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Hands Occupied

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 (she/her) is a craft book author & designer specializing in yarn crafts. Her work combines vintage and modern design elements, prioritizing color and graphic motifs. 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), and I’ve been helping yarn crafters untangle various techniques on the internet since 2010. I got my start here, as a blogger, and since then I’ve shared more than a few tutorials here and on YouTube as I’ve grown as a pattern designer. 🧶 

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Heidi Gustad 🧶 knitting & yarn crafts

handsoccupied

Knitting & yarn crafts designer 🧶
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Stay up-to-date 💌 & shop new patterns ⤵️

POV: Showing you how my new Bevelled Tank pattern POV: Showing you how my new Bevelled Tank pattern fits with no ease vs. 4” of positive ease. There’s a bit more length to the cotton (brighter color) sample, but both are cropped and feature shoulder seams designed to sit an inch back onto the shoulder instead of on top, giving it a little swing. Length is easily adjustable for folks looking for less of a crop. 
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Pattern: Bevelled Tank by @handsoccupied for @pompommag x @hobbii_yarn summer 2024. Available for free from Hobbii at the 🔗 in my profile.
Yarn pictured: @kelbournewoolens Skipper and Camper. 
Dress form is adjusted to a 36” chest and ~5’3”ish in height. 
Human has a 40” chest and is 5’5”.
Both skirts are vintage.
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#pompomxhobbiisummer2024 #handsoccupied #intarsia #handmade #knitting #colorwork
Let’s talk about fit and ease! . During the Beve Let’s talk about fit and ease!
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During the Bevelled Tank design process for @pompommag, I knit 2 samples using 2 different @KelbourneWoolens yarns. One was in Skipper (100% cotton, second photo) and the other was in Camper (100% 2 ply wool). The Skipper sample was knit for a 36” bust, which measures in at 40” with 4” of positive ease. And I knit the Camper Sample for my 40” bust with a 44” finished measurement. (BTW, I’m 5’5” for folks that find that measurement helpful in visualizing fit.)
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Based on the size chart for the Bevelled Tank, that means I knit one size 3 sample and one size 4. As designed, I conveniently fit a size 4 as intended with 4” of positive ease. When I wear the 3, there is no ease at all because the garment and my body are both 40” in size. Comparing the 2 garments, you can see how the fiber content (cotton vs. wool) and fit (no ease vs. 4” of positive ease) makes a difference in the look and feel of the finished garment. 
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These samples are a great way to compare what ease looks like on different bodies. While I can fit both a size 3 and 4, the garment with no ease feels more like pajamas or a bralette when I wear it. On the other hand, when I wear the one with 4” of positive ease, I feel comfortable enough to wear it to work, even as a crop top. Plus, it leaves me with enough room to layer it with a nice button down if I’m not feeling the cropped look one day. 
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I’m curious - how would you style this tank? Would you modify it with a few stockinette rows for added length? I’m so curious now that this pattern is finally out in the world. :) 
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#pompomxhobbiisummer2024 #bevelledtank #handsoccupied #knitting #intarisa #handmade #kelbournewoolens #croppedsweater #summerknits
After a 6 month hiatus, I am happy to say I’m ba After a 6 month hiatus, I am happy to say I’m back with a brand new pattern in 9 sizes, and it’s FREE as part of @pompommag x @hobbii_yarn’s summer design collection! (Link is in my bio.)
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In my December newsletter, I announced that I was soliciting test knitters for a pattern that had originally been selected for the summer ’24 issue of Pom Pom Quarterly magazine. However, the magazine ceased publication after its spring ’24 issue, leaving in-progress designs unpublished. (It happens.) As a result, I’d begun the long process of editing, testing, and photographing the pattern for independent release through the Hands Occupied pattern shop and Ravelry.
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Before I was done with that process, Pom Pom Quarterly’s former editors reached out with an exciting proposal for the pattern. Post-magazine, they’ve begun to partner with yarn companies to produce high quality pattern collections. They wanted to include designs from the would-be current issue of Pom Pom Quarterly in a new collection for Hobbii yarn, including my Bevelled Tank. I worked with the same technical editors I would have for the magazine on this one, and as you can see from the photos, Pom Pom’s team did an amazing job of styling the garment to the beautiful standards they’re known for.
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You can learn more about the pattern on my blog and get the free pattern from Hobbii yarn - links to both in my profile. I’ll post sizing info in the comments for quick reference too. 🧶
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#pompomxhobbiisummer2024 #knitting #intarsia #sponsored #colorworkknitting 
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Photos: @dianascarrunz 
Model: @angel.jade_
Here’s a nice throwback for you: my take on a vi Here’s a nice throwback for you: my take on a vintage knitting pattern from 1938 called the Fernlace Pullover. A pattern so nice, I knit it twice.
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Yellow version 💛: knit with Despondent Dyes’ Vintage Vixen Sport after attending a @squidneyknits vintage knitting retreat in 2019 & learning *so much*. Paired with a self-drafted circle skirt pattern. 
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Blue version 💙: knit with @eweeweyarns Ewe So Sporty in Sky Blue. Paired with the 1940s Boardwalk Duet sewing pattern from @decades_of_style 
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Head to my stories for 🔗🔗 to the handmade wardrobe blog posts I wrote about each take on the Fernlace Pullover, working with a vintage pattern, where to find vintage patterns (including the one I used), & some thoughts on sizing. 
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Image descriptions available in alt text. 
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#handsoccupied #handmadewardrobe #fernlacepullover #vintageknitting #vintageknittingpatterns #knitting_inspiration
Frogging is a word in the knitting world that mean Frogging is a word in the knitting world that means to rip out your knitting. It’s called frogging because frogs say “ribbit,” and when you’re tearing out your knitting, you will “rip it” out, and that sounds like ribbit. No really. 🐸 Did you know this fun fact? 
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P.S. I did like this design concept, but to make the pattern more knitter friendly as well as more wearable, I am making some tweaks to the construction. Excited to share when it’s ready! 🥰🧶
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Yarn: @blueskyfibers Woolstok North in Morning Frost & Highland Fleece 
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#handsoccupied #knitting #frogging #blueskyfibers #knittersofinstagram #blueskymakers #knittingvocabulary #bsfmakers #knitdesign
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