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Hands Occupied

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

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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!

10 DIY Pillows to Perk Up Your Home | www.handsoccupied.com

Weekly Reader + Pillows to Perk Up Your Place!

May 16, 2014 1 Comment

I think pillows might be what DIY was invented for – they’re just so expensive at the store! Not only that, they can be homemade in a variety of ways by any level of DIYer. For real, if you only ever do one DIY, it should be a throw pillow or cushion or two to really make your place yours. Check out 10 of my recent favorite pillowy projects from the crafty blog world.

The Ultimate Mother's Day Gift Basket at Hands Occupied

The Ultimate Mother’s Day Gift Basket

May 1, 2014 1 Comment

What woman doesn’t love wine, chocolate, and a good book? When I found out I’d be teaming up with Dove® to design a Mother’s Day gift, I immediately texted my mom to get her input. She literally had their dark chocolate almond Promises in her purse when I texted. “That’s the good stuff!!” was her initial reaction. :) According to my mom, this chocolate goes great with red wine, so I figured I better listen to my mom and make a mother’s day gift the woman REALLY wants!

Weekly Reader 04.25.14 | Hands Occupied

Weekly Reader

April 25, 2014 3 Comments

Easter may be behind us now, but there are still so many ways to get inspired to DIY this spring. Cinco de Mayo is coming up fast, and there’s always room in any season to DIY some awesome jewelry! Other than getting inspired by the crafty internet to DIY, you can always jump in on the Knit Along I’ve got going on Hands Occupied, or you can throw your hat in on the ring to win a copy of Washi Wonderful for more great craft ideas. Read on for my favorite inspiration of the week.

Book Review | Washi Wonderful

Book Review & Giveaway | Washi Wonderful

April 22, 2014 15 Comments

In my library career, I’ve had the awesome opportunity to incorporate my craft life in a few different ways. Most notably, I get to design DIYs for my teens on a regular basis, and I’ve also been in charge of selecting craft books for a couple of my libraries’ collections. That means getting to pick out which titles get bought, cataloged and put on our shelves for people to check out and DIY with at home. It’s pretty fun! So when I was contacted about reviewing a book full of washi tape crafts, I was excited – I’ve always wanted the chance to review craft books on Hands Occupied!

Fleur de lis Bar Ring at Hands Occupied

Fleur de lis Bar Ring

April 21, 2014 2 Comments

This ring is fun to make and accessorize with. Bar rings can be a little challenging to DIY, but they’re so rad! Plus the copper color and fleur de lis design are totally hardcore, which makes this fun too. So heat up your glue guns and grab some strong adhesive to whip up a bar ring of your own.

Weekly Reader 04.18.14 | Hands Occupied

Weekly Reader

April 18, 2014 Leave a Comment

Easter weekend is finally upon us! And once again, the craft blog world did NOT disappoint. The decoupage bunny eggs and doodle eggs above are particular faves of mine from this whole Easter season. I wonder what will inspire the world’s DIYers next month? Mother’s Day? Spring gardening? I can’t wait to see what everyone posts next week!

Easter Egg Garland at Hands Occupied

Easter Egg Garland

April 17, 2014 Leave a Comment

This last minute Easter egg garland is super simple, festive, and adorable! It takes just a few minutes to make and only a handful of supplies. In past years I haven’t done too many Easter DIY projects, but I’m so glad I changed my habits this year. The trends are especially colorful and cute this season, I think that’s what got me so inspired!

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!

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

Heidi Gustad 🧶✂️
It’s been a hot second since I showed my face or It’s been a hot second since I showed my face or reintroduced myself, so here goes! I’m Heidi Gustad, a craft book author, pattern designer, and tutorial creator who specializes in yarn crafts. Lately, I’ve been focused on releasing quality knitting videos and related blog posts to help teach things like the difference between provisional cast ons and how to fix common knitting mistakes. Next week I’m shooting requested crochet and latch hook videos, so h👀kers, your time is coming! And if you ever have tutorial requests, please let me know. ☺️
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TLDR: I’m Heidi. I design & teach yarn crafts. You can find tutorials on my blog (est. 2010) & You2be. I also have several knitting & crochet patterns + a book about latch hook available. / All of these can be found on my website, the 🔗 is where you’d think. 
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#handsoccupied #fridayintroduction #heidigustad #knitting #knitter #knittersofinstagram #yarncrafts #latchhookbook
Are you a picker or a thrower? Do you knit Contine Are you a picker or a thrower? Do you knit Continental or English Style? Here’s a quick overview of the differences between the two most common knitting styles, including a side by side comparison. (A good one to save for future reference. 👍🏻) 
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There’s more on the differences between picking and throwing in my latest blog post & You 2ube video - the l1nk is where you’d think!
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#handsoccupied #learntoknit #knittingstyles #howtoknit #knittersofinstagram #knitter
Spent time with family this weekend down South. Go Spent time with family this weekend down South. Got some stitching in & felt spring for a minute, which was lovely. ☀️ 
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I’ll be catching up on comments, etc. tomorrow. 
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#handsoccupied #travelknitting #planeknitting
Which way do you knit? Picking, throwing, Portugue Which way do you knit? Picking, throwing, Portuguese, Shetland… how about lever style? 
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Today on the blog, we’re defining & comparing the two most common knitting styles: continental and throwing. They’re each known by a few names, and odds are one of them really is your grandmother’s knitting style (if she’s a western knitter that is). There’s a new video to help demonstrate the differences too. Another good one to save & share! 😉 
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#handsoccupied #continentalknitting #englishknitting #americanknitting #howtoknit
This past weekend, my husband and I visited family This past weekend, my husband and I visited family out of state. Here’s what I packed to keep my hands occupied for the drive. 😉 
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I try my hardest to be realistic about how much knitting I’m going to get done vs. the effort of schlepping my WIP(s) and yarn around. I definitely almost brought double this amount of yarn, which would have been hilariously unnecessary for a weekend trip. Why am I like this? 😆 Do you also struggle with overpacking when it comes to crafts? 
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#handsoccupied #travelknitting #knitting #knitter #knittersofinstagram #knitting_inspiration
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