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Hands Occupied

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

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Lately | August 2014 at handsoccupied.com

Lately

August 13, 2014 Leave a Comment

Some blogs do a wordless Wednesday series. I’m a little too insecure with my photo skills to make it a weekly thing, but today I’d like to attempt to share some personal stories through mostly photos. These are all snaps I took during a recent trip home to North Dakota/Minnesota and around my apartment this summer. Brace yourselves for lots of dogs and grandmas and general homeyness. Enjoy!

5 Easy Ways to Combat Dog Cabin Fever

5 Ways to Combat Dog Cabin Fever

January 27, 2014 2 Comments

Crazy cold weather can drastically reduce the options for entertaining your pooches. Especially when even the dogs don’t even want to go on a walk, you’ve got to get creative with indoor activities. Check out this post for five of my favorite strategies for combatting cabin fever in your pups.

New Year Photo Cards with Minted at Hands Occupied

New Year Cards

December 21, 2013 Leave a Comment

Haven’t done Christmas cards yet? Try new year cards!

50 Great DIY Gift Ideas from Hands Occupied

50 Great DIY Gift Ideas

December 18, 2013 Leave a Comment

It’s not too late to DIY a Christmas gift or two! Here are 50 ideas to try.

Holiday Gifts for Pets and What Not to Buy at Hands Occupied

Holiday Gifts for Pets and What Not to Buy, Plus a Giveaway!

December 10, 2013 12 Comments

Avoid stores that sell puppies this Christmas by DIYing or shopping ethically. Check out the ASPCA’s pet-friendly ideas and enter to win a holiday gift pack!

Rope Ball Surprise Dog Toy DIY at Hands Occupied

Rope Ball Surprise Dog Toy

December 9, 2013 22 Comments

DIY a rope dog toy with a surprise inside!

How-to: Back Seat Pet Protector | Hands Occupied

How-to: Back Seat Pet Protector

November 14, 2013 12 Comments

How to sew your own back seat guard to keep your car clean and your pets comfy!

The Mobile Living Room - Hands Occupied

The Mobile Living Room

October 22, 2013 4 Comments

How to keep two dogs happy on a long road trip.

How-to: Home Scheduler Board | HandsOccupied.com

How-to: Home Scheduler Board

February 11, 2013 Leave a Comment

Keep your grown-up chores straight with an organizer made with washi tape!

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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 🧶✂️
Since it won’t be clean for long, swipe to see w Since it won’t be clean for long, swipe to see what my home studio looks like these days. Nothing will ever quite be like the old Hands Occupied Studio, but I’m pretty pleased with how I shoehorned everything in this space. Function over form + a layer of yarn cuteness-meets-chaos is how I’d describe my creative space needs. 😆 When I was still renting the studio, those needs included “doesn’t rain suspicious brown water from a crack in the ceiling for a year,” so this is an improvement! 😆
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For a time lapse of the studio organizing and tszuj-ing process, scroll down a couple posts on my feed. (There’s also a video or two featuring the old studio if you’re curious.) Happy June, friends! 
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#handsoccupied #handsoccupiedstudio #knitdesigner #craftdesign #yarncrafts #latchhook #makerlife #heidigustad #chicagocrafter
Who doesn’t love magic loop knitting? Who doesn’t know what it is? How about when circular needles were invented?
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In todays new bl0g post + video tutorial, you’ll learn about the magic loop method for knitting in the round, how to do it and why to use it, and when it came to be. The 🔗 is in my b1o. 🧶 
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#handsoccupied #magicloop #knitting #howtoknit #knittinginspiration #knittingintheround
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
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