• 0 items$0.00
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Hands Occupied

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

  • BLOG
    • Knitting
    • Crochet
    • Latch Hook
    • Macramé
    • Punch Needle
  • ABOUT
  • Shop
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • TikTok
    • YouTube

inspiration

25 American DIYs at handsoccupied.com

25 American DIYs

July 2, 2014 1 Comment

The Fourth of July is nearly here, folks! Get ready with my 25 favorite tutorials for celebrating America. This list is complete with DIY style ideas, snacks, picnic & cookout accessories, piñatas, home décor, and more!

Knitting & Crochet Picks of the Week at handsoccupied.com

Weekly Reader

June 27, 2014 Leave a Comment

You can tell that it’s officially summertime in the northern hemisphere this week – so many bright and colorful patterns came out of the blog woodwork! There were some really awesome home accessories, summery apparel, adorable amigurumi just for fun, travel accessories and more. Whoever said knitting and crochet were a wintertime activity? Give me my needles, yarn, hooks and the beach any day!

Knitting & Crochet Picks of the Week at handsoccupied.com

Weekly Reader

June 13, 2014 Leave a Comment

There were a lot of great new knitting and crochet projects posted this week! Home decor, summer patterns for keeping just the right amount of warm (or cool), fun toys and more were all well-represented. I want to sip a homemade iced tea in a crochet cozy while wearing that striped sweater every afternoon for the next three months. And don’t you just love the crocheted balls with subtle striping?

Creative Inspiration via handsoccupied.com

Inspire

June 10, 2014 1 Comment

It’s my birthday! That seems like a great occasion to share what’s inspiring me this month, making me smile, things I find exciting. I’ve got everything from baby programming to weddings to Orange is the New Black this go around. For real, check all of these out. It’s my birthday, and they make me happy. :)

Knitting & Crochet Picks of the Week at handsoccupied.com

Weekly Reader

June 6, 2014 Leave a Comment

I love this new tradition I’ve started of making my weekly roundups about sharing favorite knit, crochet & yarn finds from the week (and maybe a week or two before if it’s something I just came across on Pinterest). My favorite part is spending too much time lingering over the pictures and enjoying the overwhelming sense of relaxation I feel imaging getting to work on them. There’s also something kind of just dreamy for me about looking at cotton projects in early summer.

25 Bookish Crafts to Get Excited for Summer Reading at handsoccupied.com

25 Bookish Crafts to Get Excited for Summer Reading

June 5, 2014 Leave a Comment

In the spirit of summer reading starting soon at my library, I rounded up some of my favorite bookish crafts for you to check out, pin and try for yourself! I’ve got tons of friggin adorable card catalog makeovers and DIYs, and so many discarded book projects below. So worth checking out. ;)

Top Knitting And Crochet Inspiration at handsoccupied.com

Weekly Reader

May 30, 2014 Leave a Comment

I’ve been experimenting with a new format for my Weekly Reader recently, and I think I’ve finally got it! Every Friday, I round up my favorite yarny finds, and then when I do other inspiration posts, I pick a different theme. The next big hurdle for me as a blogger, which has been a hurdle of mine for awhile now, will be actually opening up and sharing more of my personality. For now, I’m still most comfortable with being a teensy bit opaque and continuing my grand tradition of simply sharing my overwhelming enthusiasm for DIY and knitting. For now. :)

Inspire | handsoccupied.com

Inspire

May 21, 2014 2 Comments

Lately, I’ve realized that not all inspiration posts need to be clean and tidy and all based on a theme. Neither does life. As many of you know, when I’m not blogging about knitting or DIY, I am a librarian. It might come as no surprise that I like things that make sense. I like rules. I like order.

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.

  • « Go to Previous Page
  • Go to page 1
  • Go to page 2
  • Go to page 3
  • Go to page 4
  • Go to page 5
  • Go to page 6
  • Interim pages omitted …
  • Go to page 14
  • Go to Next Page »

Primary Sidebar

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.

EMAIL NEWSLETTER

Never miss a tutorial with these short & sweet monthly updates.

Find Me on Social Media

  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • TikTok
  • YouTube
Latch Hook by Heidi GustadDiscover Unique Items

Footer

INSTAGRAM

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
At long last! I can share the Spiral Hill Sweater At long last! I can share the Spiral Hill Sweater Vest, my contribution to the new book Disney Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas: The Official Knitting Guide to Halloween Town and Christmas Town, out now! 🎃💀 
.
I’m hosting a knit along (KAL) October 1-29 for anyone who’d like to knit this vest along with a group & learn a little about intarsia while we’re at it. I’ve got weekly tutorials planned to help you knit this worsted weight sweater vest, and there’s a prize package giveaway at the end for KAL participants too. Details are on my site - you know where to find the 🔗 I think. 😉
.
Book by @tanisknits 
Publisher @insighteditions 
Yarn @brooklyntweed Imbue 
Find it wherever fine books are sold. 
.
#handsoccupied #nightmarebeforechristmas #intarsia #sweatervest #knittingpattern #knittingbook #spiralhill #knitting_inspiration #knitting
Since there was some interest in stills of my WIPs Since there was some interest in stills of my WIPs closet after this weekend’s quick tutorial, here are few. ✂️ The tutorial is one post back in my feed as a video.
.
As you can see, I didn’t worry about the wire hangers all being perfectly uniform, but it doesn’t matter to me. Also, this closet holds a lot! Despite that, it is already at capacity. Since the hanging bags don’t appear to be recyclable, I want to reuse them as long as possible. Who knows, maybe this will be a way to limit my WIPs? 😅
.
P.s. In the third photo you can see how I use this system to store the original swatches, scraps, yarn ball bands, & notes from a design project all together. 
.
#handsoccupied #wips #craftstorage #yarnstorage #yarncrafts #knitting_inspiration #craftstudio #craftroom #craftcloset
How to convert a closet into WIPs storage with jus How to convert a closet into WIPs storage with just a few supplies ✂️
.
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. 🤙🏻 
.
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. 
.
#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. 
.
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. 🌧️ 
.
Check out the full review & enter the giveaway at the link in my bio. 
.
#handsoccupied #yarnreview #manosdeluruguay #knitting_inspire #crochet #yarngiveaway #knitters #yarn #crochetersofinstagram
If only knitting a whole project took 39 seconds… 😮‍💨 
.
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. 🌸 
.
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. 😆🫣
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Copyright © 2023 / Foodie Pro Theme On Genesis Framework / Branding by Ink + Mortar
All Site & Shop Policies / Privacy Policy / Cookie Policy