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

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Moving in to the Hands Occupied Studio

January 22, 2019 5 Comments

Take a first look inside the new, first-ever Hands Occupied Studio in Chicago.

Folks, 2019 is off to a rip-roaring start! I’ve been hustling my little buns off, as my mother would say, as I move into my first-ever studio space. Active Instagram followers have been following along over the last few weeks (see the behind-the-scenes highlights here) as I got my keys, packed up my craft stuff, and moved it all into the space. As of this writing, there’s still a ways to go, but I can officially work from the space! Let’s take a tour of my little creative corner of the universe, and talk about my vision to build a sense of community in the space as well. (Once a Librarian, always a Librarian, what can I say? <3 )

Take a first look inside the new, first-ever Hands Occupied Studio in Chicago.

A sense of community

The Hands Occupied Studio is located at 3323 W Diversey Ave. in Chicago. Near the Logan Square Blue Line train station & the Kimball/Milwaukee/Diversey intersection (and all of the bus routes therein), Chicagoans and Chicago visitors have easy access to the space. While Hands Occupied Studio is where I’ll get my work done, I also invite you to come visit the space (read on for upcoming events!). To start, I want to expand upon the monthly craft meet-ups we did last year at the Logan Theatre.

Take a first look inside the new, first-ever Hands Occupied Studio in Chicago.

First up, the Hands Occupied Studio is located in a building with a bunch of other studio spaces, so we have some fantastic neighbors, including other handmade businesses. On Friday, February 1 from 6-10 p.m., my studio neighbors are having an open studio event, so I figured that was as good a time as any to have our official Hands Occupied Studio Warming! Stop by to say hi, check out the Studio, help make a community weaving project as our first official, creative act in the space, and enjoy some refreshments. (My husband has forbidden strongly encouraged me not to go crazy with themed foods and over-the-top decorations as I’m wont to do, but… we’ll see!)

Starting Wednesday, February 6, we’re going to have a weekly craft night in the Studio from 6-9 p.m. As always, all crafts are welcome, but the nice change – that I know meet-up regulars will be excited about – is the fact that this will be BYO everything! Drinks (adult or otherwise), snacks, and crafts are welcome! If your craft is a little messy, feel free to drop me a line and we’ll figure out how to accommodate it. P.S. The Studio and bathrooms are all ADA-accessible!

Take a first look inside the new, first-ever Hands Occupied Studio in Chicago.

Beyond the next few weeks, I hope to start hosting regular workshops in the space too! I still definitely need to finish setting up the space and get in to the swing of things (i.e. catch up on what I’m behind on from the big move), but stay tuned for more on this! :)

Take a first look inside the new, first-ever Hands Occupied Studio in Chicago.
Since I always get asked, that phone is a business card holder I made from a dial-less, vintage phone from the USSR. I got the phone from an Etsy seller based in Ukraine several years ago. 
Take a first look inside the new, first-ever Hands Occupied Studio in Chicago.
Maybe some day this cart will become a crafty Little Free Library-inspired situation… 

The day-to-day

In terms of the mundane side of running Hands Occupied, my day to day routine has already been significantly improved with the Studio. The freelance work I cobble together to make Hands Occupied work as a full time job continues to involve more and more photo and video creation. A big gift the Studio gives me personally is the ability to take photos and video in natural light for more hours of the day! I live in a basement apartment (which I love) that’s under 1,000 square feet. And I’ve been working full time from this space, not to mention living here, for almost 2.5 years. A change of scene for the working part of my day has been more than welcome!

Beyond the public-facing stuff, this studio project has been a really great way to get me out of my own head and (mostly) give my hands a rest. As mentioned in some posts at the end of last year, on Instagram here and there, on the Very Serious Crafts Podcast, and in my newsletter, I have a relatively new arthritis diagnosis. I’m waiting on some more appointments and opinions and all of that fun stuff, but the Hands Occupied Studio has been a great place to channel my anxiety about my body functioning differently than it has in the past. At the end of the day, I need to spend less time with my hands occupied with crafts. I’m hoping that building a community around the Hands Occupied Studio will be a beautiful way to facilitate creativity, connect with more fiber friends, marry my dormant Librarian skills with my craft career, and find a way to turn something discouraging into a big positive. Will you join me on this journey?

Take a first look inside the new, first-ever Hands Occupied Studio in Chicago.

Filed Under: Hands Occupied Studio, Workshops & Events Tagged With: arthritis, chicago, events, hands occupied studio, studio

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. Valerie

    January 22, 2019 at 5:20 pm

    Congratulations! I love that you will have so much natural light–especially after working from your basement apartment.. (We have our winter drapes on the windows and it makes it so dark in our house.)

    Reply
    • Heidi

      January 23, 2019 at 9:40 pm

      Absolutely! I think I might have over-corrected, but you know what? It’s January, seasonal affective disorder is real, and between the lovely light and the exercise of moving, I’m so galvanized to keep going! :)

      Reply
  2. Heidi

    January 27, 2019 at 9:16 pm

    I’m so excited for the natural light too! It’s already proving quite nice. <3 :)

    Reply
  3. Julia

    January 28, 2019 at 9:03 am

    I am so excited for you! Are you considering hosting any weekend events in your new studio space? I’m in the Chicago area but weeknights are hard for me to get in to the city. Best of luck with the new endeavor!

    Reply
    • Heidi

      January 29, 2019 at 9:28 pm

      Thanks so much! And yeah! I’m hoping to do workshops and other events. I’m also open to ideas! :D

      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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Craft book author & pattern designer ❤️💛💙
knitting, crochet, latch hook & macramé
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Please email for pattern support. 🧶

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Working on a sample for some upcoming videos. It’s an overcast day with intermittent sunshine & I have a scruffy little sidecar. 🐶 Can’t complain! 
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What’s on your needles this week? 
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Yarn: @debbieblissknits Cashmerino Aran 
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#handsoccupied #knitting #knittinglife
Peg boards and craft room organization go together Peg boards and craft room organization go together like peanut butter and jelly. So, as you can see, do latch hook tools and screwdriver organizers! 🪛 
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I think this trick translates to any tool with a thick handle, so leather working tools, punch needles, print making tools, etc. should work! What other tools am I, a needlecrafter, blanking on right now? 
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#craftorganization #handsoccupied #latchhook #latchhooking
Pegboard storage is my favorite for craft supplies Pegboard storage is my favorite for craft supplies, so getting a few hung in my new studio has been a priority. Here’s my first attempt. 🔨 
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Details: This pegboard panel is for organizing my knitting needles, latch hook tools, sewing thread, etc. It doesn’t need to hold much weight, so I didn’t anchor this into a stud - just used basic drywall anchors. I’ve also got a set of two 2’x4’ panels for another spot in my studio, and those will need a stud/more than 3 drywall anchors. Wish me luck! 
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[description: video features a woman hanging a panel of pegboard using a square dowel and drill]
It’s time for the annual Hands Occupied new year It’s time for the annual Hands Occupied new year update, and for the first time in years, I feel like I have some clarity about what I’m doing next. ❤️ Head to the blog to read all about it, the 1ink is where you’d think. 
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#handsoccupied #knitting #creativeburnout
June’s face is giving, “What fresh heck is thi June’s face is giving, “What fresh heck is this?” 😆
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June’s big ears can get cold in winter, so I’m improvising a doggie ear warmer/hood for her. What are the odds she tries to shred it immediately when it’s done? 
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#knitting #knittingfordogs #handsoccupied #schneagle #wipwednesday #wip
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