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

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Free Patterns from the Blog

Dozens of free knitting and crochet patterns ranging from basic scarves to cabled sweaters, all designed by Heidi Gustad.

24 Randomly Sorted Patterns:

Knit Holiday Ornaments Three Ways

Add some handmade cuteness to your Christmas tree this year - knit up a colorful ornament for your tree with one of these three free patterns.

Winter Sea Stocking Cap

Winter Sea Stocking Cap - Get the free knitting pattern for this adorable hat at HandsOccupied.com!

Brioche Knitting & A Brioche Cowl Pattern

Brioche Knitting & A Brioche Cowl Pattern at handsoccupied.com

Peas & Carrots Baby Blanket

Sixth Degree Shawl

Meet the Sixth Degree Shawl. Cast on this gorgeous, free pattern designed with American made, ethically-sourced yarn!

Crochet Milk & Cookies Ornaments – 12 Ornaments of Christmas

A set of free crochet patterns for making super cute milk and cookies ornaments for your Christmas tree. Click through for the free patterns.

Winter Cable Knit Beanie

Knit an adorable cable knit beanie for winter with this free pattern.

Knit Stocking Cap Ornament – 12 Ornaments of Christmas

Get your hands on this adorable pattern for a knit stocking cap ornament! Click through for the FREE pattern.

Shot Through the Heart – Knit Wall Hanging Pattern

This heart-inspired wall hanging is a fun, quick way for knitters to add a geometric blast of color and texture to your walls without having to master a whole new fiber craft like macrame or weaving. Click through for the free pattern!

Triangle Rib Baby Hat for Charity Knitting (plus a Charity KCAL!)

The Triangle Rib Baby Hat knits up so quickly! Get your hands on this free charity knitting pattern for babies on Hands Occupied. #charityknitting #freepattern #babyknitting

Knit Your Gift Wrap & #PHWinterWorkshop

Knit your gift wrap with this simple, free pattern that comes together in minutes!

Knit Lightning Bolt Toy

Knit a Harry Potter inspired lightning bolt toy in no time! This free pattern makes a great baby gift, gift topper, key chain or holiday ornament.

Knit Heart Ornament – 12 Ornaments of Christmas

Knit Heart Ornament - Click through for a free knitting pattern for this cute star ornament, which also makes a great tree star, gift topper or baby toy!

Crochet T-shirt Yarn Tote

Crochet T-shirt Yarn Tote Pattern at HandsOccupied.com

Knit Star Ornament & The 12 Ornaments of Christmas

Knit Star Ornament - Click through for a free knitting pattern for this cute star ornament, which also makes a great tree star, gift topper or baby toy!

Round Granny Cushion – Free Crochet Pattern

Made with chunky yarn, this vintage inspired throw pillow crochets up in no time!

Comfy Tablet Sleeve – Free Knitting Pattern & Seaming Tutorial

Knit up a simple tablet sleeve to protect your tablet from scratches on the go! The Comfy Tablet Sleeve knits up so quickly, making it a great gift-giving idea too. Get the free knitting pattern.

Classic Slouchy Beanie

Click to get the Classic Slouchy Beanie knitting pattern for free!

Knit Winter Gear Ornaments Three Ways

How to knit winter gear inspired Christmas ornaments three ways! Get the free patterns at Hands Occupied! #knitornaments #freepattern #minisweater #chirstmasornament

Wherever Wrap – Free Knitting Pattern

Who doesn't love an easy-to-knit, versatile pattern? The Wherever Wrap is a fun colorblock piece knit with a simple lace motif. Get the free knitting pattern by designer Heidi Gustad.

Vintage Checked Mittens

Vintage Checked Mittens at HandsOccupied.com

Red Hats for Newborns + A Free Pattern

Red Hats for Newborns Pattern at handsoccupied.com

Faux Woven Cowl – The Warmest in the World!

Knitted Faux Woven Cowl - Free Knitting Pattern at Hands Occupied

Little Hats, Big Hearts, Declan’s Story & A Free Pattern

Knit red hats to help raise awareness about preemie heart health with the free Declan Hat pattern!

