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Hands Occupied

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

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A Thankful Giveaway & Pattern Sale!

November 10, 2016 22 Comments

A Thankful Giveaway from Hands Occupied - enter to win two skeins of Louet Gems fingering yarn, a free knitting pattern, and a copy of The Knitter's Journal.

This week has been intense, but it’s November, which means Thanksgiving is in a couple weeks. And you know what I’m thankful for? You. All of you who love yarn so much that you’ve got friends who think your yarn love might even be weird. We are all members of the same strange fiber tribe, aren’t we? I think that’s something worth celebrating, so today, I’ve got a surprise giveaway & pattern sale to help put a little positivity in the world!

Up for grabs, I’ve got 2 skeins of Louet Gems fingering weight yarn in Champagne and Marine Blue, a copy of my Turtle Mitts pattern, and a copy of The Knitter’s Journal: From Swatch to Stash. The yarn is a pair of high contrast colors of one of my favorite yarns on the planet from Louet. The Turtle Mitts (pictured below) were designed with this yarn, and my Leucadia wrap was too. Louet Gems Fingering is springy and has a nice, even twist to it and comes in many great colors. Pardon the pun, but when I discovered this yarn I really did feel like I’d unearthed a hidden gem!

Cast on a pair of Turtle Mitts, the cute new pattern from Heidi Gustad of Hands Occupied

If you’ve never come across The Knitter’s Journal, there are a few key points I’d like to highlight. It’s a huge help for keeping your yarn habit in line, particularly if you like to design your own patterns or simply make tweaks to existing favorites. There are sturdy pocket pages you can store your swatches right in, and its spiral binding helps the book lay open when your hands are occupied. The book also features glossy cardboard pages to help keep track of your stash, including little holes to help wrangle bits of yarn for reference. It is a great tool for keeping your stash, swatches and design notes in order!

A Thankful Giveaway from Hands Occupied - enter to win two skeins of Louet Gems fingering yarn, a free knitting pattern, and a copy of The Knitter's Journal.

Giveaway & Ravelry Coupon Code

Enter using the box below between now and Thanksgiving Day, easy peasy! I’ll announce the winner in the Picks of the Week post that goes up the day after Thanksgiving. Because there can only be one winner of this thankful giveaway, I’m also offering 20% off any pattern in my Ravelry pattern shop between now and December 1. Just use coupon code THANKFUL when you check out on Ravelry.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Prizes provided by Louet and Jane’s Knitting Kits. Opinions are my own.

Filed Under: Giveaways, Reviews & Sponsored, Knitting & Crochet Tagged With: crochet, giveaway, Knitting, knitting patterns, louet gems, the knitters journal, yarn

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

    November 10, 2016 at 2:03 pm

    What a lovely gift!

    Reply
  2. cindy l shipley

    November 10, 2016 at 4:55 pm

    Nice patterns and good ideas

    Reply
  3. Sandra Tracey

    November 10, 2016 at 5:09 pm

    Thanks for an awesome giveaway. I adore the look of the mitts! I really love the colors of the two hanks too. I’m really interested in the Knitters Journal too. I’ve often thought ‘oh, I’ll remember that!”..yeah, every knitters famous last words.LOL I look forward to exploring more about the journal. I’m crossing my fingers that the giveaway is open to Canadian residents as well…it’s not stipulated anywhere who all the contest is open to. Thanks for an amazing chance, and the fabulous coupon for more of your patterns. I’ll definitely be using that for some christmas gifts. :)

    Reply
    • Heidi

      November 11, 2016 at 10:08 am

      Hi Sandra!

      It’s open to US & Canada. Whenever you enter, there’s a bit of text that says “By submitting, I agree to the terms & conditions,” in which you’ll find all the details. Just a heads up.

      Best of luck,
      Heidi

      Reply
  4. Carol C

    November 11, 2016 at 2:18 pm

    Great giveaway!

    Reply
  5. Cherri

    November 11, 2016 at 8:46 pm

    Great give away.😁

    Reply
  6. Cherri

    November 11, 2016 at 8:47 pm

    Great giveaway.

    Reply
  7. Susan Biles

    November 12, 2016 at 1:18 pm

    Fabulous giveaway. Whether or not I win, thanks for fabulous patterns and ideas.

    Reply
  8. Linda Newcomb

    November 12, 2016 at 2:42 pm

    I love the pattern on these mitts. They really DO look like turtles!

    Reply
  9. Pam McCamant

    November 12, 2016 at 2:43 pm

    Thank you,, Heidi. I like the Turtle Mitt design.

    Reply
  10. Carol

    November 13, 2016 at 9:13 am

    Great giveaway.

    Reply
  11. Renee Johnson

    November 14, 2016 at 11:32 am

    Super Excited!!! Thanks for the giveaway!!!

    Reply
  12. christie

    November 14, 2016 at 12:59 pm

    Yep, thanks! Lovely yarn!

    Reply
  13. LisaJulane

    November 15, 2016 at 8:40 pm

    I found your site when I was looking for instructions on knitting ends together so that I could finish my infinity Brioche cowl/scarf. I was lucky enough to check out your site in time to join the giveaway.
    I love to read and knit too!
    I’m the webmaster for my local LYS during my free time as well so I really appreciate your responsive and modern site.

