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Hands Occupied

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

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Crochet

All of the crochet patterns, tutorials and inspiration from the Blog. If there's a specific pattern you're hoping to find, the search bar at the top left might come in handy.

Get a free pattern for this crochet snowman Christmas ornament. Practice your amigurumi skills with this fun pattern!

Amigurumi Snowman Ornament

November 27, 2017 Leave a Comment

Get a free pattern for this crochet snowman Christmas ornament. Practice your amigurumi skills with this fun pattern!

Learn about Skeins in the Stacks, a bookish yarn company that makes hand-dyed yarns using natural elements from Alaska.

Skeins in the Stacks Review & Giveaway

November 20, 2017 2 Comments

If you didn’t end up getting lucky enough to win the big giveaway for the Read Along Knit Along, I have some bookish-meets-yarnish good news! I’ve teamed up with indie yarn company Skeins in the Stacks to bring you a second chance to win some awesome yarn.

Don't let your favorite scraps go to waste! Crochet the free Scrap Scallops Scarf to elegantly showcase your favorite yarns. Visit handsoccupied.com for the free pattern.

Scrap Scallops Scarf – Free Crochet Pattern

November 15, 2017 7 Comments

This uber-feminine crochet scarf is a great way to make use of your finest scrap yarns. Not only that, it’s elegant and doesn’t take a zillion years to make, which makes it perfect for gifting.

Get a free crochet pattern for a baby hat featuring an adorable heart appliqué, and learn how to you can crochet to help save babies' lives!

Heart Appliqué Hat – Free Baby Crochet Pattern

October 4, 2017 2 Comments

Every fall, I like to share a free pattern for red baby hats designed specifically for the American Heart Association’s annual Little Hats Big Hearts campaign. The AHA, along with tons of volunteers and partners around the country, distributes red hats to newborns born in the month of February.

MillaMia Naturally Soft Merino is soft, lightweight and springy. This yarn is a fun one to work with for both knit and crochet. Click through to enter to win two balls to try for yourself!

MillaMia Naturally Soft Merino Review & Giveaway

August 15, 2017 1 Comment

MillaMia Naturally Soft Merino is soft, lightweight and springy. This yarn is a fun one to work with for both knit and crochet. Check out this post for a review & enter to win two balls to try for yourself!

Eliminate hook size confusion with this handy conversion chart, showing you what US & mm crochet hook sizes are equal to each other!

Crochet Hook Sizes & A Handy Conversion Chart

August 8, 2017 6 Comments

Eliminate hook size confusion with this handy conversion chart, showing you what US & mm crochet hook sizes are equal to each other!

This granny square-inspired crochet shawl is super fun to make because once you memorize how to work its easy stitch pattern, you can go to town until it's the size you want, or until you run out of yarn. A shawl like this one is the perfect way to show off your tassel skills, too!

Granny Tassel Shawl

August 2, 2017 4 Comments

This granny square-inspired crochet shawl is super fun to make. A shawl like this one is the perfect way to show off your tassel skills, too!

Take a look at ten of the best new crochet designs out there, featuring everything from elegant lacework to a cute Cthulhu.

Things to Crochet

July 26, 2017 2 Comments

Take a look at ten of the best new crochet designs out there, featuring everything from elegant lacework to a cute Cthulhu.

Get a professional knit & crochet designer's best tips & tricks for making perfect tassels every time. Click through for video tutorial!

Perfect Tassel Tips & Tricks

July 18, 2017 Leave a Comment

Learn the best tips for getting perfect tassels every time. Tassels are the fun part of yarn crafting – you don’t have to count stitches or take yourself too seriously when you make them. They can show off your yarn in different ways than standard patterns may allow, which can be really refreshing!

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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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Never miss a tutorial with these short & sweet monthly updates.

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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 🧶✂️
Weekend knitting design aftermath. Remember kids, Weekend knitting design aftermath. Remember kids, it’s always good to stop, swatch and block it. 🧶
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#stopswatchandblockit #handsoccupied
Learn how to do the magic loop method for knitting Learn how to do the magic loop method for knitting in the round in 90 seconds. / Using the magic loop allows knitters to work in the round with a single, long circular needle at a range of circumferences. 
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For a longer, full-width & more detailed overview of magic loop knitting, check out my u2be & b1og, the 🔗🔗 are where you’d think. 🧶
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#handsoccupied #magicloop #knitting #howtoknit #learntoknit #knitter #knittinginspiration #knittinginstagram #knittingintheround
Since it won’t be clean for long, swipe to see w Since it won’t be clean for long, swipe to see what my home studio looks like these days. Nothing will ever quite be like the old Hands Occupied Studio, but I’m pretty pleased with how I shoehorned everything in this space. Function over form + a layer of yarn cuteness-meets-chaos is how I’d describe my creative space needs. 😆 When I was still renting the studio, those needs included “doesn’t rain suspicious brown water from a crack in the ceiling for a year,” so this is an improvement! 😆
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For a time lapse of the studio organizing and tszuj-ing process, scroll down a couple posts on my feed. (There’s also a video or two featuring the old studio if you’re curious.) Happy June, friends! 
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#handsoccupied #handsoccupiedstudio #knitdesigner #craftdesign #yarncrafts #latchhook #makerlife #heidigustad #chicagocrafter
Who doesn’t love magic loop knitting? Who doesn’t know what it is? How about when circular needles were invented?
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In todays new bl0g post + video tutorial, you’ll learn about the magic loop method for knitting in the round, how to do it and why to use it, and when it came to be. The 🔗 is in my b1o. 🧶 
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#handsoccupied #magicloop #knitting #howtoknit #knittinginspiration #knittingintheround
Finally organizing & putting the finishing touches Finally organizing & putting the finishing touches on my home studio. After losing my studio space last fall, it’s feels really great to *occupy* this new space all the way. 😉
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I started by removing general clutter & returning straggler supplies from various WIPs, videos & design deadlines to their homes. Next, I hung a third peg board in the space - this one is mostly for display and less for organizing tools or projects. For the first time ever, I’m displaying projects from my book, plus a couple other faves. (The best thing about designing more yarn crafts besides knit & crochet is that I have some really fun -and delightfully pettable 😆- samples around.) I finished by adding a square dowel to my small supply storage tower to keep it from tipping over, plus re-arranging and de-cluttering the closet. 
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This cleaner space already has me feeling so much more creative and less overwhelmed. Now to find a safe spot in the basement for the tower of project samples in Rubbermaid tubs I liberated from my WIPs closet. Also why are there five?! 
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Here’s to keeping it clean for a few weeks! 🧶 
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#handsocupied #handsoccupiedstudio #craftroom #craftroomorganization #craftroomstorage #yarncraft #knitter #crocheter #latchhook #latchhookbook
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