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Hands Occupied

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

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Dimensional Easter Egg Earrings DIY at Hands Occupied

Dimensional Easter Egg Earrings

April 2, 2014 Leave a Comment

I feel like Ms. Frizzle would 100% wear these earrings given half a chance. They’re about as festive as it gets, and they involve ribbon and sparkle. I’m a huge DIY accessory lover, and part of what I love is making accessories you might not find in stores. These, admittedly are totally cray, but for something I’ll wear for fun to an Easter brunch or egg hunt? Heck yes I’m going to hang a couple of sparkle Easter eggs on my ears! Maybe I’ll even pair them with my astro turf Peter Pan collar…

DIY Comic Book Compact at Hands Occupied

DIY Comic Book Compact

March 5, 2014 4 Comments

Inspired by a love of action movies and lifelong wish to BE Sydney Bristow, this made-over compact makes me smile every time I reach for it in my purse. I used to carry around a vintage gold compact for powdering my nose, but the wear and tear on it was no good. Then I switched to a plastic, non-vintage compact, so it was ok when it got scratched up by keys or other purse ephemera. But it was looking pretty bad. The solution? Bust out the Mod Podge!

DIY Color Blocked Glitter Bangle at Hands Occupied

DIY Color Blocked Glitter Bangle Bracelet

February 4, 2014 4 Comments

Don’t you just love a DIY that takes something that cost a quarter and makes it look like a million bucks? Well, maybe not a million, but more than 25 cents! I got a bangle bracelet at a thrift store years ago and realized I hadn’t been wearing it at all as it was, so a quickie makeover was in order!

Simple Mod Podge Ribbon Vase DIY

Simple Ribbon Vase DIY

January 2, 2014 Leave a Comment

Make this vase as a simple Valentine’s gift for a friend, and check out my go-to tips for DIY floral arranging.

How-to: Vintage-Inspired Earrings | Hands Occupied

How-to: Vintage-Inspired Earrings

November 6, 2013 Leave a Comment

DIY some simple earrings that go with every outfit.

How-to: Fabric Covered Shelves at Hands Occupied

How-to: Fabric Covered Shelves

October 17, 2013 5 Comments

Transform a tired shelf in minutes with fabric and Mod Podge!

How-to: Radioactive Jars - Hands Occupied

How-to: Radioactive Jars

October 14, 2013 1 Comment

Make easy dystopian-inspired radioactive jars that glow in the dark and are outdoor friendly too!

How-to: Lantern-style Votive Luminaries | Hands Occupied

How-to: Lantern-style Votive Luminaries

September 2, 2013 1 Comment

Take it easy this Labor Day and whip up a set of simple lantern-style luminaries.

How-to: Upholster Light Plate Covers | Hands Occupied

How-to: Upholster Light Plate Covers

August 26, 2013 1 Comment

In just a few minutes, you can make over ugly light plate covers with a bit of fabric and Mod Podge.

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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
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
Weaving in ends & seaming with mattress stitch are Weaving in ends & seaming with mattress stitch are both so useful for garment knitting! But for me, weaving in ends can feel like a chore while the latter feels like I’ve successfully done magic. 🧙🏻‍♀️ Does anybody else run into this phenomenon? Are you the opposite? Any theories as to why they feel different? 
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In this video, I’m finishing my brand new Intarsia Flower Pillow. 🌸 I’m working with @universal_yarn Uni Merino & the pattern is available at the 🔗 in my b1o. 
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#handsoccupied #intarsiaflowerpillow #intarsia #intarsiaknitting #knitting #colorwork #knitpillow #knittinginspiration #knittersofinstagram
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