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

Hands Occupied

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

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

    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • TikTok
    • YouTube

Recap: The Very Serious Crafts Podcast Live from Chicago!

February 27, 2019 Leave a Comment

The hosts of the Very Serious Crafts Podcast (from left to right): Heidi Gustad (Hands Occupied), Mollie Johanson (Wild Olive) & Haley Pierson-Cox (Red-Handled Scissors)
The hosts of the Very Serious Crafts Podcast: Heidi Gustad (Hands Occupied), Mollie Johanson (Wild Olive) & Haley Pierson-Cox (Red-Handled Scissors)

A couple of crafty friends and I started a podcast last spring called the Very Serious Crafts Podcast. Every other week, you can listen to Mollie, Haley and I talk about everything from translating knitting gauge into graph paper to shameful tales of crafts gone wrong. Nine months into this adventure, we managed to book and sell out (!) our first live show. Since the show took place a month ago and the recording is officially available in our podcast feed (season 2, episode 4 to be specific), I figured it’s about time I shared a bit from that fun and somewhat terrifying day!

Part 1: Live Recording

Recap: The Very Serious Crafts Podcast Live from Chicago

First up, shout out to Chicago Public Library (And Librarian Amanda especially) for having us! Our show was at the Harold Washington Library Center, a.k.a. the main branch of Chicago Public Library, on Saturday 1/26. The first hour of our program consisted of a live recording of an episode (which you can listen to here). Mollie, Haley & were all a little intimidated, but we had so much fun. We kicked off the episode by discussing & passing around our favorite weird vintage craft items. As a nod to our venue, we next shared some of the craft books that informed our development as makers. Then we wound things up with a round of our beloved Train of Shame series, which basically consists of sharing stories about crafty failures (think perpetually unfinished projects, disastrous outcomes – that sort of thing).

Recap: The Very Serious Crafts Podcast Live from Chicago

Part 2: Serious crafting with our audience

When we brainstormed what exactly a Very Serious Crafts live show would look like, it was important to all 3 of us to include some sort of make and take craft project. In retrospect we were probably a little ambitious to tackle recording an episode PLUS three separate crafting tables at a single live show, but it was fun! We are all craft designers, so we each came up with something that could be sewn or appliquèd onto a felt coffee sleeve.

Recap: The Very Serious Crafts Podcast Live from Chicago

Mollie not only made all the sleeves everyone got to work with and take home, but she designed an embroidery transfer in the Very Serious Crafts font. It’s SO GOOD!

Recap: The Very Serious Crafts Podcast Live from Chicago
Recap: The Very Serious Crafts Podcast Live from Chicago

Just for fun, I wondered if it would be possible to make latch hook a very cozy coffee sleeve. It is! ;) Some day my latch hook evangelizing will make everyone as excited about making shag rugs as I am, haha!

And Haley, being a whiz with English paper piecing, designed a cute coffee sleeve featuring appliquè hexagons. Her corner of the room was a rainbow fabric lover’s dream!

Recap: The Very Serious Crafts Podcast Live from Chicago

Truly, it’s been a whirlwind month since the Very Serious Crafts live show in Chicago, and I can hardly believe it happened at all! Thank you so much if you were able to come out on that cold day. Hopefully we can do one again soon. <3

Don’t forget to listen to the live show! And check out our show notes for the live show to see pictures of our vintage crafts and find links to the crafty books that made us!

Filed Under: Inspiration Tagged With: chicago public library, craft podcast, live podcast, podcast, very serious crafts

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: « Picks of the Week
Next Post: Andean Sun Baby Alpaca Yarn Review & Giveaway »

Reader Interactions

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

  • The Very Serious Crafts PodcastThe Very Serious Crafts Podcast
  • Picks of the WeekPicks of the Week
  • How-to: Home Scheduler BoardHow-to: Home Scheduler Board
  • Picks of the WeekPicks of the Week

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 (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.

EMAIL NEWSLETTER

Never miss a tutorial with these short & sweet monthly updates.

Find Me on Social Media

  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • TikTok
  • YouTube
Latch Hook by Heidi GustadDiscover Unique Items

Footer

INSTAGRAM

handsoccupied

Craft book author, designer & creator specializing in yarn crafts like knitting, crochet, latch hook & macramé
❤️ Email preferred

Heidi Gustad 🧶✂️
Weekend knitting design aftermath. Remember kids, Weekend knitting design aftermath. Remember kids, it’s always good to stop, swatch and block it. 🧶
.
#stopswatchandblockit #handsoccupied
Learn how to do the magic loop method for knitting Learn how to do the magic loop method for knitting in the round in 90 seconds. / Using the magic loop allows knitters to work in the round with a single, long circular needle at a range of circumferences. 
.
For a longer, full-width & more detailed overview of magic loop knitting, check out my u2be & b1og, the 🔗🔗 are where you’d think. 🧶
.
#handsoccupied #magicloop #knitting #howtoknit #learntoknit #knitter #knittinginspiration #knittinginstagram #knittingintheround
Since it won’t be clean for long, swipe to see w Since it won’t be clean for long, swipe to see what my home studio looks like these days. Nothing will ever quite be like the old Hands Occupied Studio, but I’m pretty pleased with how I shoehorned everything in this space. Function over form + a layer of yarn cuteness-meets-chaos is how I’d describe my creative space needs. 😆 When I was still renting the studio, those needs included “doesn’t rain suspicious brown water from a crack in the ceiling for a year,” so this is an improvement! 😆
.
For a time lapse of the studio organizing and tszuj-ing process, scroll down a couple posts on my feed. (There’s also a video or two featuring the old studio if you’re curious.) Happy June, friends! 
.
#handsoccupied #handsoccupiedstudio #knitdesigner #craftdesign #yarncrafts #latchhook #makerlife #heidigustad #chicagocrafter
Who doesn’t love magic loop knitting? Who doesn’t know what it is? How about when circular needles were invented?
.
In todays new bl0g post + video tutorial, you’ll learn about the magic loop method for knitting in the round, how to do it and why to use it, and when it came to be. The 🔗 is in my b1o. 🧶 
.
#handsoccupied #magicloop #knitting #howtoknit #knittinginspiration #knittingintheround
Finally organizing & putting the finishing touches Finally organizing & putting the finishing touches on my home studio. After losing my studio space last fall, it’s feels really great to *occupy* this new space all the way. 😉
.
I started by removing general clutter & returning straggler supplies from various WIPs, videos & design deadlines to their homes. Next, I hung a third peg board in the space - this one is mostly for display and less for organizing tools or projects. For the first time ever, I’m displaying projects from my book, plus a couple other faves. (The best thing about designing more yarn crafts besides knit & crochet is that I have some really fun -and delightfully pettable 😆- samples around.) I finished by adding a square dowel to my small supply storage tower to keep it from tipping over, plus re-arranging and de-cluttering the closet. 
.
This cleaner space already has me feeling so much more creative and less overwhelmed. Now to find a safe spot in the basement for the tower of project samples in Rubbermaid tubs I liberated from my WIPs closet. Also why are there five?! 
.
Here’s to keeping it clean for a few weeks! 🧶 
.
#handsocupied #handsoccupiedstudio #craftroom #craftroomorganization #craftroomstorage #yarncraft #knitter #crocheter #latchhook #latchhookbook
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Copyright © 2023 / Foodie Pro Theme On Genesis Framework / Branding by Ink + Mortar
All Site & Shop Policies / Privacy Policy / Cookie Policy