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Hands Occupied

Contemporary yarn crafts by Heidi Gustad. Knitting, crochet, latch hook and macrame.

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diy fyi

How to Block a Knitting Project at Hands Occupied

How to Block a Knitting Project

March 18, 2014 4 Comments

Blocking is something I took years to start doing with finished knitting projects. Just like test swatches. It turns out that both can be pretty important as your knitting gets more sophisticated. Especially if you are making a wearable item, testing your yarn by knitting a sample swatch and blocking it is how you’ll establish a good fit. Here are the basics of how to block a knitting project.

These Colors Won't Run: How to set yarn color at Hands Occupied

These Colors Won’t Run

March 17, 2014 41 Comments

The basketweave baby blanket knitting pattern I shared recently was made with one of my favorite yarn colors ever. As much as I love the color, I noticed early on that it turned my fingers blue! Using a simple vinegar bath, I was able to keep my fingers dye-free and preserve the yarn color’s vibrance.

DIY FYI: Threading a Needle - How to thread a needle at Hands Occupied

DIY FYI: Threading a Needle

February 26, 2014 2 Comments

When I took an etextiles workshop last week, I was reminded that not everyone in the world can easily thread a needle. There are many people in this world (myself included when I have a tendonitis flare-up) who can’t grasp something as small as a piece of thread or hold it steadily enough to get it through a needle. Or maybe there’s a vision issue at play. Physical limitations aside, sometimes you’re just working with crazy thread! Read on for my top tip for getting your needle threaded so you can get down to DIY business!

How to Finger Knit, a.k.a. Crochet Without a Crochet Hook

DIY FYI: Finger Knitting

January 8, 2014 3 Comments

Add to your crafty toolkit by learning to finger knit, a super simple & useful skill!

DIY FYI: Starting a Skein of Yarn | Hands Occupied

DIY FYI: Starting a Skein of Yarn

November 20, 2013 3 Comments

Save yourself time and headaches by learning where to start working your skein of yarn.

Duct Tape Craft Tip | Hands Occupied

DIY FYI: Duct Tape Crafting Tip

November 13, 2013 1 Comment

A simple & effective way to deal with gummy scissors!

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Heidi Gustad from Hands Occupied / Craft Book Author and Knitting, Crochet, Latch Hook and Macrame Designer

Hi! I’m Heidi, an author, yarn craft designer and content creator specializing in knitting, crochet, latch hook & macrame. My work unapologetically features primary colors and vintage-meets-modern style. My first book, Latch Hook: 12 Projects for the Modern Maker, is now available!

Professionally I’m most known for: advanced intarsia knitting design & modern latch hook design.

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Latch Hook by Heidi Gustad

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handsoccupied

Craft book author & content creator in love with primary colors & vintage vibes. / #latchhookbook out now!
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knitting, crochet, latch hook & macramé

Heidi Gustad 🧶✂️
A look at the halo on the back of my wrestling-ins A look at the halo on the back of my wrestling-inspired punch needle project! It’s interesting to see how fuzzy the handspun beige yarn is compared with the primary color sections of @knit_picks Wool of the Andes Bulky. ❤️💛💙🤎 
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Pictured: The back of an in-progress punch needle project. A wooden punch needle tool sits on the work.
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#punchneedle #woolrug #rugmaking  #kpambassadorsapr21 #sponsored #griefproject #handsoccupied #wrestlingfan #universalchampion #yarn #yarncraft #wool #needlepunch
Happy Easter / One week til Wrestlemania! Finishin Happy Easter / One week til Wrestlemania! Finishing up the punch needling part of this crazy @wwe inspired project by tonight. 💪🏻🧶 Anybody else have crafty plans for this fine spring day? 
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Pictured: A blond woman sits, smiling and holding an in-progress punch needle project inspired by the Universal Championship belt. Houseplants are in the background and there’s lots of sun. 
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#punchneedle #griefproject #handsoccupied #heidigustad #wrestlingcrafts #wwe #universalchampion #universalchampionship #wool #wooloftheandes #primarycolors #oxfordpunchneedle
I'm finally starting to get some of my energy back I'm finally starting to get some of my energy back from the past few weeks, and as I dip my toe back into production mode, the long-promised seamed sweater knitting YouTube series is at the top of my list. I've got FOUR versions of a simple sweater I've been playing with since last JULY to feature as a free pattern for folks who want to knit along during the series. Pictured is the first prototype for the series, knit in 2 colors of @knit_picks Mighty Stitch yarn. I imagine this soon-to-be short sleeved number will come in handy as an emergency Waldo costume or Christmas sweater. 🌲 
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I've got my own list of topics I think folks would like to see in a series like this: things like tips for construction, working with vintage patterns, how to seam as invisibly as possible, and more, but as always, I'd love to hear from you: What scares you about knitting seamed sweaters? What would be helpful to cover, especially since we'll be doing more long form video content. I get so much positive feedback on my series of 20 minute+ intarsia tutorials, so I'm using those as a starting point as I produce this series. Seamed sweaters using vintage or self-improvised patterns are one of my favorite things on the planet, so I'm eager to share some seamed sweater skills with y'all super sweet folks. 😉 
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Pictured: A red and white striped, short sleeved sweater knit in pieces that have yet to be seamed. They are laid out on a yellow and orange colorblock background and one sleeve is yet to be bound off. 
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#handsoccupied #seamedsweater #kpambassadorsmar21 #sponsored #knitpicks #waldo #waldosweater #wip #yarncraft #yarn #knitting #knittersofinstagram #heidigustad #vintageknitting #sweaterknitting
Work continues this evening on my absurd punch nee Work continues this evening on my absurd punch needle pro wrestling inspired championship belt project. I’ve finished most of the front pretty quickly thanks to the @knit_picks Wool of the Andes Bulky yarn I’m using. For now, I’ve got a couple more weeks until Wrestlemania, & I’m on track to finish this in time! 
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The biggest question I have is what to do with the “plates” - the open circles in the picture. Should I try to closely replicate the Universal Championship belt or go rogue and make it wool themed? Please advise in the comments. ☺️🧶🙏🏻🐑 
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Pictured: The front of an in-progress punch needle project. A wooden punch needle tool with navy yarn running through it rests on top of the work. 
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#kpambassadorsmar21 #sponsored #knitpicks #punchneedle #rugmaking #primarycolors #punchneedlerughooking #punchneedlelove #wool #wip #yarncraft #yarn #yarnaddict
The latest Hands Occupied stitch tutorial features The latest Hands Occupied stitch tutorial features the Dimple Stitch & landed on YouTube last week... right in the midst of a bunch of life chaos. In the hubbub, I forgot to share the beautiful “wrong side” of the stitch. Isn’t it lovely? 😍 Read more about the hidden inner architecture that gives the Dimple Stitch its great depth on the blog & catch the video tutorial, both linked in bio. ✌🏻
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Pictured: The wrong side of a large swatch of dimple stitch knitting on a light blue background. It is knit in red wool yarn. 
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Yarn is @kelbournewoolens Germantown via @knit_picks. 🧶☺️
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#handsoccupied #stitchtutorial #kpambassadorsmar21 #sponsored #youtube #knitting #red #wool #knitter #knittersofinstagram
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