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Hands Occupied

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

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Life

Occasional blog posts about my life. Everything from work life balance to how yarn crafts help combat anxiety is fair game here.

Get your hands on the Rhombuster Scarf pattern, a colorful new design from Heidi Gustad. Don't think scarf patterns can surprise you? Give the Rhombuster a shot to try something new!

Allow me to reintroduce myself.

September 25, 2017 7 Comments

One of my goals for Hands Occupied this year is being less buttoned up. Today I want to share more about what my first year as a full time knit & crochet designer looked like. Brace yourselves – it was a doozie!

The Hat Hat | Hands Occupied

Big Changes!

September 6, 2016 17 Comments

After much deliberation, I recently decided that I’m ready to move on from Librarianship. It’s officially official – Friday was my last day of working as a Librarian. Learn about what that means for Hands Occupied in today’s post!

Iceland trip collage

A knitter in Iceland

April 4, 2016 4 Comments

Last month, my husband and I visited Iceland for ten days to celebrate our anniversary. Since it turns out that there’s yarn just about everywhere you look in Iceland, I thought I’d share a roundup of all the wooly highlights (and a bit of scenery) from our trip.

Get a free knitting pattern for an Outlander-inspired shawl, the Outlander Chevron Shawl from Hands Occupied

A look back at 2015 & what’s in store for 2016

January 5, 2016 2 Comments

Let’s start 2016 by taking a look back how I did with my 2015 goals, and then we can look at the year ahead and what I’ve got in store for all you yarn lovers!

Balancing Two Careers | HandsOccupied.com

Two Careers

January 21, 2015 4 Comments

Last week I talked about my 2015 plans & goals in an uncharacteristically personal (and long, sorry!) post for me. Dare I do it again? One of my 2015 goals is to open up a little more and stay on top of reader questions and such, so in a first step toward keeping my word, this post is all about how I balance being a Librarian as well as a blogger/knitting designer.

Plans & Goals for 2015 | Hands Occupied

Plans & Goals for 2015

January 14, 2015 3 Comments

I feel really good about finding my feet as a designer in 2014, so of course I want to keep growing and improving with this momentum. On that note, I have a few 2015 goals I want to share with you guys.

Red Hats for Newborns Pattern at handsoccupied.com

Red Hats for Newborns + A Free Pattern

August 18, 2014 98 Comments

The story of one of the most critical moments of loss in my life, how you can help raise awareness for this all-too-common issue, and a free knitting pattern to help you contribute to helping the cause.

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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, designer & creator specializing in yarn crafts like knitting, crochet, latch hook & macramé
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Heidi Gustad 🧶✂️
Learn how to do the magic loop method for knitting Learn how to do the magic loop method for knitting in the round in 90 seconds. / Using the magic loop allows knitters to work in the round with a single, long circular needle at a range of circumferences. 
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For a longer, full-width & more detailed overview of magic loop knitting, check out my u2be & b1og, the 🔗🔗 are where you’d think. 🧶
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#handsoccupied #magicloop #knitting #howtoknit #learntoknit #knitter #knittinginspiration #knittinginstagram #knittingintheround
Since it won’t be clean for long, swipe to see w Since it won’t be clean for long, swipe to see what my home studio looks like these days. Nothing will ever quite be like the old Hands Occupied Studio, but I’m pretty pleased with how I shoehorned everything in this space. Function over form + a layer of yarn cuteness-meets-chaos is how I’d describe my creative space needs. 😆 When I was still renting the studio, those needs included “doesn’t rain suspicious brown water from a crack in the ceiling for a year,” so this is an improvement! 😆
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For a time lapse of the studio organizing and tszuj-ing process, scroll down a couple posts on my feed. (There’s also a video or two featuring the old studio if you’re curious.) Happy June, friends! 
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#handsoccupied #handsoccupiedstudio #knitdesigner #craftdesign #yarncrafts #latchhook #makerlife #heidigustad #chicagocrafter
Who doesn’t love magic loop knitting? Who doesn’t know what it is? How about when circular needles were invented?
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In todays new bl0g post + video tutorial, you’ll learn about the magic loop method for knitting in the round, how to do it and why to use it, and when it came to be. The 🔗 is in my b1o. 🧶 
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#handsoccupied #magicloop #knitting #howtoknit #knittinginspiration #knittingintheround
Finally organizing & putting the finishing touches Finally organizing & putting the finishing touches on my home studio. After losing my studio space last fall, it’s feels really great to *occupy* this new space all the way. 😉
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I started by removing general clutter & returning straggler supplies from various WIPs, videos & design deadlines to their homes. Next, I hung a third peg board in the space - this one is mostly for display and less for organizing tools or projects. For the first time ever, I’m displaying projects from my book, plus a couple other faves. (The best thing about designing more yarn crafts besides knit & crochet is that I have some really fun -and delightfully pettable 😆- samples around.) I finished by adding a square dowel to my small supply storage tower to keep it from tipping over, plus re-arranging and de-cluttering the closet. 
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This cleaner space already has me feeling so much more creative and less overwhelmed. Now to find a safe spot in the basement for the tower of project samples in Rubbermaid tubs I liberated from my WIPs closet. Also why are there five?! 
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Here’s to keeping it clean for a few weeks! 🧶 
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#handsocupied #handsoccupiedstudio #craftroom #craftroomorganization #craftroomstorage #yarncraft #knitter #crocheter #latchhook #latchhookbook
It’s a disaster in here and my video microphone It’s a disaster in here and my video microphone isn’t cooperating, but it could be worse! How’s your day? 
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(If we haven’t yet met, I’m Heidi and I’m a pattern designer and tutorial creator specializing in yarn crafts like knitting & latch hook. You can learn more about my work and regularly find new tutorials in my profile. ☺️👋🏻)
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#handsoccupied #craftstudio #knitter #yarncrafter
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