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Hands Occupied

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

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Almost a decade of Hands Occupied

January 6, 2020 2 Comments

A quick look back at a year of growth for Hands Occupied, and creative dreams for the year (and decade) to come!

Last year was a unique year of growth & change that I hadn’t anticipated at all, but looking back, I think I’m really grateful for how much the new year changed me for the better. A wise friend of mine refers to one’s early 30s as a “second adolescence,” and that is certainly the perfect descriptor for how the first quarter of my own 30s have felt, both creatively and personally.

Some might remember my 30s began on the heels of leaving a full time job with a pension to pursue creative work full time (more on that). After a couple years, the isolation of working full time (and then some because that’s how working for oneself goes!) brought some mental health issues to the surface in a way that got my attention. I spent a lot of time last year finding the right therapist for my needs and working on my issues, particularly taking on less design work and understanding the ebb and flow of my brain and how it relates to my ability to do creative work. I had absolutely no idea how intimately linked my anxiety/depression and creative output are, and it’s kind of blown my mind. (Maybe that’s something other folks inherently know, but for me, understanding that connection was revelatory.)

All of this sounds terribly serious, doesn’t it?

I guess I felt like sharing just a little about these adventures from the past year for context, particularly after the response to discussing mental health and crafting on my podcast, Very Serious Crafts, earlier this year (catch the episode about depression here). For anyone who may be concerned, I’m doing great headed in to 2020, all thanks to taking the time to do the work I needed to do to get back to feeling like myself. :) (TLDR: Therapy is great, everyone should go!)

A quick look back at a year of growth for Hands Occupied, and creative dreams for the year (and decade) to come!

Hands Occupied is 10 this year!

Speaking of heading in to 2020, let’s talk about what’s next. As I’ve said for years, opportunities in the blogging world continue to evolve and ultimately shrink as online behaviors change. Hands Occupied turns 10 in September, and I think it’s got me hankering for a bit of a change. In the first part of the year, I plan on taking a serious look at where best to focus my time as a craft designer.

In addition to the big H.O.-versary, the Hands Occupied Studio turns 1 in a few weeks, and I keep thinking about what more I can do with that space. The small IRL community that’s grown in Chicago around the Studio was a godsend this year, particularly when I was grappling with the sads, and I want to experiment with ways to make it grow. If you’ve got any suggestions or may be interested in hosting a workshop or event in the Hands Occupied Studio, please email me at heidi [at] handsoccupied [dot] com.

but life intervened

Until about a month ago, all of these plans fit nicely along a largely logical path that I’ve seen other designers follow, more or less. Then about 6 weeks ago, life tossed a monkey wrench in the works that could shift my career direction overall. Unfortunately, this project officially makes me one of those internet people who can’t talk about their [insert big thing here] right now.

Lucky for all of you, the deadline for said secret project is flying at my face at roughly 20,000 miles an hour, so while I’ll be a bit quiet this winter, the deadline will pass soon! And once my head is again above water, stay tuned for more about exciting new projects for Hands Occupied/me for the new decade.

A quick look back at a year of growth for Hands Occupied, and creative dreams for the year (and decade) to come!

TLDR

Basically, I don’t know exactly what my odd design career journey is going to look like in a year or 18 months, but if 2019 taught me anything, it’s the value of having a little faith in yourself and accepting that a lot of things in this world are out of anyone’s control. Keeping that (and an excellent, focused work ethic) in my back pocket for 2020 seems like the right call.

Thanks for continuing to follow me on this journey,
Heidi

Filed Under: Life Tagged With: mental health, new year, year in review

About Heidi

Heidi Gustad (she/her) is a craft book author & designer specializing in yarn crafts. Her work combines vintage and modern design elements, prioritizing color and graphic motifs. Her first book, Latch Hook: 12 Projects for the Modern Maker, is out now.

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Comments

  1. Cindy

    March 18, 2020 at 4:57 pm

    Hi Heidi! I’m so happy I found your site I was also taught by my grandmother when I was 10. But unlike you I’m in my 60’s! I love your excitement for knitting and fiber. And I really like your videos on intarsia. Thanks for such a great site.

    Reply
    • Heidi

      March 28, 2020 at 12:38 pm

      You’re so welcome, thanks for the kind words!

      Reply

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Primary Sidebar

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

Hi! I’m Heidi (she/her/hers), and I’ve been helping yarn crafters untangle various techniques on the internet since 2010. I got my start here, as a blogger, and since then I’ve shared more than a few tutorials here and on YouTube as I’ve grown as a pattern designer. 🧶 

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Latch Hook by Heidi Gustad

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Heidi Gustad 🧶 knitting & yarn crafts

handsoccupied

Knitting & yarn crafts designer 🧶
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Stay up-to-date 💌 & shop new patterns ⤵️

