Hands Occupied – Knitting, crochet, latch hook and macrame from craft book author & designer Heidi Gustad.

Knitting with Disney… and Me!

October 20, 2021 2 Comments

The Magic Carpet Throw Blanket by Heidi Gustad can be found in the new Knitting with Disney book by Tanis Gray! (Insight editions, 2021)

You read that title right, folks! I have a new knitting design coming out in the brand new, official Knitting with Disney book. Mine is just one among dozens of awesome Disney-inspired projects in the collection, all brought together by the book’s publisher, Insight Editions, and its author Tanis Gray.

Knitting with Disney (knitting pattern book) by Tanis Gray 28 Official Patterns Inspired by Mickey Mouse, The Little Mermaid, and More! — *The cover, so cute!*

With more than a dozen published knitting titles under her belt, I was excited to have the opportunity to work with Tanis on a project like this! This project came about when things were kind of crazy last year (as if all of 2020 wasn’t “kind of crazy” 😆 ). When they reached out, the book was coming together, but they were looking for someone excited about designing an intarsia colorwork pattern, specifically a life-size take on the Magic Carpet from Aladdin. … Gulp, right?

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There’s a new series on the Hands Occupied YouTube channel called Design Diaries. In these videos, I walk you through the process of making original craft project designs from scratch. The first episode features something professional wrestling fans will recognize as a punch needle take on the WWE's Universal Championship title belt.

Yarniversal Championship Belt Design Diary & A New YouTube Series

April 16, 2021

Let’s take a look at how my recent obsession with professional wrestling resulted in a wooly reimagining of the WWE’s Universal Championship title belt, just in time for Wrestlemania. I share how I took this project from a grief-induced grain of inspiration and crafted a fully functional belt combining basic embroidery and punch needle rug hooking.

If you love a knitting stitch with a LOT of puffy texture, the Dimple Stitch is for you! Learn to knit this fun stitch that lives precisely up to its name in a new video tutorial.

Dimple Stitch Video Tutorial

March 17, 2021

If you love a knitting stitch with a LOT of puffy texture, the Dimple Stitch is for you! Get to know this fun stitch that lives precisely up to its name in a new video tutorial.

The Little Butterfly Stitch adds so much character to simple stockinette. Only a little funky to knit, and it packs a huge visual punch!

Little Butterfly Stitch (a.k.a. Bowknot Stitch) Video Tutorial

February 26, 2021

Learn how to knit an adorable stitch with two names. The Little Butterfly Stitch (also known as Bowknot Stitch) adds so much character to simple stockinette. Only a little funky to knit, and it packs a huge visual punch!