Hi, I’m Heidi. I grew up on the prairie, Fargo to be exact, and was raised by a mom with a passion for gardening and the homemade and a dad who did things like build a house out of reclaimed utility poles. Hands Occupied was launched in 2010 to help motivate me to knit and craft more. If you check out my oldest posts, you’ll notice that this was more of a personal project to begin with – I didn’t even know at all how to take a decent photo when I launched this site!

Nowadays, Hands Occupied has become a blog primarily focused on knitting and crochet patterns & tutorials, yarn craft project ideass, and inspiration. Whether it’s a first time knitting project or how to knit your a sweater from start to finish, Hands Occupied is here to help you make it, knit it & own it.

Want to work with me? Learn more about what I can do here.

FAQ with Heidi

What do you do?
I’m a librarian! Learn all about how I balance two careers here.

How do you pronounce your last name, Gustad?
Gus and Ted are two best friends. One day they realized their undying love for each other and got married. Gus + Ted = Gustad (GUS-tehd).

Why Hands Occupied?
I’m not very good at sitting still, and I’m a nail biter. Crafting is my favorite way to spend time, but it also keeps my hands busy.

What’s your favorite craft to do?
My craft interests vary widely, and I think learning new crafts and techniques is really fun! When forced to pick one fave, I always go with knitting. It’s my go-to when I want to marathon a whole TV series, audiobook or get stressed. Or just all the time.