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Hands Occupied

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

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Little Hats, Big Hearts in the News

February 26, 2015 Leave a Comment

Little Hats, Big Hearts in the News | Hands Occupied

There was a moment yesterday when I realized my healthy heart was full. Despite the front page news about Chicago’s mayoral election, a story ran on page 9 of the Chicago Tribune featuring something I’m quite passionate about. Something I wasn’t sure I’d ever be able to talk about in public, let alone on this blog in August and again in January. For those of you who remember those posts, you’ll remember it was about the sudden death of my cousin nearly 9 years ago.

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.

Red Hearts Hat for Preemies

Those posts were also about something called Little Hats, Big Hearts™, a campaign to get handmade little red hats onto the heads of newborns born in the month of February, a.k.a. National Heart Month. The little hats are given to new parents along with an info packet to help them learn more about congenital heart defects and the serious risks they pose.

I’m not one to share my cousin’s story lightly, but I decided to take the plunge because it was time I did what I could through this small corner of the internet to raise awareness about this issue. I came across the knitting and crochet-focused campaign in the month that marked 8 years since my cousin’s passing. It seemed almost like a sign that I was in a position to help do something good despite the tragedy that had happened. I wrote blog posts explaining the campaign that featured free patterns for Red Hearts Hats for newborns and for preemies. Yesterday, the Chicago Tribune published an article about the campaign and I was asked to share a little bit of why I volunteer with it myself.

Red Hats for Newborns Pattern at handsoccupied.com

Red Hearts Hat for Newborns & Toddlers

You can read the full article here, and the excerpt with my quotes is below.

… Heidi Gustad, 27, knit a half-dozen miniature hats for the campaign. She’s been knitting since her grandma taught her when she was just 8 years old, she said.

Nine years ago, her 18-year-old cousin Courtney — no relation to Schullo’s friend — died unexpectedly. The autopsy revealed an undiagnosed heart defect as the cause.

“The way she died was so out of the blue,” Gustad said. “No one had any idea that she had this condition. Had our family known, she might still be alive. She’s the reason I knew, right away, that I wanted to get involved.”

Gustad designed patterns for the hats and knitted them while watching movies.

Months later, on a clear day in February, one of her hats was delivered to 3-month-old Lincoln Baisch. …

A big high five to the Tribune for highlighting the campaign. To find out if there’s a place to donate hats in your area, visit heart.org/littlehatsbighearts for a list of donation cities as well as info on how to get a drive going near you!

Filed Under: Knitting & Crochet Tagged With: american heart association, chicago tribune, donate hats, hats campaign, heart health, heart month, little hats big hearts, red hats for newborns, red hearts hat

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.

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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

Craft book author, designer & creator specializing in yarn crafts like knitting, crochet, latch hook & macramé
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Heidi Gustad 🧶✂️
Lol what have I done? 😅🫣😂 Only the back, Lol what have I done? 😅🫣😂 Only the back, sleeves & collar to go! 
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#handsoccupied #intarsia #knitting #knittersofinstagram #handknitting #seamedsweater #wip #wipwednesday #knitlove
Nobody panic. This is just the back of an (admitte Nobody panic. This is just the back of an (admittedly insane) intarsia project. One day, this will be a seamed sweater, but today is not that day. 🧶 
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Have a good weekend, everyone! 
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Yarn: @universal_yarn’s Fibra Natura Cobblestone in Antarctica & Dragon’s Breath 
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#handsoccupied #intarsia #intarsiaknitting #wip #knitting
Here’s how to work a Norwegian purl stitch for e Here’s how to work a Norwegian purl stitch for easier continental style knitting. With this purling method, the working yarn says tensioned (held) at the back of your knitting at all times. For many knitters, always holding the yarn at the back helps with tension issues, as well as feeling a little more comfortable. 
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Have you ever encountered this style of purling before? If you’ve tried it, have you found it helps with your purl tension and knitting speed? I’m curious.
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For a written tutorial, visit handsoccupied-dot-com. For video, you guessed it, You2be. Both of these platforms allow for longer, more in-depth versions of this tutorial, including full transcripts, alt text & the ability to pause, slow down or speed up at will. (Like if you really want to learn this, I recommend using a platform that doesn’t keep your hands occupied. Thinking of putting this in all my captions these days tbh - shout out to you if you made it this far. 🙌🏻😂)
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#handsoccupied #learntoknit #continentalknitting #howtoknit #norwegianpurl #norwegianknitting #knit #knitting #knitter #knittersofinstagram #knittinghack  #handknitting #handknit #norwegianpurling
Have you ever tried this style of purl? . All thi Have you ever tried this style of purl? 
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All this recent talk about throwing vs. continental style knitting made it clear many people struggle with purling in continental knitting. Turns out that Norway may have the answer! In Norwegian purling, the working yarn stays tensioned at the back at all times, helping with speed and tension. 🤯
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Head to the bl0g (🔗 in bi0) for a more in-depth look at how to work a Norwegian purl stitch, including a photo tutorial with animated GIF & a video tutorial. Wrapping your mind around how to work a stitch you’re familiar with in a totally new way can be confusing, so I tried to give a few options for clarity. 🤙🏻 Video is also on You2be. 
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#handsoccupied #norwegianpurl #norwegianknitting #norwegianpurling #continentalknitting #howtoknit #learntoknit #knitterofinstagram #knitters
It’s been a hot second since I showed my face or It’s been a hot second since I showed my face or reintroduced myself, so here goes! I’m Heidi Gustad, a craft book author, pattern designer, and tutorial creator who specializes in yarn crafts. Lately, I’ve been focused on releasing quality knitting videos and related blog posts to help teach things like the difference between provisional cast ons and how to fix common knitting mistakes. Next week I’m shooting requested crochet and latch hook videos, so h👀kers, your time is coming! And if you ever have tutorial requests, please let me know. ☺️
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TLDR: I’m Heidi. I design & teach yarn crafts. You can find tutorials on my blog (est. 2010) & You2be. I also have several knitting & crochet patterns + a book about latch hook available. / All of these can be found on my website, the 🔗 is where you’d think. 
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#handsoccupied #fridayintroduction #heidigustad #knitting #knitter #knittersofinstagram #yarncrafts #latchhookbook
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