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Hands Occupied

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

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Weekly Picks

Picks of the Week for March 30, 2018 | Hands Occupied

Picks of the Week

March 30, 2018 Leave a Comment

It looks like this Easter season is all about neutrals and pastels coming together. We keep seeing a lot of light oranges, pinks & yellows, along with earthy browns and tans, and the ever-persistent greys and creams.

Picks of the Week for March 23, 2018 | Hands Occupied

Picks of the Week

March 23, 2018 Leave a Comment

What a fun mix of very trendy and very classic yarn ideas we have for you this week!

Picks of the Week for March 16, 2018 | Hands Occupied

Picks of the Week

March 16, 2018 1 Comment

With some lovely neutrals and subdued pastels, these crochet ideas are a great way to adorn your home or keep you warm on those spring days that still bite with cold.

Picks of the Week for March 9, 2018 | Hands Occupied

Picks of the Week

March 9, 2018 Leave a Comment

This week’s picks are the springiest yet! Find Easter ideas, great layering pieces, baby projects, animal projects, and more. Hippity hoppity, friends – spring is just about here! 

Picks of the Week for March 2, 2018 | Hands Occupied

Picks of the Week

March 2, 2018 Leave a Comment

This week’s picks are a great seasonal cross-section of ideas, with such a nice selection of all things late winter/early spring!

Picks of the Week for February 23, 2018 | Hands Occupied

Picks of the Week

February 23, 2018 2 Comments

This week, I’m grateful there are crochet bloggers in this world who share fun, cute & colorful projects for those us in grey climbs to stare at as while we wait for spring to officially arrive. :)

Picks of the Week for February 16, 2018 | Hands Occupied

Picks of the Week

February 16, 2018 Leave a Comment

A lot of this week’s picks have a very specific sort of late wintry vibe that’s right in line with the weather these days. Lots of earthy neutral colors with just a hint of color here and there. There’s something really relaxing about a group of projects like this, don’t you think? 

Picks of the Week for February 9, 2018 | Hands Occupied

Picks of the Week

February 9, 2018 2 Comments

The Olympics opening ceremony is today! For chronic Knitflixers and Olympics fiends, this is a time that only comes once every other year! An excellent excuse to stay up too late knitting entire sweaters, blankets, and accessories as you watch people’s lifelong dreams come to fruition. There’s nothing like it, and it pairs oh so well with our favorite hobbies. :)  

Picks of the Week for February 2, 2018 | Hands Occupied

Picks of the Week

February 2, 2018 Leave a Comment

A particular shade of purple may be the color of the year, but there seems to be more pink to be found online this week than purple! Between Valentine’s Day coming up and the seemingly-unstoppable powerhouse that is Millennial Pink, I think we might know why. 

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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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INSTAGRAM

handsoccupied

Knitting & yarn crafts designer 🧶
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Stay up-to-date 💌 & shop new patterns ⤵️

Surprise, I had a baby 3 weeks ago! The pregnancy Surprise, I had a baby 3 weeks ago! The pregnancy was high risk, so I chose to be quiet about it online until recently.

My son was born on Saturday 8/30. My water broke at 2 am, and he was born at 11:26 am, which the nurses kept telling us was very fast for a first labor. He weighed 5 lbs 14.2 oz and was 18.5” long. 

My husband & I both put so much effort into educating ourselves about pregnancy and natural childbirth, and when we found out an induction was highly likely, we embraced the lack of control we had in favor of hoping the baby would arrive healthy. To our surprise, he arrived spontaneously at 37 weeks + 4 days, and the labor progressed so quickly, we did end up with a natural labor experience (which I was glad I was prepared for! 😮‍💨😅).

