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Hands Occupied

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

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DIY Style

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!

Pinch Me Pendant for St. Patrick's Day

Pinch Me Pendant for St. Patrick’s Day

March 3, 2014 2 Comments

Today’s easy metal stamping DIY takes just minutes to make and is super cute. It’s also a little more subtle than a giant Kiss Me, I’m Irish button, right? :)

DIY Light-up Cuff Bracelet at Hands Occupied

DIY Light-Up Cuff Bracelet

February 24, 2014 4 Comments

Etextiles are pretty cool, but somehow actually attempting an electronics project didn’t happen until this week. I’m so glad I finally took a workshop because they’re SO COOL. And not nearly as scary as I thought. Not by a long shot. Today’s tutorial covers the very basics of working with LED bulbs and creating a simple circuit with conductive thread to make a bracelet that lights up when you wear it.

All Cables Cowl Knitting Pattern at Hands Occupied

All Cables Cowl Pattern

February 18, 2014 1 Comment

It thundersnowed in Chicago yesterday, which means winter knitting season isn’t quite over yet. Unlike my faux woven cowl from last month, today’s cowl features a series of small cabled stripes all the way around and is made with less bulky yarn. Also unlike that cowl, it breathes a little more, so it’s great for transitional weather.

Olympic Rings Sunglasses at Hands Occupied

Olympic Rings Sunglasses

February 17, 2014 4 Comments

There are SO not enough Olympic themed crafts for adults floating around the DIY blogosphere. Today, I continue my crusade to change that with some medal-worthy sunglasses for cheering on your favorite team. Made with oven bake clay and some strong glue, these sunglasses are totally going to be something I whip out for every Olympic opening ceremony party, viewing party, closing ceremony party, watch party and Olympic bar crawl for the rest of my life. I’m so pumped about them!

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!

Easy Friendship Bracelet Sunglasses, Thread Wrapped Glasses at Hands Occupied

Easy Friendship Bracelet Sunglasses

January 28, 2014 4 Comments

I can’t even tell you how many hours I spent making friendship bracelets as a kid! Using some epic Lolita sunglasses as a canvas, I thought it would be cool to inject a little nostalgia for my childhood into a project and personal style – as well as a little nostalgia for the warmer weather that usually went along with summer camp-style crafting. Who wouldn’t want to rock some crazy sunglasses like this this Valentine’s Day? Or any day, really?

Knitted Faux Woven Cowl - Free Knitting Pattern at Hands Occupied

Faux Woven Cowl – The Warmest in the World!

January 20, 2014 33 Comments

Knit a cowl with a woven effect and you’ll have the warmest DIY accessory ever! Includes a video tutorial to help you master the faux weave.

DIY Glitter Nails for New Year's Eve

Glitter Nails for NYE

December 30, 2013 2 Comments

A simple DIY manicure to help add some bling to your new year!

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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), 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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handsoccupied

Knitting & yarn crafts designer helping makers untangle various techniques with a blog & YouTube channel
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Stay up-to-date 💌 & shop new patterns ⤵️

Heidi Gustad 🧶 knitting & yarn crafts
Stitching around the Christmas tree 🧶 . Working Stitching around the Christmas tree 🧶
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Working on a new sample of an old sweater today, and I can confirm: a tree makes a pretty decent yarn holder. 
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Yarn: @eweeweyarns Ewe So Sporty in Orange Peel
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#handsoccupied #eweeweyarns #orangeyarn #knitting #wip #knitters #knittersofinstagram
Meet Yarn Citizen, a new line of sustainably sourc Meet Yarn Citizen, a new line of sustainably sourced and affordably priced yarn from Jimmy Beans Wool. Enter to win a kit featuring this yarn in the November yarn review & giveaway on the bl0g!
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Yarn: @jimmybeanswool Yarn Citizen Harmony Worsted
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Review & entry form 🔗 are where you’d think. 😉 
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#handsoccupied #yarncitizen #yarncitizenharmonyworsted #yarnreview #knitting #knitter #knitinspiration
Happy with how the mini Nightmare Before Christmas Happy with how the mini Nightmare Before Christmas sweater vest turned out! Now my dog and I can go on walks in matching seasonal fits 😂
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1. I knit this bottom up with scraps and ran out of black yarn. If the vest consistently drifts down her chest upon wear, I might extend the collar or redo the chest panel at a smaller size. If you’ve read this far, what do you think? As a designer, I so rarely get to improvise a knitting project, and I’m having fun working with fewer rules than usual. 🧶
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2. June has a grooming appointment this weekend. She’s currently the mayor of scruff town, I know. 🫡
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Pattern: Chart is from the Spiral Hill Sweater Vest pattern by yours truly in the official Nightmare Before Christmas knitting book 
Yarn: @brooklyntweed Imbue Worsted
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#spiralhillsweatervest #spiralhillsweatervestkal #handsoccupied #intarsia #intarsiaknitting #nightmarebeforechristmasknittingbook #dogknit #knitsfordogs #handmade #brooklyntweed
I finished June’s doggie version of the Spiral H I finished June’s doggie version of the Spiral Hill Sweater Vest & it’s so cute! 🥰
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Do you think June appreciates the fact that she now has a sweater made with @brooklyntweed yarn? 😂 
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#handsoccupied #dogsweater #dogjumper #intarsia #intarsiaknitting #spiralhillsweatervest #spiralhillsweatervestkal #handmade #brooklyntweedimbue #brooklyntweed
Squeezing in some stitching on a selfish sweater t Squeezing in some stitching on a selfish sweater this Saturday morning 😋
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Pattern: Fruit Stripe Pullover with some intarsia mods on the front panel 
Designed by Rachel Brockman for @universal_yarn 
Yarn: Fibra Natura Cobblestone in Dragon’s Breath & Antarctica 🧶
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#handsoccupied #knitting #weekendknitting #sweaterknitting #universalyarn #fibranaturacobblestone
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