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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:

Mini Harry Potter Sweater Pattern

Mini Harry Potter Sweater Pattern at handsoccupied.com

Following a Vintage Amigurumi Poodle Down a Rabbit Hole

Vintage Crochet Poodle Nail Polish Cover Amigurumi via handsoccupied.com

Crochet Christmas Tree – 12 Ornaments of Christmas

A pattern for a crochet Christmas tree ornament that works up super quick! Click through for the free pattern.

Red Hats for Preemies

Red Hats for Preemies - Click through for the free pattern & donate a hat to help raise awareness about congenital heart defects in newborns. | hands occupied.com.

Quad Cable Scarf

Click through to get a free pattern for the Quad Cable Scarf by Heidi Gustad

Heart Appliqué Hat – Free Baby Crochet Pattern

Get a free crochet pattern for a baby hat featuring an adorable heart appliqué, and learn how to you can crochet to help save babies' lives!

Crochet Mug Ornament – 12 Ornaments of Christmas

Crochet a teeny mug ornament for your Christmas tree! - Click through for the super-fast pattern that is great for the coffee or beer lover in your life!

Ribbed Can Koozies

Grab your crochet hooks! You can take this quick project from yarn ball to beer koozie before lunchtime on a lazy summer day. Click through for the free pattern.

Wrapping Up the 12 Ornaments of Christmas

Knit or crochet some adorable ornaments to trim your tree! Get your hands on 12 free knit and crochet patterns for Christmas ornaments. Each ornament doubles as a great gift topper & stocking stuffer!

Crochet Festive Candy Ornaments Three Ways

How to crochet holiday treat-inspired ornaments three ways! Click through for the free patterns. #crochetornament #freepattern #crochet #chirstmasornament

Crochet Lump of Coal Ornament

Have a little fun with your handmade gifts this holiday! Crochet an amigurumi coal ornament for your Christmas tree or as a funny stocking stuffer with this 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!

Round Granny Cushion – Free Crochet Pattern

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

Top Notched Shawl

The Top Notched Shawl - Get your hands on this fun, free & easy pattern for a square knit shawl, perfect to show off those fancy, one-skein yarns you haven't quite found the right use for!

Peas & Carrots Baby Blanket

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.

Vintage Checked Mittens

Vintage Checked Mittens at HandsOccupied.com

Golden Check Infinity Scarf – Free Pattern

Get your hands on a free knitting pattern for the Golden Check Infinity Scarf!

Faux Woven Cowl – The Warmest in the World!

Knitted Faux Woven Cowl - Free Knitting Pattern at Hands Occupied

Mini Golden Snitch Sweater Pattern

A free knitting pattern for a mini golden snitch sweater, inspired by the sweater Harry gets in book six!

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 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.

Moss Stitch Cowl – Free Crochet Pattern

This cute, two-color cowl is crocheted with just two 50g balls of 100% wool yarn. Get the free Moss Stitch Cowl pattern from Hands Occupied.

Simple Basketweave Baby Blanket

Simple Basketweave Baby Blanket - Free Knitting Pattern at Hands Occupied

Even more free patterns →

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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 ⤵️

Wow! I am floored by the awesome response to the S

Wow! I am floored by the awesome response to the Spiral Hill Sweater Vest. Thank you. 🙏🏻❤️ If you love this pattern & didn’t know already, we are going to be doing a knit along (KAL) from October 1-29 featuring this spooky sweater vest & lots of tutorials, especially for the intarsia part.
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Later today my newsletter will be coming out with additional Knit Along details, so if you’re not already signed up, now is a great time - the 🔗 is in my b1o.
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Pictured: My Spiral Hill Sweater Vest pattern from the new Nightmare Before Christmas knitting book by @tanisknits. Model is wearing size 1 with 2” of positive ease, knit in @brooklyntweed Imbue Worsted. Vest images via @insighteditions
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#spiralhillsweatervest #handsoccupied #nightmarebeforechristmasknittingbook

At long last! I can share the Spiral Hill Sweater

At long last! I can share the Spiral Hill Sweater Vest, my contribution to the new book Disney Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas: The Official Knitting Guide to Halloween Town and Christmas Town, out now! 🎃💀
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I’m hosting a knit along (KAL) October 1-29 for anyone who’d like to knit this vest along with a group & learn a little about intarsia while we’re at it. I’ve got weekly tutorials planned to help you knit this worsted weight sweater vest, and there’s a prize package giveaway at the end for KAL participants too. Details are on my site - you know where to find the 🔗 I think. 😉
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Book by @tanisknits
Publisher @insighteditions
Yarn @brooklyntweed Imbue
Find it wherever fine books are sold.
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#handsoccupied #nightmarebeforechristmas #intarsia #sweatervest #knittingpattern #knittingbook #spiralhill #knitting_inspiration #knitting

Since there was some interest in stills of my WIPs

Since there was some interest in stills of my WIPs closet after this weekend’s quick tutorial, here are few. ✂️ The tutorial is one post back in my feed as a video.
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As you can see, I didn’t worry about the wire hangers all being perfectly uniform, but it doesn’t matter to me. Also, this closet holds a lot! Despite that, it is already at capacity. Since the hanging bags don’t appear to be recyclable, I want to reuse them as long as possible. Who knows, maybe this will be a way to limit my WIPs? 😅
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P.s. In the third photo you can see how I use this system to store the original swatches, scraps, yarn ball bands, & notes from a design project all together.
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#handsoccupied #wips #craftstorage #yarnstorage #yarncrafts #knitting_inspiration #craftstudio #craftroom #craftcloset

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

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