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Hands Occupied

Colorful knitting, crochet, latch hook and macrame from craft book author & designer Heidi Gustad.

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Plans & Goals for 2015

January 14, 2015 3 Comments

Plans & Goals for 2015 | Hands Occupied

2014 was the year I finally figured out who I am as a blogger and a creative professional. Even though I never explicitly shared a post like this one outlining my goals for Hands Occupied for 2014, figuring out who I am in the creative world was probably a bigger accomplishment than I even realized. If I’m being honest, I think I was working toward that goal since starting this blog in September 2010. I really did want to be a knitting and crochet blogger first, but naive, 23-year-old me thought I didn’t have enough of a point of view to sustain a blog with a more narrow focus. Last year I took the plunge and gave it a try, and it was the best decision I ever made in my creative career. I think creatively, I just matured at kind of a slow rate, but now that, 4 years later, I’m here and happy, why would I regret the steps that brought me to this point?

Other highlights of last year were improving my photography game, getting my first full-page magazine feature, contributing DIY designs to print books, and selling patterns for actual money, and not just yarn. Skills like these opened a lot of doors for me professionally. (PS: When I say professionally, I’m talking about my creative career and not my library career, but that’s a whole ‘nother blog post in and of itself – how I lead two careers simultaneously.)

I feel really good about finding my feet last year, so of course I want to keep growing and improving with this momentum. On that note, I have a few 2015 goals worth sharing with you guys.

Heidi from Hands Occupied

#adult 

Personal Goals

1. Be a more thoughtful consumer

I want to lead a healthier life. I’ve been vegetarian for 5 years, but being veggie absolutely does not mean you’re automatically healthy. It’s so easy with my dual-career lifestyle to eat quick food like a frozen veggie pattie or cheese and crackers. While I don’t want to be completely vegan, I’d like to eat more plant-based food, less processed food, and less alcohol.

In late 2014, I began to transition from being a coffee drinker to primarily a tea drinker. I might be drinking 4 cups of tea a day, but I limit myself to 1 tea bag (unless something gross happens to it like it hits a door handle or the floor). Limiting it to 1 bag means I can only consume so much caffeine, and by the third cup, I end up drinking more water. That makes sense, right?

2. Be more focused

Take a 30 minute walk every day. Knit, crochet and read more. Stay focused on one task at a time and avoid multitasking. Don’t check notifications when I don’t need to, like when I’m out at dinner with friends. Multitasking doesn’t do anything but stress a person out anyway!

3. Visit family more, travel more

All of my family (immediate and extended) live in a different state than my husband and I. With the right amount of focus (see #2) and planning, there’s no reason I couldn’t find more time to see my family and the sights of the world, not just the town in which I live.

Knit Along Tips, Tricks & An Official Schedule at HandsOccupied.com

Running a Business

4. Workflow

At this very moment, I’m at my buddy Kim from Yellow Brick Home’s home, which just so happens to be just a few blocks from my own. We’ve been experimenting with coworking on days I don’t work at the library or when we don’t have other commitments. We’re going to try coworking one day a week together, and for me, that will be the day I keep up with the biz, organization, writing and planning end of being a blogger & knitting designer. This is a business, I need to treat it as such. Maybe that’s obvious, but I think leading a dual career lifestyle involves lots of careful scheduling and planning, and I need to remember to put as much administrative work into the creative gig as I put into the bookish one. ;)

5. Design more

Using this coworking day to keep organized will dovetail nicely with this goal to design more. Designing more, especially when it’s for magazines and such, means I need to get my schedule together and keep ahead of submission deadlines. To give you an idea of what I’m talking about: I’m neck deep right now in putting together a summery scarf pattern for a magazine publishing in June.

6. Expand 

I think opening a pattern shop, whether that’s on this site or Ravelry or somewhere else or all of the above, would be a good idea. I can’t always give away designs for free (but don’t worry – I’ll still be posting free patterns here on the blog regularly!). I’d also like to release an eBook independently to try my hand at that whole design and production process. Am I a glutton for punishment? This list of goals has me seriously wondering…

7. Just one word.

Speaking of wanting to give myself a boatload of work, I’m only going to say one word about this goal because I’m afraid to jinx it: book. Ok a couple more words for clarification: a physical book with pages and pictures and a publisher and all that.