Even more free patterns →

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Hi! I’m Heidi (she/her/hers), and I’ve been helping yarn crafters untangle various techniques on the internet since 2010. I got my start here, as a blogger, and since then I’ve shared more than a few tutorials here and on YouTube as I’ve grown as a pattern designer. 🧶

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handsoccupied

Knitting & yarn crafts designer 🧶
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Stay up-to-date 💌 & shop new patterns ⤵️

Surprise, I had a baby 3 weeks ago! The pregnancy

Surprise, I had a baby 3 weeks ago! The pregnancy was high risk, so I chose to be quiet about it online until recently.

My son was born on Saturday 8/30. My water broke at 2 am, and he was born at 11:26 am, which the nurses kept telling us was very fast for a first labor. He weighed 5 lbs 14.2 oz and was 18.5” long.

My husband & I both put so much effort into educating ourselves about pregnancy and natural childbirth, and when we found out an induction was highly likely, we embraced the lack of control we had in favor of hoping the baby would arrive healthy. To our surprise, he arrived spontaneously at 37 weeks + 4 days, and the labor progressed so quickly, we did end up with a natural labor experience (which I was glad I was prepared for! 😮‍💨😅).

We’re all happy and healthy. June has become his little nanny dog and makes sure we know when he’s crying or has a dirty diaper. We are very grateful for all the love and support we’ve already received from friends and family. Much love to everyone! ❤️❤️❤️

POV: Showing you how my new Bevelled Tank pattern

Let’s talk about fit and ease! . During the Beve

Let’s talk about fit and ease!
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During the Bevelled Tank design process for @pompommag, I knit 2 samples using 2 different @KelbourneWoolens yarns. One was in Skipper (100% cotton, second photo) and the other was in Camper (100% 2 ply wool). The Skipper sample was knit for a 36” bust, which measures in at 40” with 4” of positive ease. And I knit the Camper Sample for my 40” bust with a 44” finished measurement. (BTW, I’m 5’5” for folks that find that measurement helpful in visualizing fit.)
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Based on the size chart for the Bevelled Tank, that means I knit one size 3 sample and one size 4. As designed, I conveniently fit a size 4 as intended with 4” of positive ease. When I wear the 3, there is no ease at all because the garment and my body are both 40” in size. Comparing the 2 garments, you can see how the fiber content (cotton vs. wool) and fit (no ease vs. 4” of positive ease) makes a difference in the look and feel of the finished garment.
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These samples are a great way to compare what ease looks like on different bodies. While I can fit both a size 3 and 4, the garment with no ease feels more like pajamas or a bralette when I wear it. On the other hand, when I wear the one with 4” of positive ease, I feel comfortable enough to wear it to work, even as a crop top. Plus, it leaves me with enough room to layer it with a nice button down if I’m not feeling the cropped look one day.
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I’m curious - how would you style this tank? Would you modify it with a few stockinette rows for added length? I’m so curious now that this pattern is finally out in the world. :)
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#pompomxhobbiisummer2024 #bevelledtank #handsoccupied #knitting #intarisa #handmade #kelbournewoolens #croppedsweater #summerknits

After a 6 month hiatus, I am happy to say I’m ba

Here’s a nice throwback for you: my take on a vi

Here’s a nice throwback for you: my take on a vintage knitting pattern from 1938 called the Fernlace Pullover. A pattern so nice, I knit it twice.
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Yellow version 💛: knit with Despondent Dyes’ Vintage Vixen Sport after attending a @squidneyknits vintage knitting retreat in 2019 & learning *so much*. Paired with a self-drafted circle skirt pattern.
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Blue version 💙: knit with @eweeweyarns Ewe So Sporty in Sky Blue. Paired with the 1940s Boardwalk Duet sewing pattern from @decades_of_style
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Head to my stories for 🔗🔗 to the handmade wardrobe blog posts I wrote about each take on the Fernlace Pullover, working with a vintage pattern, where to find vintage patterns (including the one I used), & some thoughts on sizing.
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Image descriptions available in alt text.
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#handsoccupied #handmadewardrobe #fernlacepullover #vintageknitting #vintageknittingpatterns #knitting_inspiration

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