• 0 items$0.00
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Hands Occupied

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

  • BLOG
    • Knitting
    • Crochet
    • Latch Hook
    • Macramé
    • Punch Needle
  • ABOUT
  • Shop
  • Studio
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

Hands Occupied Studio is Open!

February 6, 2019 Leave a Comment

The Hands Occupied Studio is now open! See the finished space, read about the Studio Warming party, and share your ideas for workshops and events you'd like to see!

Man, the last two weeks have been some for the books! I finished moving into the Hands Occupied Studio, hosted a sold out live show for the Very Serious Crafts podcast, attempted to keep up with my regular work, and held a Studio Warming party …. oh wait. All of that? That was all on my plate before the coldest polar vortex-induced temps in 25 years hit Chicago.

Fun fact: It was so cold out when I washed the outside of my studio windows that the cleaning solution froze & left streaks! 

The Hands Occupied Studio is now open! See the finished space, read about the Studio Warming party, and share your ideas for workshops and events you'd like to see!
The Hands Occupied Studio is now open! See the finished space, read about the Studio Warming party, and share your ideas for workshops and events you'd like to see!
The Hands Occupied Studio is now open! See the finished space, read about the Studio Warming party, and share your ideas for workshops and events you'd like to see!

The Studio Warming Party!

Take a look inside the new Hands Occupied Studio in Chicago, learn about when it's open to the public, and share your ideas for workshops and events you'd like to see in the new space! #handsoccupiedstudio
Just a few of the friendly faces who made it out to the Studio Warming party this week!

Last Friday night we thoroughly warmed the Hands Occupied Studio. We had about 3 dozen folks in and out during the open house style soiree, and I’m so grateful to each and every one of you for taking the time and braving the cold to be there. We all contributed to a giant community weaving project as the first official creative act in the space, we had snacks and drinks, folks brought knit and crochet WIPs, and it was hopping! It was such a special evening. I can’t wait to see how Hands Occupied Studio will grow and evolve over time!

The Hands Occupied Studio is now open! See the finished space, read about the Studio Warming party, and share your ideas for workshops and events you'd like to see!
The best weaving power stance of the night!
The Hands Occupied Studio is now open! See the finished space, read about the Studio Warming party, and share your ideas for workshops and events you'd like to see!
The current status of our community weaving – come help us work on it this month during Craft Nights! :)

What’s next for the Studio?

While I first pursued a studio space to, you know, use as a place to do my design and other creative work, I also really envision it as an opportunity to foster a community of crafters. We’re starting slowly with weekly open Craft Nights (more on that below), which will take the place of last year’s monthly Meet Ups. Then I want to expand to include a monthly weekend Crafternoon, requested by folks who can’t come in to the city on weeknights, as well as out-of-towners who want to come visit. In addition to open crafting, there will be workshops, private lessons, guest instructors and more. If you’ve got any ideas for things you’d like to see in the Hands Occupied Studio, or if you’re interested in collaborating on something with the space, drop me a line at heidi-at-handsoccupied-dot-com. I very sincerely would love to hear your ideas. ❤️

Craft Night every Wednesday!

Tonight is our first open Craft Night from 6-9 p.m. at Hands Occupied Studio. (We’re at 3323 W Diversey Ave. #1 in Chicago. All crafts are welcome, and feel free to bring any snacks and drinks to share.) Mark your calendars! We’ll be doing this open Craft Night every Wednesday unless otherwise posted. I’ll make Facebook events for each of them as well as posting them to the Events page on this site, though RSVPing is optional.

The Hands Occupied Studio is now open! See the finished space, read about the Studio Warming party, and share your ideas for workshops and events you'd like to see!
The Hands Occupied Studio is now open! See the finished space, read about the Studio Warming party, and share your ideas for workshops and events you'd like to see!

Before I go, I wanted to once again say that I’m so grateful for the Chicago crafting community. Y’all showed up on Friday after a hell week of terrible weather, and I couldn’t have been more humbled by and truly grateful for the support. See you at Craft Night! :)

Filed Under: Hands Occupied Studio, Workshops & Events Tagged With: chicago, craft night, craft workshop, crochet studio, hands occupied studio, knitting studio, logan square

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!

Previous Post: « Briggs & Little Country Roving – Yarn Review & Giveaway
Next Post: Picks of the Week »

Reader Interactions

DID YOU LIKE THIS POST?
Visit similar articles...

  • Summer EventsSummer Events
  • Moving in to the Hands Occupied StudioMoving in to the Hands Occupied Studio
  • Warm Up with In-Person Events this Winter!Warm Up with In-Person Events this Winter!
  • Long John Cowl PatternLong John Cowl Pattern

DON’T MISS ANOTHER UPDATE

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

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!

Professionally I’m most known for: advanced intarsia knitting design & modern latch hook design.

work with heidi

UPDATES BY EMAIL

Get a free pattern + biweekly updates sent to your inbox.

Let’s be friends!

