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Hands Occupied

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

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Knitting

All of the knitting patterns, tutorials and inspiration from the Blog. There's a lot of it, so if you're looking for something in particular, the search bar at the top left might come in handy.

Get the Spiral Hill Sweater Vest pattern, inspired by the new Nightmare Before Christmas knitting book from Tanis Gray and Insight Editions. Designed by Heidi Gustad.

Spiral Hill Sweater Vest is Here + Knit Along Details

September 27, 2023 Leave a Comment

Get the Spiral Hill Sweater Vest pattern, available in the new Nightmare Before Christmas knitting book from Tanis Gray and Insight Editions.

A round Intarsia Flower Pillow sits on a rocking chair.

The new Intarsia Flower Pillow pattern is here!

September 11, 2023 Leave a Comment

Learn where you can get your hands (and needles) on the new Intarsia Flower Pillow knitting pattern, featuring intarsia colorwork, a combination of knit and purl stitches, and seaming with mattress stitch.

Learn how to knit a right lifted increase (RLI) and left lifted increase (LLI) in knitting, and why you might want to use them instead of a make 1 right (M1R) or make 1 left (M1L), depending on what you're knitting. Video tutorial and photo tutorial included.

Lifted Increases: How to Work RLI, LLI & When to Use Them

September 7, 2023 Leave a Comment

Learn how to knit a right lifted increase (RLI) and left lifted increase (LLI) in knitting, and why you might want to use them instead of a make 1 right (M1R) or make 1 left (M1L), depending on what you’re knitting. Video tutorial and photo tutorial included.

Coming this October: A knit along (KAL) featuring Heidi Gustad’s pattern from the new Nightmare Before Christmas knitting book from Tanis Gray and Insight Editions.

Nightmare Before Christmas Knit Along Coming This October!

August 11, 2023 2 Comments

Coming this October: A knit along (KAL) featuring Heidi Gustad’s pattern from the new ‘Disney Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas: The Official Knitting Guide to Halloween Town and Christmas Town’

Learn about the magic loop method for knitting in the round. Using the magic loop allows knitters to work in the round a single, long circular needle at a range of circumferences. This post features a video tutorial as well as information explaining the technique, how and why to use it, and when it came to be.

Magic Loop for Knitting in the Round with a Long, Circular Needle (with Video)

May 31, 2023 Leave a Comment

Learn about the magic loop method for knitting in the round. Using the magic loop allows knitters to work in the round with a single, long circular needle at a range of circumferences. This post features a video tutorial as well as information explaining the technique, how and why to use it, and when it came to be.

Learn how to knit a buttonhole over the course of a single row of knitting, also known as a one-row buttonhole. In this technique, a combination of binding off and casting on stitches on opposite sides of the work creates a symmetrical, stretchy buttonhole.

How to Knit a One-Row Buttonhole

May 3, 2023 Leave a Comment

Sweater knitters, listen up! Learn how to knit a buttonhole over the course of a single row of knitting, a.k.a. a one-row buttonhole. In this technique, a combination of binding off and casting on stitches on opposite sides of the work creates a symmetrical, stretchy buttonhole.

Join two pieces of garter stitch knitting invisibly with the kitchener stitch - learn how to do garter kitchener stitch. (with video!)

Garter Kitchener Stitch / How to graft garter stitch knitting + Video

April 14, 2023 Leave a Comment

Join two pieces of garter stitch knitting invisibly with the kitchener stitch. Learn how to work garter kitchener stitch with video.

Learn how to do Norwegian purling to help improve your continental knitting tension with this quick tutorial. (Includes video!)

Norwegian Purling for Continental Style Knitters + Video

March 22, 2023 2 Comments

Learn how to do Norwegian purl to help improve your continental knitting tension with this quick tutorial. (Includes photo, video and animated GIF tutorials.)

Learn the difference between continental (picking) and throwing (English) style knitting.

Knitting Styles: Continental vs. Throwing (with Video)

March 1, 2023 Leave a Comment

Learn the differences between picking and throwing style knitting.

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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
At long last! I can share the Spiral Hill Sweater At long last! I can share the Spiral Hill Sweater Vest, my contribution to the new book Disney Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas: The Official Knitting Guide to Halloween Town and Christmas Town, out now! 🎃💀 
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I’m hosting a knit along (KAL) October 1-29 for anyone who’d like to knit this vest along with a group & learn a little about intarsia while we’re at it. I’ve got weekly tutorials planned to help you knit this worsted weight sweater vest, and there’s a prize package giveaway at the end for KAL participants too. Details are on my site - you know where to find the 🔗 I think. 😉
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Book by @tanisknits 
Publisher @insighteditions 
Yarn @brooklyntweed Imbue 
Find it wherever fine books are sold. 
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#handsoccupied #nightmarebeforechristmas #intarsia #sweatervest #knittingpattern #knittingbook #spiralhill #knitting_inspiration #knitting
Since there was some interest in stills of my WIPs Since there was some interest in stills of my WIPs closet after this weekend’s quick tutorial, here are few. ✂️ The tutorial is one post back in my feed as a video.
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As you can see, I didn’t worry about the wire hangers all being perfectly uniform, but it doesn’t matter to me. Also, this closet holds a lot! Despite that, it is already at capacity. Since the hanging bags don’t appear to be recyclable, I want to reuse them as long as possible. Who knows, maybe this will be a way to limit my WIPs? 😅
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P.s. In the third photo you can see how I use this system to store the original swatches, scraps, yarn ball bands, & notes from a design project all together. 
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#handsoccupied #wips #craftstorage #yarnstorage #yarncrafts #knitting_inspiration #craftstudio #craftroom #craftcloset
How to convert a closet into WIPs storage with jus How to convert a closet into WIPs storage with just a few supplies ✂️
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When I was a librarian, we would use these hanging bags to circulate books with audiobook CDs. They came to mind when I wanted to develop a filing cabinet-like system for my differently-sized WIPs. To fit in my studio closet, a standard bedroom closet, they just needed custom hangers. 🤙🏻 
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HOW TO MAKE THE HANGERS
1. Carefully cut approx. a 9” (23 cm) length of flexible 3 mm aluminum wire.
2. Near the end of a large knitting needle or dowel, wrap the wire around it as you would a twist tie. 
3. Bend the other end into a hook shape, perpendicular to the circle shape you just created. 
4. Hang like a hanger in a closet, as shown. 
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#handsoccupied #handmadelife #knitting_inspiration #craftcloset #craftroom #craftroomorganization #craftroomstorage #craftroomdecor #crocheter #latchhook #knittersofinstagram #wip #wips #hangingstorage
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. 😆🫣
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