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Hands Occupied

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

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Currently Knitting

October 26, 2015 1 Comment

Yarns from Ewe Ewe, Manos del Uruguary, Lion Brand & Mountain Meadow Wool

Knitting season is in full swing, and I’ve been busy developing and working on a lot of designs for winter and spring releases this month. Based on where I’m at with sketching, collaborating, swatching, designing and finally knitting these new creations, you guys can brace yourself for lots of winter accessories, and even a fun baby project headed your way! Let’s take a look at what I’ve had my hands on this month, shall we?

Manos del Uruguay's Clara yarn in Follage

Manos del Uruguay’s Clara yarn in Follage

I spotted this new Follage (that’s right, not foliage, follage) colorway on the Manos del Uruguay site a few months back and was totally smitten. When I got this yarn in the mail, the color was true to how it photographed, plus the single-ply, 100% merino yarn is so buoyant and lush. It’s one of those rare yarns that my husband spotted in my studio, picked up, and immediately said, “You know, this would make a really nice hat for like a guy. Like for me.” Ha! I hadn’t yet decided what his Christmas present was going to be, so I think he made the choice for me! Basically, this yarn is awesome, and expect a one-skein hat designed with dudes in mind in the coming months. :)

Swatches knit with Mountain Meadow Wool's Powell yarn in Fern and Natural

Mountain Meadow Wool's Powell yarn in Fern and Natural

Mountain Meadow Wool’s Powell yarn in Fern and Natural

I’m also knitting with a couple of skeins of Mountain Meadow Wool’s Powell, and as you can see from my swatches up there, I’ve got some fun slipped-stitch colorwork planned for it. This yarn is labeled differently than a lot of yarns out there. The ranch of origin is listed right alongside the yarn’s fiber content, which is super cool! Most of the time, you don’t have the slightest clue where the fiber you’re working with comes from, but since Mountain Meadow is first and foremost a mill, it makes sense that their yarn prioritizes letting the maker know where their yarn comes from.

Lion Brand Yarn's LB Collection Cotton Bamboo yarn in Cherry Blossom

Lion Brand Yarn’s LB Collection Cotton Bamboo yarn in Cherry Blossom

Next up, I’ve got this fun cotton/bamboo blend yarn from Lion Brand’s LB Collection. The LB Collection is a line of affordable yarns made with higher quality fibers, so they occupy the space between more expensive boutique yarns and big box store yarns. Like a lot of cotton bamboo blends, LB Collection’s Cotton Bamboo yarn is smooth to the touch and has great stitch definition. Perfect, ahem, for some adorable baby knits!

Ewe Ewe Yarn's Ewe So Sporty yarn in Orange Peel & Sky Blue

Ewe Ewe Yarn’s Ewe So Sporty yarn in Orange Peel & Sky Blue

Last but not least, I’ve been spending a lot of time with Ewe Ewe Yarns this month, specifically their Ewe So Sporty yarn. This yarn is springy, and I’ve found it to be very colorwork-friendly, sticking to itself just enough to make stranded projects go smoothly. I’m working on TWO designs with this yarn which are set to be released together in January. I’m so excited, I can’t wait to share these designs with you!

Yarn featured was provided by the brand or a distributor thereof. Much of the yarn was given as yarn support for designs to be released in the coming months. Opinions are my own. 

Filed Under: Knitting, Knitting & Crochet Tagged With: currently knitting, ewe ewe yarns, lion brand yarn, manos del uruguay, mountain meadow wool, what i'm knitting with

About Heidi

Heidi Gustad is a craft book author & content creator in love with primary colors & vintage vibes. She specializes in knitting, crochet, latch hook and macramé, and her first book, Latch Hook: 12 Projects for the Modern Maker, is out now!

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Comments

  1. Ina

    November 3, 2015 at 10:07 pm

    The manos de urguay yarn looks so wonderful! I don’t know why but I don’t feel attracted at all by cotton this time of year! Your bamboo cotton swatch looks really smooth though!

    Reply

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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

Yarn craft designer & author. Into intarsia knits, latch hook, color & vintage-modern style.
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Heidi Gustad 🧶✂️
Sneaking in a few stitches in the shade. 😎 Sneaking in a few stitches in the shade. 😎
Another morning of filming! One of the knitting vi Another morning of filming! One of the knitting videos I’d like to release soon is a big overview of how to swatch and why - if you have any questions or favorite tips, let me know. 
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To be honest, I want to be able to link to this video as a resource when I get angry gauge questions, so please don’t hesitate to share your best tips. Together, we can tame the knitting Karens. 😆
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#stopswatchandblockit #handsoccupied #knitting #knittersofinstagram
A big issue I've had in the last year is putting t A big issue I've had in the last year is putting together new design work but not doing any independent releases of them. Chalk it up to anxiety, burn out, or whatever but here we are. 
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Last week I turned 35, so in honor of that here’s 3 things: 
❤️ a picture of me at my most stylish 
💛 a little glimpse at some of the design things I've recently been working on
💙a promise that I will be releasing some of the pictured designs this year. Getting back in the swing of things after taking it easy is hard 😆 - wish me luck!
Like a riding a bike! June guarded the neighborhoo Like a riding a bike! June guarded the neighborhood while I shot a new crochet tutorial today. With any luck, editing will go smoothly & I’ll be posting new videos to YouTube regularly soon! Got any requests for tutorial topics? 
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#handsoccupied #crochet #studiodog #crochettutorial
This yoke deserved a mid-blocking closeup, don’t This yoke deserved a mid-blocking closeup, don’t you think? ❤️💛💙
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Pattern: modified #soldotnacrop sweater / yarn: various from my stash
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