See more (including some crochet stitch-markers) at her Etsy Store.

Here's how much Union Rose exemplifies the term "locally-made goods": according to co-owner Heidi Steeves, some of the designers who sell wares there live within walking distance. And the farthest any goods have traveled to appear in the store? From Eugene.

Union Rose is a charming and friendly-looking place, with a very eclectic assortment of handmades.

I first encountered Megan's work at the Trillium Artisans store - her garden spheres, covered with colorful glass marbles, knocked me out. Megan works with recycled glass and other materials, and transforms them into wonderful stuff. You can see more at her website, blog, and Etsy store.

Handmade soap is just about one of my favorite things in the world -- especially creamy, girly soap with a yummy scent and scrubby bits. I discovered Scrumptious Suds via PDX Etsy's recent BOGO Sale, and I flippin' love them. So of course I asked Jackie for an interview.

LeBrie signs her emails with the moniker "Duchess of Felt." How cool is that? And you've likely seen her work at various boutiques and shows around town - her hand-felted brooches, rings, and earrings are so colorful and cute.

You can see more of LeBrie's felting at the PenFelt website, and also her Etsy shop.

Twisted (at 2310 NE Broadway) is a newcomer to Portland's yarn-store scene. And it's a very welcome addition, for lots of reasons.

I know we should talk about the yarn first, but bear with me. First, I want to share the atmosphere of the place with you. Twisted was made for hanging out. There are cozy chairs, and comfortable tables, and you're welcome to bring in your knitting or crochet and relax.

Caitlyn Davey's jewelry designs have an interesting quality -- they look like they could be living creatures, just popped in from another planet to say hello. Caitlyn is in fact fascinated by science and nature, and brings these fascinations to her work. You can see more of her designs at her Etsy Store, and read more about the intersection of art and science at her blog.