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Hands Occupied

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

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5, 4, 3, 2, 1 Things

August 11, 2011 1 Comment

Craftzine recently featured a series of posts called 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 Things. They encouraged other bloggers & crafters to answer their series of question at their own sites, so I thought I’d hop on board. Here are my 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 Things:

Heidi & Ed Sign

One Project You Are Particularly Proud Of

The project I think I’m most proud of is probably the light up banner at my wedding. That project was an original idea, and it’s one of the first tutorials I did for Hands Occupied that was featured at a widely-read blog. I can’t wait to see other people (not just brides) take the idea and run with it.

Two Mistakes You’ve Made in the Past

1. Not realizing the necessity of great photography in craft blogging. My biggest goal for the remainder of 2012 is to stop using my iPhone 4 camera for blog content.

2. Working too fast. Sometimes my most exciting ideas come while I’m working, but in particular, they come when I’m taking enough time to self-reflect while working.

Choc eggs

Three Things That Make Your Work Unique
1. I have only being crafting in the quasi-public sphere for 11 months. My newbieness helps inform a fresh perspective on blogging & crafting.

2. My family is from the plains and has a long, long history of crafting and making. I have this piece of my personality that is insatiably practical, which leads ms to look at nontraditional materials and think of interesting ways to use them in crafts.

3. I love learning how to use new mediums and techniques. This helps keep my crafts interesting.

Hole punch

Four Tools You Love to Use
1. My iPad: my new favorite way to search for inspiration online. Getting to touch the screen helps me feel more connected to what I’m seeing than a mouse and keyboard.

2. Hardware & building tools: there’s something about making something small & cute that involves a hammer that makes me laugh every time.

3. Nontraditional supplies: whenever I can recycle or upcycle stuff I have around the house, I am happy. It’s that North Dakotan practicality thing at work. I also keep a “goody bag” of crap I don’t want to throw away that might have a craft use some day. But also being a librarian, I make sure to weed the goody bag from time to time to avoid a total mess.

4. My hands! ;)

The Making of the Pinup Girl at Fashionising

Five Inspirations
1. Andrea of Blonde Bedhead. A fashion blogger who moved to Chicago from Lansing, MI around the same time I did. Seeing her really make an impact from Lansing inspired me to finally take the plunge in to blogging.

2. Megan from Studio MME: my 5th grade friend-turned brilliant illustrator & artist. Nothing gets her down.

3. Craftzine: I started reading Craftzine a number of years ago they really turned me on to what was happening in the modern world of crafting. They are always sharing innovate & creative ideas.

4. My family. This fall, I’m going to start featuring “my family’s crafts.” My parents, grandparents and great-grandparents made everything from DIY wine & rosaries (Catholic upbringing what what!) to gorgeous quilts and woodworking. Guess which grandchild is winding up with a lot of the trinkets accumulated over the years? I think this will be a great way to preserve and share their history and work. The best part? One of my grandmas asked me one day, “so what’s this Internet I hear so much about?” Now, she’ll be featured on it.

5. This isn’t supposed to be a cop-out, but I’m really inspired by people who work really hard. Other bloggers, Etsy sellers and silent readers all make this weird, crafty circle of the Internet keep going. I rarely run in to spammers, plagiarists, or haters (knock on wood). Everyone in the crafting community is so nice and supportive. It’s awesome.

5.4.3.2.1. things about...

Filed Under: Inspiration Tagged With: 5 4 3 2 1 things, craft magazine, Craftzine, inspiration, make, work

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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Craft book author & content creator in love with primary colors & vintage vibes. / #latchhookbook out now!
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knitting, crochet, latch hook & macramé

Heidi Gustad 🧶✂️
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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