Knitting Design Process Instagram

via instagram

Blog content! Your favorite!

8. New Series: Knewbies!

Don’t worry, all of these goals do NOT mean the blog will be on the back burner. Based on feedback from last summer’s reader survey, one of the things you’d like to see more of  is knitting tips for beginners. You guys also said you’d like to see a stitch of the week-style video series. After thinking about that for a bit, I came up with something I’m calling knewbies.

Knewbies is going to be short little video lessons & blog posts on the nuts and bolts of how to knit from scratch, with new lessons once or twice a month. My initial vision: one post/video on how to do a new stitch, and a free, beginner pattern that uses primarily that stitch so you have something to practice it with. I think this will be fun! More will get posted on this as I think of it.

8a. Do more videos

Knewbies will help with this, for sure. But I want to do more videos featuring advanced stitches and requested stitches from viewers and readers too!

9. New tagline

No one probably cares about this, but I feel like I need a better tagline. I might need to have a contest for it or something. Right now, I’m feeling like “Make it. Knit it. Own it.” is a little vague. Let me know if you agree/disagree/have ideas for a new one!

10. Listen to you guys more!

After last summer’s reader survey, I dropped the ball on answering a couple of “ask me anythings” that were sent to me. My apologies! :( In the last two months, I’ve been really on top of reader requests, especially for things like video tutorials (the kitchener stitch video and last week’s brioche video for example).

Since yarn crafting is such a personal journey, I want to know more about what you guys want to see. If something doesn’t make sense in the way I’ve explained it, let me know. Everyone learns in a different way, and when you’re learning how to tangle yarn in three dimensions ( a.k.a. in real life), blog posts and yes, even videos, tend to flatten what you’re trying to learn visually, which can be frustrating. Whatever I post, I’m going to put a ton of work into producing, so why not help a knitting sister out if she’s stuck?

Knit Along Day 3: The Other Sleeve at handsoccupied.com

In conclusion…

This brings me to the reader survey. I did one last July, and if you’re a big reader of blogs, I know it’s totally reader survey season right now. I just really want to check in to see what you’d like to see on Hands Occupied this year. More knit alongs? Less? More videos? Less? More personal posts? I’ll be posting that survey in the next week or so, and will have prize boxes up for grabs for those who fill it out. They’ll be fun, I promise! ;)

 

Filed Under: Life Tagged With: blogging business, books, designing, goals, hands occupied, knewbies, Knitting, publishing, resolutions

About Heidi

Heidi Gustad is a craft book author, designer & creator specializing in yarn crafts like knitting, crochet, latch hook & macramé. Her first book, Latch Hook: 12 Projects for the Modern Maker, is out now.

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Comments

  1. Kim // Yellow Brick Home

    January 14, 2015 at 10:58 am

    Goal #4 is my favorite! :)

    Reply
  2. Amy Anderson

    January 14, 2015 at 6:08 pm

    It’s been fun to watch your blog and I’m so excited for your 2015! The yarn slant makes total sense. Yay for you!

    Reply
  3. Janelle

    January 15, 2015 at 9:44 am

    Half of the battle is just having the guts to write down a list of goals! Keep on making things and making things happen! <3

    Reply

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

Hi! I’m Heidi (she/her/hers), a craft book author & pattern designer specializing in knitting, crochet, latch hook & macrame. Really anything with yarn! ❤️  My work combines vintage and modern design elements, featuring bold colors and graphic motifs.

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handsoccupied

Helping yarn crafters untangle various techniques on the internet since 2010
🧶 Really into intarsia
Stay up-to-date 💌 & shop the latest patterns ⤵️

