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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 Visit to the Yak Ranch

September 8, 2015 4 Comments

The Bijou Basin Ranch yaks enjoy some hay! - Take a look inside the yaks' lives in this mini documentary.

In a past life, I thought I was going to be a documentary filmmaker. Did the internship, the film classes – all of that. While I still LOVE documentary films, I know that career path isn’t for me. However, I do love a documentary style of storytelling, so when the opportunity presented itself for me to visit a working yak ranch that produces fiber that’s used to make yarn, I realized I could tap into my documentary roots to share a fascinating glimpse into this unique corner of the world.

Heidi from Hands Occupied visits the Bijou Basin Ranch yaks in Colorado. - Take a look inside the yaks' lives in this mini documentary.

Of course, the farm I visited was the Bijou Basin Ranch, the yarn company I recently worked with to do the Delta Hat Knit Along. It was sheer serendipity that my husband I and were visiting Denver for a brief getaway recently. When I mentioned our trip to the Bijou folks, they said they’d be delighted to have us out to “meet the kids”. Take a look at this mini documentary about our experience getting to know the herd.

The Bijou Basin Ranch yaks enjoy some quality pasture time! - Take a look inside the yaks' lives in this mini documentary.

Click for a larger version of this photo.

The Bijou Basin Ranch yaks enjoy some hay! - Take a look inside the yaks' lives in this mini documentary.

As I say in the video, this was one of the most special animal encounters I’ve ever experienced. Could you imagine this being your everyday life? While I don’t think I’ll leave the library and big city behind anytime soon, I think I’ll need to make more mini docs about different corners of the yarn world like this. The best part? The more I make, the less rusty I’ll get! Stay tuned. :)

The Bijou Basin Ranch yaks enjoy some treats! - Take a look inside the yaks' lives in this mini documentary.

Filed Under: Knit Along, Knitting, Knitting & Crochet Tagged With: bbrhandsoccupied, bijou basin, bijou basin ranch, deltahatkal, Knitting, mini docs, yak ranch, yaks, yarn

About Heidi

Heidi Gustad is a craft book author & content creator in love with primary colors & vintage vibes. She specializes in knitting, crochet, latch hook and macramé, and her first book, Latch Hook: 12 Projects for the Modern Maker, is out now!

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Comments

  1. Julie

    September 9, 2015 at 7:10 pm

    that is so cool, I’m so jealous you got to hang out at the BB Ranch, those yaks are super cute.

    Reply
  2. Roslyn Mulloy

    September 11, 2015 at 6:41 am

    I had the pleasure of meeting Eileen last September
    At Salida Fiber Festival. Used yak and bamboo mix to make a shawette by Stephen West, Bone yard. Love the yarn!

    Reply
  3. Roslyn Mulloy

    September 11, 2015 at 6:44 am

    I had the pleasure of meeting Eileen last year in Salida CO. I have made a shawette with the yak and bamboo mix. So soft.

    Reply
  4. Cindy

    September 12, 2015 at 12:58 pm

    Loved the video! Loved the content! Looking forward to the next.

    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

Yarn craft designer & author. Into intarsia knits, latch hook, color & vintage-modern style.
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Heidi Gustad 🧶✂️
Sneaking in a few stitches in the shade. 😎 Sneaking in a few stitches in the shade. 😎
Another morning of filming! One of the knitting vi Another morning of filming! One of the knitting videos I’d like to release soon is a big overview of how to swatch and why - if you have any questions or favorite tips, let me know. 
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To be honest, I want to be able to link to this video as a resource when I get angry gauge questions, so please don’t hesitate to share your best tips. Together, we can tame the knitting Karens. 😆
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#stopswatchandblockit #handsoccupied #knitting #knittersofinstagram
A big issue I've had in the last year is putting t A big issue I've had in the last year is putting together new design work but not doing any independent releases of them. Chalk it up to anxiety, burn out, or whatever but here we are. 
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Last week I turned 35, so in honor of that here’s 3 things: 
❤️ a picture of me at my most stylish 
💛 a little glimpse at some of the design things I've recently been working on
💙a promise that I will be releasing some of the pictured designs this year. Getting back in the swing of things after taking it easy is hard 😆 - wish me luck!
Like a riding a bike! June guarded the neighborhoo Like a riding a bike! June guarded the neighborhood while I shot a new crochet tutorial today. With any luck, editing will go smoothly & I’ll be posting new videos to YouTube regularly soon! Got any requests for tutorial topics? 
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#handsoccupied #crochet #studiodog #crochettutorial
This yoke deserved a mid-blocking closeup, don’t This yoke deserved a mid-blocking closeup, don’t you think? ❤️💛💙
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Pattern: modified #soldotnacrop sweater / yarn: various from my stash
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