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Hands Occupied

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

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A knitter in Iceland

April 4, 2016 4 Comments

Iceland trip collage

Last month, my husband and I visited Iceland for ten days to celebrate our anniversary. During that time I kept up with Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter, and it was so nice to hear from those of you who enjoyed the updates! Since it turns out that there’s yarn just about everywhere you look in Iceland, I thought I’d share a roundup of all the wooly highlights (and a bit of scenery) from our trip. Lucky for all of us, my husband gets a kick out of watching me go all geek on yarn! That, and he’s getting handmade Icelandic sweater out of the deal. ;)

Let’s start with how amazing Iceland is. This might be common knowledge, but Iceland is a gorgeous country! I’ll just leave a couple of these right here…

A view of some of Iceland's many beautiful mountains from the Ring Road.

Heidi in Stuðalheiði, Iceland

Heidi in Stuðalheiði! 

A foggy day in Iceland.

A glacial lake in Iceland

Icelanders really know how to breakfast. Mmm, so much cheese, bread, tea and veggies! Kinda makes a girl want to get up early and start the day with a full meal on the regular…

A full spread at Icelandic breakfast.

Breakfast in Iceland consists of lots of fruit, cheese, bread and veggies!

We stayed on a sheep & horse farm for a couple of days, and I shot a bunch of video. Life has been really busy since we’ve been back, so as I work on the video, here’s a sneak peak of the beautiful horses we met on the farm to tide you over!

A video posted by Heidi Gustad (@handsoccupied) on Mar 11, 2016 at 2:49pm PST

An Icelandic sheep farm

Saved the best for last! Yarn! The crazy thing about Iceland is just how amazingly prevalent yarn is. You can find handspun yarn in boutiques, office supply stores, and even the grocery store! Tune in later this week for a closer look at my Icelandic yarn haul. :D

The Handknitting Association of Iceland store in Reykjavik

The Handknitting Association of Iceland store in Reykjavik
Gallerí Alþyðulist, a yarn shop in Skagafjörður, Iceland.
Gallerí Alþyðulist
The yarn section at A4 in Egilsstaðir, Iceland.
Yarn at the A4 in Egilsstaðir
The yarn section at a grocery store (Netto) near Höfn.
The yarn section at a grocery store (Netto) near Höfn.
PS: Don’t those look just like Knit Picks’ needles?
PPS: My favorite yarn label design of the trip is below, & it’s a Norwegian yarn called Smart.

Sandnes Garn's Smart yarn

Say it with me: lopapeysa. Lopapeysa is the name for the traditional Icelandic sweater. I’ll post more about what lopapeysas are when I finish the sweaters I’m making from some of the Icelandic yarn I bought there. For now, you can feast your eyes on some of the roughly one kergillion lopapeysas (pretty much all handmade, mind you) that were for sale everywhere around Iceland, from Reykjavik to Seydisfjordur.

An Icelandic Lopapeysa in a shop window in Skagafjörður - the road sign is a countrywide road sign symbol used to indicate where to find handmade items.

A rack of handmade Icelandic lopapeysa sweaters

The time I got a knitting tattoo. Yarn is such a big deal in Iceland that there’s a road sign symbol (pictured above) dedicated to where you can find handmade Icelandic crafts, most commonly knitwear. As soon as I realized that the sign we kept seeing on road signs did, in fact, indicate this (my initial thought was that it had to be too good to be true), I fell in love. I found an amazing tattoo artist in Reykjavik who used a special tattoo technique that involves hand poking the tattoo, which made it extra special and unique. I’m obsessed with how it turned out!

A video posted by Heidi Gustad (@handsoccupied) on Mar 16, 2016 at 7:26am PDT

Filed Under: Inspiration, Life Tagged With: iceland, iceland vacation, icelandic tourism, island, Knitting, lopapeysa, sheep, wool, yarn

About Heidi

Heidi Gustad (she/her) is a craft book author & designer specializing in yarn crafts. Her work combines vintage and modern design elements, prioritizing color and graphic motifs. Her first book, Latch Hook: 12 Projects for the Modern Maker, is out now.

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Comments

  1. Julie

    April 4, 2016 at 5:24 pm

    yarn in the supermarket?! My kind of country!! Looks like it was utterly amazing, and your tattoo choice is excellent!

    Reply
  2. LaurenS

    April 4, 2016 at 10:11 pm

    KnitPro is the brand name of Knitter’s Pride in Europe – FYI. Love the tattoo!

    Reply
    • Heidi

      April 5, 2016 at 7:20 am

      That makes total sense! Thanks for that! :D

      Reply
  3. Helene

    July 18, 2016 at 12:13 am

    Great hammer of Thor, that is pofulwelry helpful!

    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), 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 POV: Showing you how my new Bevelled Tank pattern fits with no ease vs. 4” of positive ease. There’s a bit more length to the cotton (brighter color) sample, but both are cropped and feature shoulder seams designed to sit an inch back onto the shoulder instead of on top, giving it a little swing. Length is easily adjustable for folks looking for less of a crop. 
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Pattern: Bevelled Tank by @handsoccupied for @pompommag x @hobbii_yarn summer 2024. Available for free from Hobbii at the 🔗 in my profile.
Yarn pictured: @kelbournewoolens Skipper and Camper. 
Dress form is adjusted to a 36” chest and ~5’3”ish in height. 
Human has a 40” chest and is 5’5”.
Both skirts are vintage.
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#pompomxhobbiisummer2024 #handsoccupied #intarsia #handmade #knitting #colorwork
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 After a 6 month hiatus, I am happy to say I’m back with a brand new pattern in 9 sizes, and it’s FREE as part of @pompommag x @hobbii_yarn’s summer design collection! (Link is in my bio.)
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In my December newsletter, I announced that I was soliciting test knitters for a pattern that had originally been selected for the summer ’24 issue of Pom Pom Quarterly magazine. However, the magazine ceased publication after its spring ’24 issue, leaving in-progress designs unpublished. (It happens.) As a result, I’d begun the long process of editing, testing, and photographing the pattern for independent release through the Hands Occupied pattern shop and Ravelry.
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Before I was done with that process, Pom Pom Quarterly’s former editors reached out with an exciting proposal for the pattern. Post-magazine, they’ve begun to partner with yarn companies to produce high quality pattern collections. They wanted to include designs from the would-be current issue of Pom Pom Quarterly in a new collection for Hobbii yarn, including my Bevelled Tank. I worked with the same technical editors I would have for the magazine on this one, and as you can see from the photos, Pom Pom’s team did an amazing job of styling the garment to the beautiful standards they’re known for.
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You can learn more about the pattern on my blog and get the free pattern from Hobbii yarn - links to both in my profile. I’ll post sizing info in the comments for quick reference too. 🧶
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#pompomxhobbiisummer2024 #knitting #intarsia #sponsored #colorworkknitting 
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Photos: @dianascarrunz 
Model: @angel.jade_
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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