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Hands Occupied

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

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Twinkle in Your Eye Sunglasses at handsoccupied.com

Twinkle in Your Eye Sunglasses

June 30, 2014 Leave a Comment

This DIY is so simple, easy and fun, you might just be tempted to make five pairs for yourself and one for each of your friends. Inspired by the glint in a hollywood cartoon smile and the twinkle in a mischievous eye, these cheeky sunglasses will add a pinch of fun flair to your summer wardrobe!

Easy No Slip Hangers - Free Crochet Pattern - handsoccupied.com

Easy No Slip Hangers

May 20, 2014 6 Comments

I have a couple of dresses I really love, but they’re always falling off their hangers. And like a lot of knitters & crocheters, I also have a LOT of scrap yarn laying around. With scrap sock yarn in particular, it can be hard to find a good use for the leftovers. Two problems? One solution – a simple crocheted band of yarn for my slippery dresses to latch on to. Plus, this DIY hack takes about 10 total minutes. Win, win, win!

Washi Tape Twist Ties at Hands Occupied

Washi Tape Twist Ties

April 14, 2014 4 Comments

At least in my neighborhood, twist ties are super hard to find!* And sometimes a DIY chick really just needs a couple of frigging twist ties to do her project right now. Such was the position I found myself in last week when it came time to do a final Easter project shoot (tune in Wednesday, btw), so I had to get creative. That’s when washi tape and craft wire from my stash came in very handy!

Dimensional Easter Egg Earrings DIY at Hands Occupied

Dimensional Easter Egg Earrings

April 2, 2014 Leave a Comment

I feel like Ms. Frizzle would 100% wear these earrings given half a chance. They’re about as festive as it gets, and they involve ribbon and sparkle. I’m a huge DIY accessory lover, and part of what I love is making accessories you might not find in stores. These, admittedly are totally cray, but for something I’ll wear for fun to an Easter brunch or egg hunt? Heck yes I’m going to hang a couple of sparkle Easter eggs on my ears! Maybe I’ll even pair them with my astro turf Peter Pan collar…

Knitting Needle (or Pencil) Case DIY

Knitting Needle Case DIY

March 26, 2014 5 Comments

These fun little knitting needle pouches can also be used as a pencil or crochet hook case!

Fun-mazing Jewelry DIYs via Hands Occupied

Fun-mazing Jewelry DIYs

March 25, 2014 Leave a Comment

Looking at these 6 ideas, aren’t you inspired? Yesterday I shared my take on a DIY jewelry project, these fun little crochet rings. Careful readers might remember my mentioning that I designed that pattern as part of a quarterly collab of 7 bloggers, all of whom have become my internet (and when we can work it out!) real life friends. Isn’t the internet amazing?

Glitter Polka Dot Notebook at Hands Occupied

Glitter Polka Dot Notebook

March 12, 2014 7 Comments

There are some new glitter-friendly stencils at Michaels these days, designed by my good friend (and all around really great lady) Amy from Mod Podge Rocks! They are peel and stick stencils, do you don’t have to worry about leakage under the stencil as you use them. I whipped up this polka dot notebook in no time, and I’m looking forward to gifting it to a creative friend who loves sketching as much as I love DIYing.

Stenciled Rainbow Shamrocks Glass for St. Patrick's Day

Rainbow Shamrocks Glass

March 10, 2014 Leave a Comment

St. Patrick’s Day is just around the corner, but there’s still time to get your rainbowy/gold/leprechaun/shamrock crafting on! I like this project because it’s a festive craft that’s pretty easy to accomplish without investing an obscene amount of time. It’s a great way to practice your stenciling, which I find to be a pretty handy DIY skill for everything from home decor to party crafts to handmade jewelry.

Pinch Me Pendant for St. Patrick's Day

Pinch Me Pendant for St. Patrick’s Day

March 3, 2014 2 Comments

Today’s easy metal stamping DIY takes just minutes to make and is super cute. It’s also a little more subtle than a giant Kiss Me, I’m Irish button, right? :)

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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 🧶✂️
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. 😉
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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. 
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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?! 
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Here’s to keeping it clean for a few weeks! 🧶 
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#handsocupied #handsoccupiedstudio #craftroom #craftroomorganization #craftroomstorage #yarncraft #knitter #crocheter #latchhook #latchhookbook
It’s a disaster in here and my video microphone It’s a disaster in here and my video microphone isn’t cooperating, but it could be worse! How’s your day? 
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(If we haven’t yet met, I’m Heidi and I’m a pattern designer and tutorial creator specializing in yarn crafts like knitting & latch hook. You can learn more about my work and regularly find new tutorials in my profile. ☺️👋🏻)
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#handsoccupied #craftstudio #knitter #yarncrafter
How to knit a one-row buttonhole 🧶 . Sweater k How to knit a one-row buttonhole 🧶 
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Sweater knitters, listen up! Learn how to knit a buttonhole over the course of a single row of knitting, a.k.a. a one-row buttonhole. In this technique, a combination of binding off and casting on stitches on opposite sides of the work creates a symmetrical, stretchy buttonhole. 
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The time limit on these is 90 seconds, so this quick tutorial is perfect to save for future reference. (Did you know you can make folders of saved items like tutorials? 👩🏼‍🏫) 
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If you’re brand new to the technique or want to see this demonstration slower and more in-depth, my bl0g and You/2be are the place to be. Thanks for watching & let me know if you have any questions or requests for future tutorials in the comments. ☺️
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#handsoccupied #knitting #onerowbuttonhole #learntoknit #sweaterknitting #knittutorial #knitting_inspiration
One-row buttonholes are one of a few common ways t One-row buttonholes are one of a few common ways to knit a buttonhole. Created using a combination of binding off and casting on stitches over the course of a single row, this technique is one you’ll come back to again and again, and bonus: it’s not wildly challenging. 
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Find a brand new video tutorial for knitting one-row buttonholes and a post with other useful buttonhole resources on the bl0g, 🔗 in bi0.
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#handsoccupied #onerowbuttonhole #knitting #sweaterknitting #buttonhole #knittersofinstagram
It was quiet last week as I’ve been working on a It was quiet last week as I’ve been working on a few behind the scenes projects, including filming a bunch. The goal: tutorials most weeks!
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I also put some time into neglected design projects, in particular the pattern collection I began working on back in 2022. As I work on the samples, you’ll be seeing some sneak peeks here and there in my feed. ☺️
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The other thing occupying my time: I got an iPad to try digital planning and keep my design notes more organized, not to mention digitized. (Paper scribbling just ain’t it after 12 years.) If anyone has tips for how to make the most of digital planning as a crafter / knitter, I’d love to hear them! Accounts to follow, apps, must-know hacks for crafters - I’m excited to learn it all! 👩🏼‍🏫
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#handsoccupied #knitting #knittingtutorial #digitalplanning #knitdesign
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