We’re all happy and healthy. June has become his little nanny dog and makes sure we know when he’s crying or has a dirty diaper. We are very grateful for all the love and support we’ve already received from friends and family. Much love to everyone! ❤️❤️❤️
POV: Showing you how my new Bevelled Tank pattern POV: Showing you how my new Bevelled Tank pattern fits with no ease vs. 4” of positive ease. There’s a bit more length to the cotton (brighter color) sample, but both are cropped and feature shoulder seams designed to sit an inch back onto the shoulder instead of on top, giving it a little swing. Length is easily adjustable for folks looking for less of a crop. 
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Pattern: Bevelled Tank by @handsoccupied for @pompommag x @hobbii_yarn summer 2024. Available for free from Hobbii at the 🔗 in my profile.
Yarn pictured: @kelbournewoolens Skipper and Camper. 
Dress form is adjusted to a 36” chest and ~5’3”ish in height. 
Human has a 40” chest and is 5’5”.
Both skirts are vintage.
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#pompomxhobbiisummer2024 #handsoccupied #intarsia #handmade #knitting #colorwork
Let’s talk about fit and ease! . During the Beve Let’s talk about fit and ease!
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During the Bevelled Tank design process for @pompommag, I knit 2 samples using 2 different @KelbourneWoolens yarns. One was in Skipper (100% cotton, second photo) and the other was in Camper (100% 2 ply wool). The Skipper sample was knit for a 36” bust, which measures in at 40” with 4” of positive ease. And I knit the Camper Sample for my 40” bust with a 44” finished measurement. (BTW, I’m 5’5” for folks that find that measurement helpful in visualizing fit.)
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Based on the size chart for the Bevelled Tank, that means I knit one size 3 sample and one size 4. As designed, I conveniently fit a size 4 as intended with 4” of positive ease. When I wear the 3, there is no ease at all because the garment and my body are both 40” in size. Comparing the 2 garments, you can see how the fiber content (cotton vs. wool) and fit (no ease vs. 4” of positive ease) makes a difference in the look and feel of the finished garment. 
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These samples are a great way to compare what ease looks like on different bodies. While I can fit both a size 3 and 4, the garment with no ease feels more like pajamas or a bralette when I wear it. On the other hand, when I wear the one with 4” of positive ease, I feel comfortable enough to wear it to work, even as a crop top. Plus, it leaves me with enough room to layer it with a nice button down if I’m not feeling the cropped look one day. 
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I’m curious - how would you style this tank? Would you modify it with a few stockinette rows for added length? I’m so curious now that this pattern is finally out in the world. :) 
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#pompomxhobbiisummer2024 #bevelledtank #handsoccupied #knitting #intarisa #handmade #kelbournewoolens #croppedsweater #summerknits
After a 6 month hiatus, I am happy to say I’m ba After a 6 month hiatus, I am happy to say I’m back with a brand new pattern in 9 sizes, and it’s FREE as part of @pompommag x @hobbii_yarn’s summer design collection! (Link is in my bio.)
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In my December newsletter, I announced that I was soliciting test knitters for a pattern that had originally been selected for the summer ’24 issue of Pom Pom Quarterly magazine. However, the magazine ceased publication after its spring ’24 issue, leaving in-progress designs unpublished. (It happens.) As a result, I’d begun the long process of editing, testing, and photographing the pattern for independent release through the Hands Occupied pattern shop and Ravelry.
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Before I was done with that process, Pom Pom Quarterly’s former editors reached out with an exciting proposal for the pattern. Post-magazine, they’ve begun to partner with yarn companies to produce high quality pattern collections. They wanted to include designs from the would-be current issue of Pom Pom Quarterly in a new collection for Hobbii yarn, including my Bevelled Tank. I worked with the same technical editors I would have for the magazine on this one, and as you can see from the photos, Pom Pom’s team did an amazing job of styling the garment to the beautiful standards they’re known for.
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You can learn more about the pattern on my blog and get the free pattern from Hobbii yarn - links to both in my profile. I’ll post sizing info in the comments for quick reference too. 🧶
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#pompomxhobbiisummer2024 #knitting #intarsia #sponsored #colorworkknitting 
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Photos: @dianascarrunz 
Model: @angel.jade_
Here’s a nice throwback for you: my take on a vi Here’s a nice throwback for you: my take on a vintage knitting pattern from 1938 called the Fernlace Pullover. A pattern so nice, I knit it twice.
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Yellow version 💛: knit with Despondent Dyes’ Vintage Vixen Sport after attending a @squidneyknits vintage knitting retreat in 2019 & learning *so much*. Paired with a self-drafted circle skirt pattern. 
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Blue version 💙: knit with @eweeweyarns Ewe So Sporty in Sky Blue. Paired with the 1940s Boardwalk Duet sewing pattern from @decades_of_style 
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Head to my stories for 🔗🔗 to the handmade wardrobe blog posts I wrote about each take on the Fernlace Pullover, working with a vintage pattern, where to find vintage patterns (including the one I used), & some thoughts on sizing. 
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Image descriptions available in alt text. 
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#handsoccupied #handmadewardrobe #fernlacepullover #vintageknitting #vintageknittingpatterns #knitting_inspiration
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