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Hands Occupied

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

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Stop, it’s recharge time!

January 8, 2021 4 Comments

Heidi from Hands Occupied wearing her primary colored version of the So Faded sweater by Andrea Mowry.
Wearing: my take on the So Faded sweater by Andrea Mowry.

Often at the beginning of a new year, I share a blog post rounding up the previous year and outlining what’s to come. However, this year I’m finding myself in need of a little break. A full time creative since 2016, I have very much learned the hard way how burnout can knock a person off their game for longer than if they’d just listened to themselves and taken a break when they needed it.

This past Monday marked the deadline for one of the bigger design projects of my career. Delighted to have made it through the year 2020 and make my deadline on time, I knew I wanted to take it easy. Often, especially when I’ve had a deadline, I end up with a backlog of emails and work to catch up on afterwards. This latest project was no exception.

@handsoccupied

No two dreams looks the same! Pursue the life you imagine, even if it involves llama pjs & yarn. 🦙🧶 ##learnontiktok ##tiktokpartner ##intarsia ##knit

♬ LIVE YOUR DREAM – mellowtone

Breaks are great!

I’ve been blogging since September of 2010. In the past, I would just plow through a post-deadline catch-up in a couple days, kidding myself that finishing a to do list was the way to assuage post-design-project depression (a real thing, tuns out!). Doing that for project after project, year after year, is a recipe for burnout, particularly when so many other anxiety-inducing things are happening on a seemingly-endless loop in real life.

For years, I didn’t realize how valuable breaks are, especially for creative work. This post is just a few paragraphs outlining why I’ll be MIA for a bit, but maybe if you’re a maker on the cusp of falling out of love with your craft this will resonate with you. At the end of the day, I’m just one person, and taking care of myself comes before work.

The Very Serious Crafts Podcast

Listen & subscribe to the Very Serious Crafts podcast, available wherever you get your podcasts!

Speaking of which, I’d be remiss not to mention The Very Serious Crafts Podcast. I have been a co-host of VSC since episode 2 of season 1, and it’s been a blast! At the end of season 3 a few weeks ago, I announced I’ll be stepping back from the podcast after this season. In our most recent free episode, I talk about how in addition to needing a bit of a break overall, I also have some minor medical issues that I need to make time to attend to, and I needed to let go of something to make the time. (Are we sensing the self-care theme for 2021 yet? 😆 )

You can listen to my last episode co-hosting The Very Serious Crafts Podcast below:

Heidi with a big intarsia knitting swatch.
Don’t you also take selfies with your intarsia swatches?

Intentional Time Off

Sometimes it’s helpful to commit intentions to “paper,” so I’ll wrap up this unusually personal blog post by doing just that. On this break, my big work goal is to zoom out and check in with the overall Hands Occupied universe to ensure that I’m aiming in my efforts in the right direction. It’s been ten years, and there’s a lot to unpack! I landed my recently-wrapped design project right as my book was coming out and I was reaching the ten year anniversary of Hands Occupied. In addition to overall new year planning, I want a minute to pause to plan what’s next. That’s a much harder task when you’re in the thick of swatches and gauge math, you know?

Yours in yarn,
Heidi ❤️

Filed Under: Life Tagged With: burnout, craft design, new year

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!

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Comments

  1. Cindy G.

    January 8, 2021 at 2:57 pm

    Heidi, I 100% support you taking a break to manage your mental and physical health. I will miss you on the VSC podcast. You crack me up with your humor and your comments that sometimes pop up in the background. I hope that your absence won’t be a permanent one. I am several weeks behind in my listening- I have been remote teaching, and the last few weeks have been from home. I’ll be heading back in to the building on Monday, so I can listen again on my commute! I wish you the best on your 2021 wellness journey!

    Reply
    • Heidi

      January 25, 2021 at 4:08 pm

      Thank you so much! <3 It was of course not long enough, but I'm glad to be back (on Hands Occupied at least) today! -Heidi

      Reply
  2. Dawn

    January 26, 2021 at 3:25 pm

    I’m sorry I’m just meeting you on your way out. I’m not sure how podcasts work either but I’ll try to figure it out so I can get to know you better. I’m interested in seeing your work and patterns and hear what you have to say about this craft. I learn everyday, even if I know the stitches I like to be shown again and see how others knit.
    I pray your medical situation is not serious but remember the Lord is in control with a path you can handle. Heidi thanks for sharing all you have shared to all your followers.
    Stay Safe
    Blessing
    Fredericksburg, Va

    Reply
    • Heidi

      January 26, 2021 at 8:33 pm

      Thank you! :)

      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), 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

Yarn craft designer & author. Into intarsia knits, latch hook, color & vintage-modern style.
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Heidi Gustad 🧶✂️
Sneaking in a few stitches in the shade. 😎 Sneaking in a few stitches in the shade. 😎
Another morning of filming! One of the knitting vi Another morning of filming! One of the knitting videos I’d like to release soon is a big overview of how to swatch and why - if you have any questions or favorite tips, let me know. 
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To be honest, I want to be able to link to this video as a resource when I get angry gauge questions, so please don’t hesitate to share your best tips. Together, we can tame the knitting Karens. 😆
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#stopswatchandblockit #handsoccupied #knitting #knittersofinstagram
A big issue I've had in the last year is putting t A big issue I've had in the last year is putting together new design work but not doing any independent releases of them. Chalk it up to anxiety, burn out, or whatever but here we are. 
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Last week I turned 35, so in honor of that here’s 3 things: 
❤️ a picture of me at my most stylish 
💛 a little glimpse at some of the design things I've recently been working on
💙a promise that I will be releasing some of the pictured designs this year. Getting back in the swing of things after taking it easy is hard 😆 - wish me luck!
Like a riding a bike! June guarded the neighborhoo Like a riding a bike! June guarded the neighborhood while I shot a new crochet tutorial today. With any luck, editing will go smoothly & I’ll be posting new videos to YouTube regularly soon! Got any requests for tutorial topics? 
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#handsoccupied #crochet #studiodog #crochettutorial
This yoke deserved a mid-blocking closeup, don’t This yoke deserved a mid-blocking closeup, don’t you think? ❤️💛💙
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Pattern: modified #soldotnacrop sweater / yarn: various from my stash
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