POV: Showing you how my new Bevelled Tank pattern POV: Showing you how my new Bevelled Tank pattern fits with no ease vs. 4” of positive ease. There’s a bit more length to the cotton (brighter color) sample, but both are cropped and feature shoulder seams designed to sit an inch back onto the shoulder instead of on top, giving it a little swing. Length is easily adjustable for folks looking for less of a crop. 
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Pattern: Bevelled Tank by @handsoccupied for @pompommag x @hobbii_yarn summer 2024. Available for free from Hobbii at the 🔗 in my profile.
Yarn pictured: @kelbournewoolens Skipper and Camper. 
Dress form is adjusted to a 36” chest and ~5’3”ish in height. 
Human has a 40” chest and is 5’5”.
Both skirts are vintage.
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#pompomxhobbiisummer2024 #handsoccupied #intarsia #handmade #knitting #colorwork
Let’s talk about fit and ease! . During the Beve Let’s talk about fit and ease!
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During the Bevelled Tank design process for @pompommag, I knit 2 samples using 2 different @KelbourneWoolens yarns. One was in Skipper (100% cotton, second photo) and the other was in Camper (100% 2 ply wool). The Skipper sample was knit for a 36” bust, which measures in at 40” with 4” of positive ease. And I knit the Camper Sample for my 40” bust with a 44” finished measurement. (BTW, I’m 5’5” for folks that find that measurement helpful in visualizing fit.)
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Based on the size chart for the Bevelled Tank, that means I knit one size 3 sample and one size 4. As designed, I conveniently fit a size 4 as intended with 4” of positive ease. When I wear the 3, there is no ease at all because the garment and my body are both 40” in size. Comparing the 2 garments, you can see how the fiber content (cotton vs. wool) and fit (no ease vs. 4” of positive ease) makes a difference in the look and feel of the finished garment. 
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These samples are a great way to compare what ease looks like on different bodies. While I can fit both a size 3 and 4, the garment with no ease feels more like pajamas or a bralette when I wear it. On the other hand, when I wear the one with 4” of positive ease, I feel comfortable enough to wear it to work, even as a crop top. Plus, it leaves me with enough room to layer it with a nice button down if I’m not feeling the cropped look one day. 
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I’m curious - how would you style this tank? Would you modify it with a few stockinette rows for added length? I’m so curious now that this pattern is finally out in the world. :) 
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#pompomxhobbiisummer2024 #bevelledtank #handsoccupied #knitting #intarisa #handmade #kelbournewoolens #croppedsweater #summerknits
After a 6 month hiatus, I am happy to say I’m ba After a 6 month hiatus, I am happy to say I’m back with a brand new pattern in 9 sizes, and it’s FREE as part of @pompommag x @hobbii_yarn’s summer design collection! (Link is in my bio.)
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In my December newsletter, I announced that I was soliciting test knitters for a pattern that had originally been selected for the summer ’24 issue of Pom Pom Quarterly magazine. However, the magazine ceased publication after its spring ’24 issue, leaving in-progress designs unpublished. (It happens.) As a result, I’d begun the long process of editing, testing, and photographing the pattern for independent release through the Hands Occupied pattern shop and Ravelry.
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Before I was done with that process, Pom Pom Quarterly’s former editors reached out with an exciting proposal for the pattern. Post-magazine, they’ve begun to partner with yarn companies to produce high quality pattern collections. They wanted to include designs from the would-be current issue of Pom Pom Quarterly in a new collection for Hobbii yarn, including my Bevelled Tank. I worked with the same technical editors I would have for the magazine on this one, and as you can see from the photos, Pom Pom’s team did an amazing job of styling the garment to the beautiful standards they’re known for.
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You can learn more about the pattern on my blog and get the free pattern from Hobbii yarn - links to both in my profile. I’ll post sizing info in the comments for quick reference too. 🧶
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#pompomxhobbiisummer2024 #knitting #intarsia #sponsored #colorworkknitting 
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Photos: @dianascarrunz 
Model: @angel.jade_
Here’s a nice throwback for you: my take on a vi Here’s a nice throwback for you: my take on a vintage knitting pattern from 1938 called the Fernlace Pullover. A pattern so nice, I knit it twice.
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Yellow version 💛: knit with Despondent Dyes’ Vintage Vixen Sport after attending a @squidneyknits vintage knitting retreat in 2019 & learning *so much*. Paired with a self-drafted circle skirt pattern. 
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Blue version 💙: knit with @eweeweyarns Ewe So Sporty in Sky Blue. Paired with the 1940s Boardwalk Duet sewing pattern from @decades_of_style 
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Head to my stories for 🔗🔗 to the handmade wardrobe blog posts I wrote about each take on the Fernlace Pullover, working with a vintage pattern, where to find vintage patterns (including the one I used), & some thoughts on sizing. 
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Image descriptions available in alt text. 
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#handsoccupied #handmadewardrobe #fernlacepullover #vintageknitting #vintageknittingpatterns #knitting_inspiration
Frogging is a word in the knitting world that mean Frogging is a word in the knitting world that means to rip out your knitting. It’s called frogging because frogs say “ribbit,” and when you’re tearing out your knitting, you will “rip it” out, and that sounds like ribbit. No really. 🐸 Did you know this fun fact? 
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P.S. I did like this design concept, but to make the pattern more knitter friendly as well as more wearable, I am making some tweaks to the construction. Excited to share when it’s ready! 🥰🧶
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Yarn: @blueskyfibers Woolstok North in Morning Frost & Highland Fleece 
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#handsoccupied #knitting #frogging #blueskyfibers #knittersofinstagram #blueskymakers #knittingvocabulary #bsfmakers #knitdesign
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