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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, 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. 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

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
How to convert a closet into WIPs storage with jus How to convert a closet into WIPs storage with just a few supplies ✂️
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When I was a librarian, we would use these hanging bags to circulate books with audiobook CDs. They came to mind when I wanted to develop a filing cabinet-like system for my differently-sized WIPs. To fit in my studio closet, a standard bedroom closet, they just needed custom hangers. 🤙🏻 
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HOW TO MAKE THE HANGERS
1. Carefully cut approx. a 9” (23 cm) length of flexible 3 mm aluminum wire.
2. Near the end of a large knitting needle or dowel, wrap the wire around it as you would a twist tie. 
3. Bend the other end into a hook shape, perpendicular to the circle shape you just created. 
4. Hang like a hanger in a closet, as shown. 
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#handsoccupied #handmadelife #knitting_inspiration #craftcloset #craftroom #craftroomorganization #craftroomstorage #craftroomdecor #crocheter #latchhook #knittersofinstagram #wip #wips #hangingstorage
It’s time for the monthly review and giveaway! T It’s time for the monthly review and giveaway! This go around, get to know two new sister yarns from @manosyarnsusa, Marla and Sami, and enter to win a skein of each to try for yourself. 
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What makes these yarns sisters is that, while dyed differently, they’re the same weight and come in intentionally coordinating color palettes. For my review, I opted for a sky-inspired combo of Sami in Natural and Marla in Nube. 🌧️ 
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Check out the full review & enter the giveaway at the link in my bio. 
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#handsoccupied #yarnreview #manosdeluruguay #knitting_inspire #crochet #yarngiveaway #knitters #yarn #crochetersofinstagram
If only knitting a whole project took 39 seconds… 😮‍💨 
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In this video, you can see how the Intarsia Flower Pillow pattern knits up - two flat panels, one with intarsia, both are blocked, and then they’re seamed. Find the pattern on @hi.ravelry & my website, just search Intarsia Flower Pillow. 🌸 
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P.S. I’m really smiling in this video while seaming the pillow, so I guess I’m proving last week’s claim that I truly enjoy that sometimes-dreaded task. 😆🫣
In knitting, a Left Lifted Increase (LLI) lets you In knitting, a Left Lifted Increase (LLI) lets you add a stitch in between two columns of stitches that leans to the left. Similar to an M1L, LLIs allow you to increase nearly invisibly.
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To learn more about lifted increases, including when to use them and how they differ from Make 1s, head to the 🔗 in my profle. 
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Have you ever used lifted increases? I used M1’s almost exclusively for a long time when I needed to inc between stitches, but when I designed the Intarsia Flower Pillow pattern, I needed something that would allow me to increase a lot near my cast on, and M1’s resulted in edge curling. The more you know! 🌈 
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Yarn: @lionbrandyarn Wool Ease from my Stash / Neddles: @boyeyarncrafts - Just remembered these are the needles I learned to knit on at age 8. 😂
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#handsoccupied #knitting #learntoknit #howtoknit #sweaterknitting #knitinspiration #knittersofinstagram #liftedincreases
Last week I got to hang out with my family & helpe Last week I got to hang out with my family & helped babysit my red-headed niece and nephew. So here’s some plane knitting, and a couple pictures (shared with permission) of my babysitting adventures.
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Lessons learned: 1️⃣ Trying to knit around 2 toddlers, 2 cats & 2 large dogs is pretty hard. 2️⃣ I learned during water color time that pink and black make “colorful black.” 🩷🖤 3️⃣ Toddlers do NOT care about your rainbow sorting of their toys. 4️⃣ Toddlers are very good at finding mischief in a very short amount of time, what a surprise. 😂
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#handsoccupied #knitting #placesyoucanknit #knitters #knitinpublic #handmadelife #knitting_inspiration
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