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Hands Occupied

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

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Sewing

Sewing the Mathilde Blouse: what worked? What didn't? And where can you find fun, fresh fabric to pair with some beautiful buttons for adding to your handmade wardrobe? This post has the answers.

Mathilde / Handmade Wardrobe

October 1, 2019 2 Comments

Sewing the Mathilde Blouse: what worked? What didn’t? And where can you find fun, fresh fabric to pair with some beautiful buttons for adding to your handmade wardrobe? This post has the answers.

Handmade beachwear is so much fun to make! Find tips for achieving a good fit when knitting from a vintage pattern, and take a look at a handmade, 1940s-inspired swim set.

Boardwalk Duet & Fernlace Pullover 2.0 / Handmade Wardrobe

August 21, 2019 4 Comments

Handmade beachwear is so much fun to make! Find tips for achieving a good fit when knitting from a vintage pattern, and take a look at a handmade, 1940s-inspired swim set.

Making a skirt from a favorite dress sewing pattern is easy! Get some easy tips for making half of your favorite dress in the latest edition of Handmade Wardrobe on Hands Occupied.

Simplicity 1803: Just the Skirt / Handmade Wardrobe

August 7, 2019 3 Comments

Making a skirt from a favorite dress sewing pattern is easy! Get some easy tips for making half of your favorite dress in the latest installment of Handmade Wardrobe on Hands Occupied.

Learn what I loved, hated and would do differently in making this handmade outfit. The sweater is an original 1940s knitting pattern for the Fernlace Pullover, and the skirt is a self-drafted circle skirt pattern, fully lined.

Fernlace Pullover & A Self-Drafted Circle Skirt / Handmade Wardrobe

June 12, 2019 3 Comments

Working with vintage knitting patterns can be tough, and self-drafting a circle skirt presents its own sewing challenges. Learn what I loved, hated and would do differently in making this handmade outfit.

Handmade Wardrobe / Learn the ins and outs, pros and cons of sewing the beginner-friendly ESP Dress from Decades of Style.

The ESP Dress / Handmade Wardrobe

May 29, 2019 4 Comments

Learn the ins and outs, pros and cons of sewing the beginner-friendly ESP Dress from Decades of Style.

Handmade Wardrobe: Simplicity 1803. Sometimes stash-diving results in a fun dress that teaches you a thing or two about ease and fit. Click to check out the pros and cons of making Simplicity pattern 1803, and get some practical sewing advice from Grandma while you're at it!

Simplicity 1803 / Handmade Wardrobe

May 22, 2019 Leave a Comment

Sometimes stash-diving results in a fun dress that teaches you a thing or two about ease and fit. Click to check out the pros and cons of making Simplicity pattern 1803, and get some practical sewing advice from Grandma while you’re at it!

Handmade Wardrobe: The TLC Caftan from Decades of Style. Is this pattern right for you? Read about easy moments, challenging moments, and lessons learned in the process of sewing this advanced beginner-friendly pattern.

The TLC Caftan / Handmade Wardrobe

May 14, 2019 Leave a Comment

Handmade Wardrobe: Is the TLC Caftan pattern from Decades of Style right for you? Read about easy moments, challenging moments, and lessons learned in the process of sewing this advanced beginner-friendly pattern.

Hey hey hey! It's Me Made May! - Read about one maker's Me Made May-inspired handmade wardrobe plans and goals, and how she plans to leverage a modest sewing skillset into a well-fitting, sustainable wardrobe.

Hey hey hey! It’s Me Made May!

May 7, 2019 Leave a Comment

Read about my Me Made May-inspired handmade wardrobe goals, and how I plan to leverage a modest sewing skillset into a well-fitting, sustainable wardrobe!

Use your favorite pretty fabric to sew a drawstring bag in minutes!

Easy Sew: Drawstring Project Bag

July 11, 2016 5 Comments

Like many yarn crafters, I’ve got roughly a thousand and one works-in-progress laying about, so I regularly find myself in need of more project bags. As I knit and crochet over the years, I realized that the best project bag is nothing more than a simple rectangle with a drawstring top. You can toss the bags in your purse to keep your skeins in order, you can toss them in a suitcase, and you can easily store them with your other WIPs without worrying about yarn running amok.

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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

Craft book author & pattern designer ❤️💛💙
knitting, crochet, latch hook & macramé
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Please email for pattern support. 🧶

Heidi Gustad 🧶✂️
How to do a one-step provisional knitting cast on How to do a one-step provisional knitting cast on / a.k.a. crochet provisional cast on, scrap yarn cast on
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I read recently that tiktok and Instagram are being used as search engines more and more. 🤔 I thought since I’m going to all the work of making tutorials on YouTube, I should experiment with making a quick version of them for other platforms. There are obvious teaching limitations to vertical video, short-form content like this, but I think I covered the gist of this cast on in a minute. The YouTube version also covers how to unzip this cast on because there was time for it 👍🏻 L1nk is in my profile. 
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I’m very much looking for feedback as I continue to make instructional knitting & craft videos. Sometimes good tutorials are hard to find, and (ideally polite) feedback helps me improve. 
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#handsoccupied #provisionalcaston #knitting #knititngtutorial #knittersofinstagram #crochethook #knittingtutorial
For the first time in a long time, there’s a new For the first time in a long time, there’s a new tutorial from Hands Occupied! 🎉 The video is live on YouTube & the blog. 
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The post covers what provisional cast ons are & how they differ, and the video covers how to work a one-step provisional cast on using scrap yarn and a crochet hook. (This is a great one to save for future reference.)
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I learned several names for this method while researching this video & post. Crochet provisional cast on, one-step cast on, scrap yarn cast on - if you know even more names for this technique, please share! 
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#handsoccupied #provisionalcaston #knitting #scrapyarn #crochethook
Working on a sample for some upcoming videos. It’s an overcast day with intermittent sunshine & I have a scruffy little sidecar. 🐶 Can’t complain! 
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What’s on your needles this week? 
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Yarn: @debbieblissknits Cashmerino Aran 
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#handsoccupied #knitting #knittinglife
Peg boards and craft room organization go together Peg boards and craft room organization go together like peanut butter and jelly. So, as you can see, do latch hook tools and screwdriver organizers! 🪛 
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I think this trick translates to any tool with a thick handle, so leather working tools, punch needles, print making tools, etc. should work! What other tools am I, a needlecrafter, blanking on right now? 
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#craftorganization #handsoccupied #latchhook #latchhooking
Pegboard storage is my favorite for craft supplies Pegboard storage is my favorite for craft supplies, so getting a few hung in my new studio has been a priority. Here’s my first attempt. 🔨 
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Details: This pegboard panel is for organizing my knitting needles, latch hook tools, sewing thread, etc. It doesn’t need to hold much weight, so I didn’t anchor this into a stud - just used basic drywall anchors. I’ve also got a set of two 2’x4’ panels for another spot in my studio, and those will need a stud/more than 3 drywall anchors. Wish me luck! 
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[description: video features a woman hanging a panel of pegboard using a square dowel and drill]
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