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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:

The 45-Minute Wrap – Free Arm Knitting Pattern

The 45-Minute Wrap, a free arm knitting pattern made with Zen Yarn Garden's Big Up! jumbo weight yarn.

Winter Cable Knit Beanie

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

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

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!

Knit Gift Box Ornament – 12 Ornaments of Christmas

A cute pattern for a knit gift box ornament for the holidays! Click through for the free pattern.

Market Cowl – Free Crochet Pattern

Crochet the versatile Market Cowl, a free pattern that does double duty as a layering-friendly cowl or wrap.

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.

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.

Sixth Degree Shawl

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

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.

Lopi Tote – Free Knitting Pattern

The Lopi Tote makes use of bulky yarn and elegant, screw-in handles to create a deep bag with a wide base that knits up quick. Get your hands on this free pattern, designed with knitters in mind. The Lopi Tote is perfect for carrying your next knitting project on the go!

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!

Brioche Knitting & A Brioche Cowl Pattern

Brioche Knitting & A Brioche Cowl Pattern at handsoccupied.com

Scandinavian Advent Calendar

Knit Your Gift Wrap & #PHWinterWorkshop

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

Chevron Sunglasses Case Knitting Pattern

Chevron Sunglasses Case Knitting Pattern at handsoccupied.com

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.

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.

Low Tide Cowl

Low Tide Cowl - Free Knitting Pattern at HandsOccupied.com

Peruvian Market Tote

Crochet yourself this versatile Peruvian Market Tote, perfect for quick trips to the store! Get the free crochet pattern.

Fisherman’s Rib Baby Blanket

Knit the Fisherman's Rib Baby Blanket, a great option for a decorative throw or baby blanket. This pattern uses an addictive stitch with lots of and dimensionality that will give your blanket endless texture.

Amigurumi Snowman Ornament

Get a free pattern for this crochet snowman Christmas ornament. Practice your amigurumi skills with this fun pattern!

Knit Stocking Ornament

A tiny knit stocking is the most adorable way to trim your tree! Get the free knitting pattern for this striped stocking. #christmasornament #stockingornament #freeknittingpattern

Outlander Chevron Shawl

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

Yarn craft designer & author. Into intarsia knits, latch hook, color & vintage-modern style.
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👇🏻 Book, Patterns, Tutorials

I’m taking the holiday season off this year, par

I’m taking the holiday season off this year, particularly to work on burnout after losing my studio space. Today that’s taking the form of pom pom Christmas trees made with supplies that have been in my studio for way too long. 😆 Enjoy!
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*Supplies*
-pom poms, originally from @thewasteshed (check them out if you’re in Chicago - I love them!)
-hot glue gun & glue
-empty thread/yarn cones
-cardboard stars leftover from a happy birthday banner kit
-scissors
-6” pipe cleaners
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Instructions for this simple project are in the video. I used captions as well as voice to text for folks who might have a preference one way or the other. Some day you’ll be seeing knitting tutorials here, but first, training wheels & avoiding burnout. 🤓 LMK what you think!✌🏻
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#handsoccupied #diychristmasdecor #pompoms #upcycledchristmas #easycrafts

As posted in my feed last week, I had to move my S

As posted in my feed last week, I had to move my Studio for the second time this year. 😅 Since Reels are what gets seen, here’s a little moving vlog. You can head to my last post or handsoccupied dot com to read about why I had to move out & so quickly.
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Despite this surprise, things are good! Looking very much forward to a quiet holiday season with lots of 2023 planning & fun crafting in store. Wishing you well, friends! -Heidi 🧶
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#handsoccupied #handsoccupiedstudio #chicagomakers #knitdesign #knittersofinstagram

Hi everyone! It’s been 3 months since my last po

Sunday stitches with June. ☺️ . Yarn: @brookly

Sunday stitches with June. ☺️
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Yarn: @brooklyntweed Arbor
Pattern: in-progress by yours truly
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#handsoccupied #intarsia #colorworkknitting #intarsiaknitting

When it’s August & the crew has the day off, the

When it’s August & the crew has the day off, the only thing to do is a Knitflix marathon! I hadn’t seen the latest season of Stranger Things and had a TON of knitting to do, so we decided why not make a day of it? For non knitters, this is a pretty accurate depiction of what a dream day looks like for maker types. (Plus or minus a cranky but cute house pet.)
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What does your dream knitting day look like?
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Just making this for fun & to see how it feels to distill a yarn day into a short video like this. Big thank you to Jamie & Mariah for being my friends, even though they said “it’s okay if you don’t tag me in this.” 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
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#knitflix #knitting #knittingwithfriends #intarsia #handsoccupied #knitsocks #chicagoknitters

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