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Hands Occupied

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

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It’s 2022 already?

February 9, 2022 1 Comment

Heidi (Hands Occupied) reacts in horror to the time.

In 2021, I wrote a total of ten blog posts. Back in the day, I’d churn out a couple of posts a week, no problem. Hundreds a year. Running the Hands Occupied blog was my part time, then full time job. As mentioned in the past, things have changed in the blogging world in the last 11 years, but more importantly, what I want to be doing creatively has evolved, especially since writing a book. I started Hands Occupied as a way to make crafting friends online after college. I didn’t realize that a lot of folks at the time came to blogging with the intent of it being a side hustle, a full time hustle, or even a path to a career. I thought I just wanted to make friends and develop my skills as a maker, but looking back now, there was a tiny voice inside, however cliche that may be, that really wanted to become a designer, maybe even in knitting and other yarn crafts. Like many, I didn’t think I was good enough. I was 23, I didn’t know what I wanted to do in general. I just knew I needed to use my considerable anxious energy on something for me outside of my traditional job. 

There was no Instagram, no Pinterest in 2010. (I remember feeling like it was a choice between a craft blog or Etsy shop at the time.) The word “algorithm” wasn’t something dropped in casual conversations. With my iPhone 3 in hand, I wanted to learn how to take good photos & make tutorial videos. That and honing basic web design skills – HTML, CSS, a dash of PHP and javascript – were what I hoped to do in addition to making some friends and some crafts. 

The last few years, amirite? 😅

Most of last year was about figuring out what direction I want to take professionally, especially digging into where my mental health and work overlap and how to balance it. Burnout needed to be dealt with, and I needed to decide what was next. Getting to write a book in late 2019/early 2020 was great! It marked off a bucket list item I didn’t believe was in reach, however, confronting the post-big-scary-project blahs (on top of Ye Olde Panini 🦠 ), took a lot more energy and time than I expected. To be fair to myself as well, there was a lot going on in my personal life. Notably, we lost both of our dogs in a 4 month window, starting the week my book came out, and ending the week of our tenth wedding anniversary. (Sorry I hadn’t written about it on the blog before this. It was hard to talk about for a long time, but as Storm & Woodrow made appearances here over the years, I would be remiss not to mention it.)

What’s Next

Those following along on social media know that I’ve been busy moving into a new studio space that’s slightly smaller and better suits my current needs. If you missed it, you can read about the studio move and my bittersweet farewell to the old space on Instagram.

Heidi (Hands Occupied) answers the phone with skepticism.

Since the book came out, I feel like I’ve been pretty quiet, including on social media, and there are folks here who have followed for years to whom I felt I owed a small explanation beyond “sorry to ghost! the last 2 years have been challenging for everyone, amirite?!” So that’s why my annual new year post is coming out now, and why I’ve been kinda quietly crafting on my own for the last year+ without sharing as much of the process as I might have before. It’s been a good break that has allowed me to physically heal some of my hand pain & find enough space to sort out what I want to be doing professionally as a maker.

This year, you can expect an evolved Hands Occupied. I’ve got my eye on releasing a small collection of knitting patterns, and the aforementioned crafting of the past 12-18 months has laid the foundation for what it’s going to be. Soon I’ll be sharing a mood board for the collection to give you a sense of where I’m going with that. Think accessible (!) intarsia with a vintage-meets-modern twist. (No one is surprised. 😆)

I also have a larger-scale latch hook art piece set to tackle next summer, so that will be a fun way to keep active with that work in a low-impact way. Maybe I’ll even start to sell finished tapestries in the Shop if there’s interest. The world is my oyster (which, it turns out, can be scary).

That’s far and away plenty from me. It’s a new year! Are there any tutorials you’re desperate to see from Hands Occupied in some way? (If there’s enough interest, you have my word I will try!) Would you like there to be ongoing YouTube content again? Are you into Instagram only these days? Don’t care about Pinterest anymore? Feel free to holler in the comments or email me at heidi-at-handsoccupied-dot-com. 

Yours in yarn,

Heidi 

P.S. I also need to start sending my email newsletter again, but it’ll be monthly instead of biweekly because I think that’s easier for me and what most email people want – less email. 🤓 The first newsletter in awhile will be coming out soon, so if you’re not already signed up, don’t forget to do so.

Filed Under: Life Tagged With: book, hands occupied, hands occupied studio, intarsia, knit design, latch hook

About Heidi

Heidi Gustad is a craft book author, designer & creator specializing in yarn crafts like knitting, crochet, latch hook & macramé. Her first book, Latch Hook: 12 Projects for the Modern Maker, is out now.

Previous Post: « Knitting with Disney… and Me!
Next Post: 2022 Mood Board / What is a mood board in knitting? »

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Comments

  1. Pamela

    February 9, 2022 at 11:31 am

    Great post! It’s good to hear what you’ve been up to and where you’re going. Congrats on your new craft/work space. I always look forward to your posts on IG (It’s the only social media I’m on) but take care of yourself and don’t feel pressured to live up to anyone’s standards except your own. And always be kind to yourself.

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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), 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 ⤵️

Heidi Gustad 🧶 knitting & yarn crafts
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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