    Reply
    • Heidi

      November 16, 2016 at 9:26 am

      Thanks so much! I’m actually in the middle of an update project for the layout, so it’s good to know I’m doing okay so far. :)

      Reply
  14. Lorene Frischknecht

    November 16, 2016 at 2:34 pm

    Thanks so much for doing this! This is a great thing for you to do! I really like the prizes, too!

    Reply
  15. christie

    November 19, 2016 at 1:51 pm

    Thanks for the thoughtful giveaway!

    Reply
  16. kay caldwell

    November 19, 2016 at 3:25 pm

    What great colors… so delighted to be getting your emails now. Most of my email blog notes are from quilting blogs — your’s is refreshing. Thank you so much…

    Reply
  17. Bonnie

    November 19, 2016 at 4:45 pm

    lovely

    Reply
  18. Velda

    November 20, 2016 at 11:53 am

    I love the color of the yarns!

    Reply
  19. Terry

    November 24, 2016 at 12:32 pm

    Thanks for the chance and Hapoy Thanksgiving to all!

    Reply
  20. Terry

    November 24, 2016 at 12:35 pm

    I may have good manners, but my tablet can’t spell ‘good.’ As I tried to say: Happy Thanksgiving to all. (I’m not sure what ‘hapoy’ is :» )

    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

Craft book author, designer & creator specializing in yarn crafts like knitting, crochet, latch hook & macramé
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Heidi Gustad 🧶✂️
Nobody panic. This is just the back of an (admitte Nobody panic. This is just the back of an (admittedly insane) intarsia project. One day, this will be a seamed sweater, but today is not that day. 🧶 
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Have a good weekend, everyone! 
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Yarn: @universal_yarn’s Fibra Natura Cobblestone in Antarctica & Dragon’s Breath 
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#handsoccupied #intarsia #intarsiaknitting #wip #knitting
Here’s how to work a Norwegian purl stitch for e Here’s how to work a Norwegian purl stitch for easier continental style knitting. With this purling method, the working yarn says tensioned (held) at the back of your knitting at all times. For many knitters, always holding the yarn at the back helps with tension issues, as well as feeling a little more comfortable. 
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Have you ever encountered this style of purling before? If you’ve tried it, have you found it helps with your purl tension and knitting speed? I’m curious.
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For a written tutorial, visit handsoccupied-dot-com. For video, you guessed it, You2be. Both of these platforms allow for longer, more in-depth versions of this tutorial, including full transcripts, alt text & the ability to pause, slow down or speed up at will. (Like if you really want to learn this, I recommend using a platform that doesn’t keep your hands occupied. Thinking of putting this in all my captions these days tbh - shout out to you if you made it this far. 🙌🏻😂)
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#handsoccupied #learntoknit #continentalknitting #howtoknit #norwegianpurl #norwegianknitting #knit #knitting #knitter #knittersofinstagram #knittinghack  #handknitting #handknit #norwegianpurling
Have you ever tried this style of purl? . All thi Have you ever tried this style of purl? 
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All this recent talk about throwing vs. continental style knitting made it clear many people struggle with purling in continental knitting. Turns out that Norway may have the answer! In Norwegian purling, the working yarn stays tensioned at the back at all times, helping with speed and tension. 🤯
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Head to the bl0g (🔗 in bi0) for a more in-depth look at how to work a Norwegian purl stitch, including a photo tutorial with animated GIF & a video tutorial. Wrapping your mind around how to work a stitch you’re familiar with in a totally new way can be confusing, so I tried to give a few options for clarity. 🤙🏻 Video is also on You2be. 
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#handsoccupied #norwegianpurl #norwegianknitting #norwegianpurling #continentalknitting #howtoknit #learntoknit #knitterofinstagram #knitters
It’s been a hot second since I showed my face or It’s been a hot second since I showed my face or reintroduced myself, so here goes! I’m Heidi Gustad, a craft book author, pattern designer, and tutorial creator who specializes in yarn crafts. Lately, I’ve been focused on releasing quality knitting videos and related blog posts to help teach things like the difference between provisional cast ons and how to fix common knitting mistakes. Next week I’m shooting requested crochet and latch hook videos, so h👀kers, your time is coming! And if you ever have tutorial requests, please let me know. ☺️
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TLDR: I’m Heidi. I design & teach yarn crafts. You can find tutorials on my blog (est. 2010) & You2be. I also have several knitting & crochet patterns + a book about latch hook available. / All of these can be found on my website, the 🔗 is where you’d think. 
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#handsoccupied #fridayintroduction #heidigustad #knitting #knitter #knittersofinstagram #yarncrafts #latchhookbook
Are you a picker or a thrower? Do you knit Contine Are you a picker or a thrower? Do you knit Continental or English Style? Here’s a quick overview of the differences between the two most common knitting styles, including a side by side comparison. (A good one to save for future reference. 👍🏻) 
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There’s more on the differences between picking and throwing in my latest blog post & You 2ube video - the l1nk is where you’d think!
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