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
Latch Hook by Heidi Gustad

Footer

INSTAGRAM

handsoccupied

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

Heidi Gustad 🧶✂️
New yarn alert! @knit_picks’ High Desert is avai New yarn alert! @knit_picks’ High Desert is available in a range of jewel tone colors & two weights. Head to the blog to take a closer look & enter to win FOUR skeins of this versatile yarn that’s 100% American from sheep to skein. 🧶 Enter at the link in bio.
.
Pictured: A pink background with light blue knit and crochet swatches, crochet hook, knitting needle, & a bullet skein of yarn, artfully arranged in 3 shots, one with a yellow frame and one with a navy frame. Added text reads “✌🏻 Yarn review & giveaway” and there’s a description of the blog post similar to what’s in the first part of this very caption, which a lot of people don’t read. 🤪
.
P.S. I’m playing around with a new template to share more pics at once from blog posts on Instagram. Please LMK here or via message if you have feedback. Appreciate it!✌🏻
.
#handsoccupied #KPHighDesert2021 #sponsored #yarn #yarnreview #knitincolor #giveaway #wool #blueyarn #knitpicks #stopswatchandblockit #crochet #crochetersofinstagram #knittersofinstagram #knitter
Over the years I’ve collected a range of unique Over the years I’ve collected a range of unique vintage (often crafty) items, many handmade by family. Since the sunrise hit this creative corner just so this morning, it seemed like the perfect reason to share some favorites from my collection of curiosities. ✂️
.
In this shot, you can see:

> a decorative wood shelf made by my grandpa. 

> my great-grandma’s silver clarinet that her son turned into a lamp for me in high school 😉.

>still camera from that same grandpa. Plus my instax & my husband’s 16mm. 

>Wooden scissors holder in the shape of a bird that doubles as a pin cushion and features a rotating thread holder. Not sure who made it but it’s been painted 800k times. 😆🧵 
.
.
Am I the only weirdo who has items like this laying about? Who else has weird murder bird scissors holders from their sweet grandma? 
.
.
Pictured: see bulleted list above. In the foreground, there’s a blue swatch of knitting drying on a blocking mat with pins.
.
#maker #knitter #sewist #handsoccupied #vintagecrafts #shears #scissors #stopswatchandblockit #makerlife #antiquecrafts #handmadehome #pincushion #vintagecraft
This dang Yarniversal Championship Belt just makes This dang Yarniversal Championship Belt just makes me so happy! Even more now that it’s helped me connect with fellow crafting & wrestling crossover fans. ❤️ 
.
On the blog today - link is in bio, you can take a look at a bunch more process photos that didn’t make the Design Diary video. For maker-designer types in particular, the post has detail shots & a full supply list. I’m so happy with how the @knit_picks Wool of the Andes colors worked out combined with some neutral handspun! ✂️🧶
.
.
Pictured: A close up of a smiling woman with a punch needle version of a wrestling title belt on her shoulder. 
.
#punchneedle #handsoccupied #kpambassadorsapr21 #sponsored #wooloftheandes #knitpicks #rugmaking #heidigustad #universalchampion #titlebelt #wool
Happy Wrestlemania weekend, folks!!! 🎊 It’s c Happy Wrestlemania weekend, folks!!! 🎊 It’s coincidentally International Punch Needle Rug Hooking Day today, so I’d be remiss not to share a first look at this project finished JUST in time to wear while I watch some rasslin’ on a pirate ship in a football stadium in Tampa! 💪🏻 I’m excited to watch tonight’s women’s matches the most. Eee!
.
.
Pictured: A blond woman in a denim dress and glasses wearing a giant belt made with punch needle. The belt is made with wool in primary colors and was inspired by the WWE Universal Championship title belt. 
.
This is just a preview - after jab 2.0 tomorrow (feeling grateful 🙏🏼), I’ll be editing together a vlog about the design process for this wooly waist cover. Sometimes it’s hard to know how to make some of your wilder craft ideas come to life. Stuff you’ll never find a pattern for, you know? I’ll finish editing that ASAP, but I might take a few days to edit if I feel like trash from 💉 and only want to watch wrestling and wrestling YouTube for a day or two. 😂
.
.
#ipnrhd #punchneedle #wwe #wrestling #championshipbelt #wool #yarn #handmade #universalchampionship #universalchampion #rugmaking #wrestlingfan #wrestlemania37 #wrestlemania
A look at the halo on the back of my wrestling-ins A look at the halo on the back of my wrestling-inspired punch needle project! It’s interesting to see how fuzzy the handspun beige yarn is compared with the primary color sections of @knit_picks Wool of the Andes Bulky. ❤️💛💙🤎 
.
Pictured: The back of an in-progress punch needle project. A wooden punch needle tool sits on the work.
.
#punchneedle #woolrug #rugmaking  #kpambassadorsapr21 #sponsored #griefproject #handsoccupied #wrestlingfan #universalchampion #yarn #yarncraft #wool #needlepunch
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Copyright © 2021 / Foodie Pro Theme On Genesis Framework / Branding by Ink + Mortar
All Site & Shop Policies / Privacy Policy / Cookie Policy