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Hands Occupied

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

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Check out two newly published books for knitters. A picture book about a child learning to knit for her grandmother and a new knitting pattern book all about mosaic knitting are featured.

Summer Reading for Knitters

August 3, 2023 Leave a Comment

Check out two newly published books for knitters and enter to win a copy of each! A picture book about a child learning to knit for her grandmother and a new knitting pattern book all about mosaic knitting are featured.

Three making related books sit in a pile on a blue background.

Summer Reading for Makers

August 2, 2022 1 Comment

Check out three new books written with makers in mind, and enter to win one for yourself!

High Desert Yarn Review & Giveaway

April 21, 2021 1 Comment

New yarn alert! Knit Picks High Desert is available in a range of jewel tone colors & two weights. Take a closer look & enter to win FOUR skeins of this versatile yarn that’s 100% American from sheep to skein.

Meet Stratosphere, a DK weight, superwash wool yarn. This yarn is great for colorwork, sweaters, and long-wearing projects. Learn more about this American-made yarn and enter to win a skein!

Brown Sheep Stratosphere Yarn Review & Giveaway

November 20, 2019 3 Comments

Meet Stratosphere, a DK weight, superwash wool yarn. This yarn is great for colorwork, sweaters, and long-wearing projects. Learn more about this American-made yarn and enter to win a skein!

Meet Alma, a new yarn from Manos del Uruguay. A single ply fingering weight yarn available in great colors, Alma is a great yarn for your next sweater or shawl project.

Manos del Uruguay Alma Review & Giveaway

September 26, 2019 Leave a Comment

Meet Alma, a new yarn from Manos del Uruguay! A single ply fingering weight yarn available in great colors, Alma is a great yarn for your next sweater or shawl project.

This month's yarn review & giveaway features A Good Yarn's Boca Chica yarn, a fingering weight, chainette yarn in 100% superwash merino wool. Read this post for the details, including project ideas, and enter to win a generous 480-yard skein!

Boca Chica Yarn Review & Giveaway

June 5, 2019 Leave a Comment

This month’s yarn review & giveaway features A Good Yarn’s Boca Chica yarn, a fingering weight, chain-construction yarn in 100% superwash merino wool. Read this post for the details, including project ideas, and enter to win a generous 480-yard skein!

Lhasa Wilderness yarn from Bijou Basin Ranch is a yak & bamboo blend yarn that is breathtakingly soft. An absolute pleasure to work with, this yarn is ideal for shawls, hats, mittens and other items worn close to the skin.

Lhasa Wilderness Yarn Review & Giveaway

March 26, 2019 2 Comments

Lhasa Wilderness yarn from Bijou Basin Ranch is a 75% yak/25% bamboo blend yarn that is breathtakingly soft. An absolute pleasure to work with, Lhasa Wilderness yarn is ideal for shawls, hats, mittens and other items worn close to the skin. Learn more about this beautiful yarn and enter to win a skein!

100% Baby Alpaca Yarn from Andean Sun is so soft! Get the specs on this cuddly yarn and enter to win two balls for your next knit or crochet project.

Andean Sun Baby Alpaca Yarn Review & Giveaway

March 6, 2019 Leave a Comment

100% Baby Alpaca Yarn from Andean Sun is so soft! Get the specs on this cuddly yarn and enter to win two balls for your next knit or crochet project.

Intarsia Mountain, a knitting pattern designed by Heidi Gustad

Reader Survey: What do you want to see in the new year?

December 27, 2018 6 Comments

Help steer Hands Occupied in 2019 by leaving some much-appreciated feedback. And survey respondents can enter to win a $75 KnitPicks gift card for participating!

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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

Helping yarn crafters untangle various techniques on the internet since 2010
🧶 Really into intarsia
Stay up-to-date 💌 & shop the latest patterns ⤵️

Heidi Gustad 🧶 knitting & yarn crafts
How to convert a closet into WIPs storage with jus How to convert a closet into WIPs storage with just a few supplies ✂️
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When I was a librarian, we would use these hanging bags to circulate books with audiobook CDs. They came to mind when I wanted to develop a filing cabinet-like system for my differently-sized WIPs. To fit in my studio closet, a standard bedroom closet, they just needed custom hangers. 🤙🏻 
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HOW TO MAKE THE HANGERS
1. Carefully cut approx. a 9” (23 cm) length of flexible 3 mm aluminum wire.
2. Near the end of a large knitting needle or dowel, wrap the wire around it as you would a twist tie. 
3. Bend the other end into a hook shape, perpendicular to the circle shape you just created. 
4. Hang like a hanger in a closet, as shown. 
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#handsoccupied #handmadelife #knitting_inspiration #craftcloset #craftroom #craftroomorganization #craftroomstorage #craftroomdecor #crocheter #latchhook #knittersofinstagram #wip #wips #hangingstorage
It’s time for the monthly review and giveaway! T It’s time for the monthly review and giveaway! This go around, get to know two new sister yarns from @manosyarnsusa, Marla and Sami, and enter to win a skein of each to try for yourself. 
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What makes these yarns sisters is that, while dyed differently, they’re the same weight and come in intentionally coordinating color palettes. For my review, I opted for a sky-inspired combo of Sami in Natural and Marla in Nube. 🌧️ 
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Check out the full review & enter the giveaway at the link in my bio. 
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#handsoccupied #yarnreview #manosdeluruguay #knitting_inspire #crochet #yarngiveaway #knitters #yarn #crochetersofinstagram
If only knitting a whole project took 39 seconds… 😮‍💨 
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In this video, you can see how the Intarsia Flower Pillow pattern knits up - two flat panels, one with intarsia, both are blocked, and then they’re seamed. Find the pattern on @hi.ravelry & my website, just search Intarsia Flower Pillow. 🌸 
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P.S. I’m really smiling in this video while seaming the pillow, so I guess I’m proving last week’s claim that I truly enjoy that sometimes-dreaded task. 😆🫣
In knitting, a Left Lifted Increase (LLI) lets you In knitting, a Left Lifted Increase (LLI) lets you add a stitch in between two columns of stitches that leans to the left. Similar to an M1L, LLIs allow you to increase nearly invisibly.
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To learn more about lifted increases, including when to use them and how they differ from Make 1s, head to the 🔗 in my profle. 
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Have you ever used lifted increases? I used M1’s almost exclusively for a long time when I needed to inc between stitches, but when I designed the Intarsia Flower Pillow pattern, I needed something that would allow me to increase a lot near my cast on, and M1’s resulted in edge curling. The more you know! 🌈 
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Yarn: @lionbrandyarn Wool Ease from my Stash / Neddles: @boyeyarncrafts - Just remembered these are the needles I learned to knit on at age 8. 😂
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#handsoccupied #knitting #learntoknit #howtoknit #sweaterknitting #knitinspiration #knittersofinstagram #liftedincreases
Last week I got to hang out with my family & helpe Last week I got to hang out with my family & helped babysit my red-headed niece and nephew. So here’s some plane knitting, and a couple pictures (shared with permission) of my babysitting adventures.
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Lessons learned: 1️⃣ Trying to knit around 2 toddlers, 2 cats & 2 large dogs is pretty hard. 2️⃣ I learned during water color time that pink and black make “colorful black.” 🩷🖤 3️⃣ Toddlers do NOT care about your rainbow sorting of their toys. 4️⃣ Toddlers are very good at finding mischief in a very short amount of time, what a surprise. 😂
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#handsoccupied #knitting #placesyoucanknit #knitters #knitinpublic #handmadelife #knitting_inspiration
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