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Hands Occupied

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

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intarsia

A round Intarsia Flower Pillow sits on a rocking chair.

The new Intarsia Flower Pillow pattern is here!

September 11, 2023 Leave a Comment

Learn where you can get your hands (and needles) on the new Intarsia Flower Pillow knitting pattern, featuring intarsia colorwork, a combination of knit and purl stitches, and seaming with mattress stitch.

Heidi (Hands Occupied) reacts in horror to the time.

It’s 2022 already?

February 9, 2022 1 Comment

An update about what’s next from Hands Occupied!

The Magic Carpet Throw Blanket by Heidi Gustad can be found in the new Knitting with Disney book by Tanis Gray! (Insight editions, 2021)

Knitting with Disney… and Me!

October 20, 2021 Leave a Comment

The Magic Carpet Throw Blanket by Heidi Gustad can be found in the new Knitting with Disney book by Tanis Gray! (Insight editions, 2021)

Just in time for Halloween! Get the free knitting chart for an adorable jack-o-lantern motif with intarsia or duplicate stitch. This free knitting pattern is just so much fun!

Smiling Jack-o’-Lantern Knitting Chart for Halloween

October 25, 2019 2 Comments

Just in time for Halloween! Get the free knitting chart for an adorable jack-o-lantern motif that can be worked with intarsia or duplicate stitch.

Read about how this intarsia jack-o'-lantern sweater came to be, and the joy of making exactly what you want to make, just for you.

Jack-O’-Lantern Sweater / Handmade Wardrobe

October 17, 2019 11 Comments

Have you ever just sat down and made something because you had a picture in your head of what you wanted to make? Read about how this intarsia jack-o’-lantern sweater came to be, and the joy of making exactly what you want to make, just for you.

Faded Flare Wrap by Heidi Gustad, Part of Zen Yarn Garden's Impressionist Collection (2019), Photo Credit: Heidi Gustad for Hands Occupied

Faded Flare Wrap in Zen Yarn Garden’s New Impressionist Collection

May 9, 2019 4 Comments

Check out the new Faded Flare Wrap, Part of Zen Yarn Garden’s Impressionist Collection (2019). Read about the artistic inspiration behind the design and learn where to find the knitting pattern, and enter to win a Faded Flare kit!

Mini skeins are a great way to put together sample color palettes for knitting and crochet projects. Get inspired with five color palettes for the 9-color Intarsia Mountain afghan pattern, curated by its designer, Heidi Gustad.

More Intarsia Mountain Color Palettes!

October 22, 2018 Leave a Comment

If you want to knit Intarsia Mountain, but aren’t sure how to select 9 colors that will coordinate to make the finished afghan work, check out these five color palettes curated by the designer herself.

Many people find weaving in ends to be one of the most frustrating parts of intarsia knitting. Click through for a video tutorial that walks you through how to weave in all of those pesky ends, specifically for intarsia colorwork.

Weaving in Intarsia Ends & Tips for Finishing

October 9, 2018 2 Comments

Many people find weaving in ends to be one of the most frustrating parts of intarsia knitting. Click through for a video tutorial that walks you through how to weave in all of those pesky ends, specifically for intarsia colorwork.

For your best intarsia results ever, you've got to visualize the process of knitting your pattern. Click through for some of the best tips and tricks to level up your intarsia knitting.

Advanced Intarsia Knitting Tips

October 4, 2018 5 Comments

For your best intarsia results ever, you’ve got to visualize the process of knitting your pattern. Check out this post for some of the best tips and tricks to level up your intarsia knitting.

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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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