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Contemporary yarn crafts by Heidi Gustad. Knitting, crochet, latch hook and macrame.

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Little Hats, Big Hearts in the News

February 26, 2015 Leave a Comment

Little Hats, Big Hearts in the News | Hands Occupied

There was a moment yesterday when I realized my healthy heart was full. Despite the front page news about Chicago’s mayoral election, a story ran on page 9 of the Chicago Tribune featuring something I’m quite passionate about. Something I wasn’t sure I’d ever be able to talk about in public, let alone on this blog in August and again in January. For those of you who remember those posts, you’ll remember it was about the sudden death of my cousin nearly 9 years ago.

Red Hats for Preemies - Click through for the free pattern & donate a hat to help raise awareness about congenital heart defects in newborns. | hands occupied.com.

Red Hearts Hat for Preemies

Those posts were also about something called Little Hats, Big Hearts™, a campaign to get handmade little red hats onto the heads of newborns born in the month of February, a.k.a. National Heart Month. The little hats are given to new parents along with an info packet to help them learn more about congenital heart defects and the serious risks they pose.

I’m not one to share my cousin’s story lightly, but I decided to take the plunge because it was time I did what I could through this small corner of the internet to raise awareness about this issue. I came across the knitting and crochet-focused campaign in the month that marked 8 years since my cousin’s passing. It seemed almost like a sign that I was in a position to help do something good despite the tragedy that had happened. I wrote blog posts explaining the campaign that featured free patterns for Red Hearts Hats for newborns and for preemies. Yesterday, the Chicago Tribune published an article about the campaign and I was asked to share a little bit of why I volunteer with it myself.

Red Hats for Newborns Pattern at handsoccupied.com

Red Hearts Hat for Newborns & Toddlers

You can read the full article here, and the excerpt with my quotes is below.

… Heidi Gustad, 27, knit a half-dozen miniature hats for the campaign. She’s been knitting since her grandma taught her when she was just 8 years old, she said.

Nine years ago, her 18-year-old cousin Courtney — no relation to Schullo’s friend — died unexpectedly. The autopsy revealed an undiagnosed heart defect as the cause.

“The way she died was so out of the blue,” Gustad said. “No one had any idea that she had this condition. Had our family known, she might still be alive. She’s the reason I knew, right away, that I wanted to get involved.”

Gustad designed patterns for the hats and knitted them while watching movies.

Months later, on a clear day in February, one of her hats was delivered to 3-month-old Lincoln Baisch. …

A big high five to the Tribune for highlighting the campaign. To find out if there’s a place to donate hats in your area, visit heart.org/littlehatsbighearts for a list of donation cities as well as info on how to get a drive going near you!

Filed Under: Knitting & Crochet Tagged With: american heart association, chicago tribune, donate hats, hats campaign, heart health, heart month, little hats big hearts, red hats for newborns, red hearts hat

About Heidi

Heidi Gustad is an artist, author and crafts designer specializing in knitting, crochet, latch hook and macrame. In addition to running the Hands Occupied Blog and Pattern Shop, you can find her making videos & co-hosting the Very Serious Crafts podcast.

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Heidi Gustad from Hands Occupied / Craft Book Author and Knitting, Crochet, Latch Hook and Macrame Designer

Hi! I’m Heidi, an author, yarn craft designer and content creator specializing in knitting, crochet, latch hook & macrame. My work unapologetically features primary colors and vintage-meets-modern style. My first book, Latch Hook: 12 Projects for the Modern Maker, is now available!

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knitting, crochet, latch hook & macramé

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There’s an update on the blog today, & it’s ab There’s an update on the blog today, & it’s about how I’m going to take the next 2 weeks off to rest & recharge. ☺️🧶 No new content for y’all means I can also take a moment to zoom out & plan what’s next. Link is in bio. 
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A note on Very Serious Crafts: In the post I discuss stepping away from the @seriouscrafts podcast to give myself more time to devote to some minor medical issues. Don’t you worry - my health will be fine, & @molliejohanson @redhandledscissors and I are still pals, and after a short break of their own, the podcast will be back! Just sans moi. 💁🏼‍♀️😆 
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See you in a couple weeks! ✌🏻#handsoccupied #knitdesign #craftdesign #sofadedsweater
Been a little quiet this holiday week, as it shoul Been a little quiet this holiday week, as it should be. ☺️🎄The past few days have been filled with a lot of catching up on festive zoom calls & raising toasts to the camera. 🥂 Connecting with people has been a welcome change of pace! Now I’m feeling ready to meet my inevitable end-of-year deadlines. 😆
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Warmest wishes for the season, my friends! ❤️💛💙
Hi, I’m Heidi, the craft book author & maker beh Hi, I’m Heidi, the craft book author & maker behind Hands Occupied! 👋🏻 I’ve been enjoying making Reels a lot lately, but I wanted to bop in to share a regular photo & say hello. 🤓 
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rather than giving you my bio right now, I have a question. I just got this new sweater & I can’t stop imaging how funny it would be to wear this to a knitting class ... is that bad? 🤣🤣🤣
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Pictured: a blond woman with glasses wearing a sweater that reads “all your sweaters are ugly” standing in front of a Christmas tree.
Wet blocking, also called immersive blocking, is o Wet blocking, also called immersive blocking, is one of the most common methods for finishing a knitting project and helping ensure its final size and shape. Learn basic blocking for absolute beginners in an easy-to-follow (non-Reel!) video tutorial! Catch the tutorial on YouTube or the Hands Occupied Blog, link is in bio. 🧶 #handsoccupied #stopswatchandblockit #KPAmbassadorsDec20 #sponsored
Had to share this perfect capture of one of my fav Had to share this perfect capture of one of my favorite weird homemade Christmas ornaments: a simple macramé Santa face with beads for the eyes and nose! My Great-Grandma made it too. 🎄
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Might have to try making a quickie Reel tutorial for this guy - I think it’s the perfect project for it, don’t you? 🎅🏼 #handsoccupied #macrame
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