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Hands Occupied

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

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Knit Along

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’

Take a look inside the process of designing a large scale, colorwork afghan pattern. Designer Heidi Gustad walks you through how she designed the Intarsia Mountain throw from start to finish.

A Look at the Intarsia Mountain Design Process

October 29, 2018 3 Comments

Take a look inside the process of designing a large scale, colorwork afghan pattern! In this post, I’ll walk you though how I designed the Intarsia Mountain throw from start to finish, including swatching, sketching, knitting, and one particularly leaky barn.

Mini skeins are a great way to put together sample color palettes for knitting and crochet projects. Get inspired with five color palettes for the 9-color Intarsia Mountain afghan pattern, curated by its designer, Heidi Gustad.

More Intarsia Mountain Color Palettes!

October 22, 2018 Leave a Comment

If you want to knit Intarsia Mountain, but aren’t sure how to select 9 colors that will coordinate to make the finished afghan work, check out these five color palettes curated by the designer herself.

Many people find weaving in ends to be one of the most frustrating parts of intarsia knitting. Click through for a video tutorial that walks you through how to weave in all of those pesky ends, specifically for intarsia colorwork.

Weaving in Intarsia Ends & Tips for Finishing

October 9, 2018 2 Comments

Many people find weaving in ends to be one of the most frustrating parts of intarsia knitting. Click through for a video tutorial that walks you through how to weave in all of those pesky ends, specifically for intarsia colorwork.

For your best intarsia results ever, you've got to visualize the process of knitting your pattern. Click through for some of the best tips and tricks to level up your intarsia knitting.

Advanced Intarsia Knitting Tips

October 4, 2018 5 Comments

For your best intarsia results ever, you’ve got to visualize the process of knitting your pattern. Check out this post for some of the best tips and tricks to level up your intarsia knitting.

Learn how to knit intarsia patterns without using bobbins or butterflies, and check out the case for disorganized intarsia knitting with two great video tutorials.

How to Knit Intarsia Without Bobbins or Butterflies

September 25, 2018 1 Comment

Learn how to knit intarsia patterns without using bobbins or butterflies, and check out the case for disorganized intarsia knitting with two great video tutorials.

Learn how to estimate lengths of color for intarsia knitting, as well as how to make intarsia bobbins and intarsia butterflies to manage your ends as you knit. (Intarsia bobbins tutorial, estimate intarsia tails tutorial)

How to Estimate & Manage Yarn Tails in Intarsia Knitting

September 10, 2018 Leave a Comment

Learn how to estimate lengths of color for intarsia knitting, as well as how to make intarsia bobbins and intarsia butterflies to manage your ends as you knit.

The Read Along Knit Along prize pack always impresses, and this one's no exception. Take a closer look at Knitter's Pride's Rainbow Knit Blockers, Eucalan fiber wash, and an exciting gift certificate from LoveKnitting. :)

Read Along Knit Along Sponsor Spotlight

September 6, 2018 Leave a Comment

The Read Along Knit Along prize pack always impresses, and this one’s no exception. Take a closer look at Knitter’s Pride’s Rainbow Knit Blockers, Eucalan fiber wash, and an exciting gift certificate from LoveKnitting. :)

Intarsia 101: What is intarsia knitting, how it's different from stranded colorwork, and how to knit intarsia, featuring an in-depth video tutorial to demonstrate the technique for absolute beginners. Click through for this awesome tutorial.

Intarsia 101

September 4, 2018 4 Comments

Get an overview of intarsia knitting: what it is and why it’s worth learning, including an in-depth video tutorial on how to knit basic intarsia.

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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
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. 😆🫣
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
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