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Hands Occupied

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

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Summer

Crochet T-shirt Yarn Tote Pattern at HandsOccupied.com

Crochet T-shirt Yarn Tote

August 11, 2014 18 Comments

I’m loving how this new pattern turned out, you guys! It’s an easy crochet tote pattern, perfect for summer. Roughly 16x16x8 inches, it holds a ton of stuff for the perfect summer day hitting up the farmer’s market, the library or the beach. This chunky bag is an awesome & fun way to use fabric yarn if you’ve never tried it, and the pattern is great for beginners!

Chevron Sunglasses Case Knitting Pattern at handsoccupied.com

Chevron Sunglasses Case Knitting Pattern

July 17, 2014 14 Comments

What says summer knitting better than a quickie little sunglass case pattern? Grab a nice little ball of yarn leftover from one of your winter cowls, a couple of needles, and you’ve got yourself the perfect single-sitting beach knitting pattern. Or if it’s a rainy day, pop in a movie and you can make this start to finish in an hour or two. AND you can immediately use the finished case since it’s still summer. Like I said – summer knitting perfection. ;)

Twinkle in Your Eye Sunglasses at handsoccupied.com

Twinkle in Your Eye Sunglasses

June 30, 2014 Leave a Comment

This DIY is so simple, easy and fun, you might just be tempted to make five pairs for yourself and one for each of your friends. Inspired by the glint in a hollywood cartoon smile and the twinkle in a mischievous eye, these cheeky sunglasses will add a pinch of fun flair to your summer wardrobe!

DIY Summer Reading Log for Grown-ups at handsoccupied.com

Reading Rainbow & DIY Summer Reading Log for Grown-Ups

June 2, 2014 6 Comments

Last week’s Reading Rainbow Kickstarter launch made quite the splash. It ushered my beloved childhood TV show back into the zeitgeist, and apparently, into my creative brain. Between that and the imminent start of summer reading, I have got books on the brain!

How-to: Turn a Vintage Scarf into a Headband without Destroying It - HandsOccupied.com

How-to: Turn a Scarf into a Headband (without destroying It)

July 22, 2013 5 Comments

Temporarily morph a favorite scarf into a cute headband with a bit of elastic thread.

How-to: Dotted Parasol Makeover - HandsOccupied.com

How-to: Dotted Parasol Makeover

July 8, 2013 2 Comments

Makeover a tired or broken paper parasol with tissue paper and Mod Podge!

How-to: Uncle Sam Planter - HandsOccupied.com

How-to: Uncle Sam Planter

July 2, 2013 1 Comment

This simple, patriotic DIY would make the perfect hostess gift or add an adorable touch to your Fourth of July decor.

How-to: Summery Sweet Sangria for Two

June 21, 2012 2 Comments

Chop up some fruit, pop in the fridge with some wine, and enjoy the longest day of the year!

How-to: Dip Dye Mini Nylon Lanterns

June 5, 2012 Leave a Comment

Learn to dip dye nylon lanterns and enter to win your own set of lanterns to try this project with!

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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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