Heidi Gustad 🧶 knitting & yarn crafts
The first lesson of the Spiral Hill Sweater Vest K The first lesson of the Spiral Hill Sweater Vest Knit Along is now up on the bl0g! First thing’s first: better understanding gauge in intarsia, a.k.a. my most-requested intarsia tutorial topic. 🧶
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Maybe it isn’t the flashiest or funnest of topics, but knitting your patterns at gauge accomplishes 2 important things for projects like the Spiral Hill Sweater Vest. 1️⃣ Your garment will fit properly. 2️⃣ The intarsia you’ve worked hard to knit won’t look squished like an image in Print Wizard 2000. (Is that software reference too niche? 🖨️)
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Find the first #spiralhillsweatervest Knit Along lesson at the 🔗 in my profle. 
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P.S. I’m currently finishing editing a related video for the lesson, which will be live on You2ube later today/tomorrow. I’ll post in Stories when it’s up.👍🏻 
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#handsoccupied #intarsia #knittinggauge #knitting #sweaterknitting #nightmarebeforechristmasknittingbook #knitting_inspiration #stopswatchandblockit #swatching
This audio was me last summer while secretly desig This audio was me last summer while secretly designing the Spiral Hill Sweater Vest pattern behind the scenes. 😆 I very often design with primary colors, so trying to explain suddenly working with black, white and grey was awkward/kinda funny. 🩶
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In case you missed it, this is my design from the new book ‘Disney Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas: The Official Knitting Guide to Halloween Town and Christmas Town,’ available now from @insighteditions & @tanisknits. We’re doing a knit along starting very soon, and we’ll be knitting this pattern! I’ve got weekly video tutorials planned for this educationally-focused knit along. This KAL is especially for you if you’re eager to work on your intarsia. 🧶
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Full KAL details, yarn quantities & pattern information are available on my bl0g, the 🔗 is where you’d think. 
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Yarn: @brooklyntweed Imbue Worsted
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#nightmarebeforechristmasknittingbook #handsoccupied #spiralhillsweatervest #knitting #halloweenknitting #knitalong #kal #knitting_inspiration #intarsia #intarsiaknitting #learntoknit
Wow! I am floored by the awesome response to the S Wow! I am floored by the awesome response to the Spiral Hill Sweater Vest. Thank you. 🙏🏻❤️ If you love this pattern & didn’t know already, we are going to be doing a knit along (KAL) from October 1-29 featuring this spooky sweater vest & lots of tutorials, especially for the intarsia part. 
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Later today my newsletter will be coming out with additional Knit Along details, so if you’re not already signed up, now is a great time - the 🔗 is in my b1o. 
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Pictured: My Spiral Hill Sweater Vest pattern from the new Nightmare Before Christmas knitting book by @tanisknits. Model is wearing size 1 with 2” of positive ease, knit in @brooklyntweed Imbue Worsted. Vest images via @insighteditions 
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#spiralhillsweatervest #handsoccupied #nightmarebeforechristmasknittingbook
At long last! I can share the Spiral Hill Sweater At long last! I can share the Spiral Hill Sweater Vest, my contribution to the new book Disney Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas: The Official Knitting Guide to Halloween Town and Christmas Town, out now! 🎃💀 
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I’m hosting a knit along (KAL) October 1-29 for anyone who’d like to knit this vest along with a group & learn a little about intarsia while we’re at it. I’ve got weekly tutorials planned to help you knit this worsted weight sweater vest, and there’s a prize package giveaway at the end for KAL participants too. Details are on my site - you know where to find the 🔗 I think. 😉
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Book by @tanisknits 
Publisher @insighteditions 
Yarn @brooklyntweed Imbue 
Find it wherever fine books are sold. 
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#handsoccupied #nightmarebeforechristmas #intarsia #sweatervest #knittingpattern #knittingbook #spiralhill #knitting_inspiration #knitting
Since there was some interest in stills of my WIPs Since there was some interest in stills of my WIPs closet after this weekend’s quick tutorial, here are few. ✂️ The tutorial is one post back in my feed as a video.
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As you can see, I didn’t worry about the wire hangers all being perfectly uniform, but it doesn’t matter to me. Also, this closet holds a lot! Despite that, it is already at capacity. Since the hanging bags don’t appear to be recyclable, I want to reuse them as long as possible. Who knows, maybe this will be a way to limit my WIPs? 😅
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P.s. In the third photo you can see how I use this system to store the original swatches, scraps, yarn ball bands, & notes from a design project all together. 
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#handsoccupied #wips #craftstorage #yarnstorage #yarncrafts #knitting_inspiration #craftstudio #craftroom #craftcloset
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