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Hands Occupied

Contemporary yarn crafts by Heidi Gustad. Knitting, crochet, latch hook and macrame.

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Crocheting with Unusual Materials

May 4, 2011 Leave a Comment

When I started crocheting a few years ago, I found myself growing bored with the type of projects I was capable of creating. My skills weren’t yet developed enough to crochet really complicated patterns, and I felt like the real power of crocheting rested on the ease with which I could create three-dimensional shapes, like amigurumi.

That’s when I decided it was time to get creative. I found some plastic twine that looked like it might make an interesting hanging lamp or sculpture. It’s kind of shiny and futuristic looking, unlike many crocheted items.

Plastic Twine Sculpture

Following a instructions for creating a basic amigurumi sphere, I figured the only way to find out if this sculpture would work was to try it. A ton of crochet stitches and a few increases and decreases later, I had my sphere… and a lot of blisters. Imagine rubbing a shredded plastic bag on your bare flesh for like fifty hours. It’s not pretty.

The other thing I had at the end of crocheting my sphere was kind of a deflated looking volleyball. Shoot! It wasn’t until I pulled my sad creation out of my WIP/failed projects drawer to write today’s post that I decided to fix it. Lucky for me, my first idea worked! It was as simple as blowing up a balloon (inside of a weirdo crocheted trash bag sphere).

Mason Line Hammock

After my blisters healed, I wanted to make an exercise ball hammock using something softer.The fiber of choice? Mason line! It comes in a lot of really interesting colors and weaves. The hard thing was knowing how much to buy. It’s not like the dudes at the hardware store know what to tell you when considering yardage or ounces needed for a project!

Another note about working with this material. I learned the hard way that there are no dye lots in mason line. I’ve got a couple of shades of pink going on in this project.

Have you ever seen those corner hammocks for kids’ stuffed animals? I wanted to recreate that design for my exercise ball hammock. For the pattern I ended up winging it, so I didn’t write it down. How I constructed this thing: I crocheted a right triangle shape and added an extra spine of stitched from the right angle to the center of the hypotenuse. Don’t forget: a^2 + b^2 = c^2 when you’re planning this project! ;) Then I wove some other mason line in to a basic net formation, with two more crocheted spines dividing them.

Some pics to help you pick up what I’m putting down:

…and yes, it totally looks like a thong. I don’t know if I’d, uh, pick neon pink next time.

Other Cool Crocheting Materials

  • Cassette Tape Clutch at My Recycled Bag
  • How to Crochet a Rug Out of an Old T-Shirts at CraftStylish
  • Knit and Crochet with Wire and Beads at Stitch Diva Studios
  • There’s also the Unique Crochet Materials thread at Crochetme.com

Filed Under: Crochet, Inspiration, Knitting & Crochet Tagged With: avant garde, balloon, crochet, hammock, mason line, plastic twine

About Heidi

Heidi Gustad is an artist, author and crafts designer specializing in knitting, crochet, latch hook and macrame. In addition to running the Hands Occupied Blog and Pattern Shop, you can find her making videos & co-hosting the Very Serious Crafts podcast.

Previous Post: « Crochet Week, Day 2: Amigurumi
Next Post: Crochet Inspiration Thursday »

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Heidi Gustad from Hands Occupied / Craft Book Author and Knitting, Crochet, Latch Hook and Macrame Designer

Hi! I’m Heidi, an author, yarn craft designer and content creator specializing in knitting, crochet, latch hook & macrame. My work unapologetically features primary colors and vintage-meets-modern style. My first book, Latch Hook: 12 Projects for the Modern Maker, is now available!

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Craft book author & content creator in love with primary colors & vintage vibes. / #latchhookbook out now!
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knitting, crochet, latch hook & macramé

Heidi Gustad 🧶✂️
There’s an update on the blog today, & it’s ab There’s an update on the blog today, & it’s about how I’m going to take the next 2 weeks off to rest & recharge. ☺️🧶 No new content for y’all means I can also take a moment to zoom out & plan what’s next. Link is in bio. 
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A note on Very Serious Crafts: In the post I discuss stepping away from the @seriouscrafts podcast to give myself more time to devote to some minor medical issues. Don’t you worry - my health will be fine, & @molliejohanson @redhandledscissors and I are still pals, and after a short break of their own, the podcast will be back! Just sans moi. 💁🏼‍♀️😆 
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See you in a couple weeks! ✌🏻#handsoccupied #knitdesign #craftdesign #sofadedsweater
Been a little quiet this holiday week, as it shoul Been a little quiet this holiday week, as it should be. ☺️🎄The past few days have been filled with a lot of catching up on festive zoom calls & raising toasts to the camera. 🥂 Connecting with people has been a welcome change of pace! Now I’m feeling ready to meet my inevitable end-of-year deadlines. 😆
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Warmest wishes for the season, my friends! ❤️💛💙
Hi, I’m Heidi, the craft book author & maker beh Hi, I’m Heidi, the craft book author & maker behind Hands Occupied! 👋🏻 I’ve been enjoying making Reels a lot lately, but I wanted to bop in to share a regular photo & say hello. 🤓 
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rather than giving you my bio right now, I have a question. I just got this new sweater & I can’t stop imaging how funny it would be to wear this to a knitting class ... is that bad? 🤣🤣🤣
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Pictured: a blond woman with glasses wearing a sweater that reads “all your sweaters are ugly” standing in front of a Christmas tree.
Wet blocking, also called immersive blocking, is o Wet blocking, also called immersive blocking, is one of the most common methods for finishing a knitting project and helping ensure its final size and shape. Learn basic blocking for absolute beginners in an easy-to-follow (non-Reel!) video tutorial! Catch the tutorial on YouTube or the Hands Occupied Blog, link is in bio. 🧶 #handsoccupied #stopswatchandblockit #KPAmbassadorsDec20 #sponsored
Had to share this perfect capture of one of my fav Had to share this perfect capture of one of my favorite weird homemade Christmas ornaments: a simple macramé Santa face with beads for the eyes and nose! My Great-Grandma made it too. 🎄
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Might have to try making a quickie Reel tutorial for this guy - I think it’s the perfect project for it, don’t you? 🎅🏼 #handsoccupied #macrame
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