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Hands Occupied

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

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The Scarf of Dreams by Heidi Gustad - a mystery knit along design inspired by The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Winding Down the Read Along Knit Along

November 13, 2017 1 Comment

The biggest and best Read Along Knit Along yet is winding down this week. Check out some favorite WIP shots and finished projects from RALKAL, and enter to win a great prize pack while there’s still time!

The Scarf of Dreams by Heidi Gustad - a mystery knit along design inspired by The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

The Read Along Knit Along is Here!

October 2, 2017 Leave a Comment

After months of planning, knitting, designing, testing, editing and re-editing, it’s time for our Read Along Knit Along featuring The Night Circus! Read this post to learn how to get the first clue to this mystery knit along pattern.

The Scarf of Dreams knitting pattern by Heidi Gustad, inspired by The Night Circus

Coming this Fall: The Night Circus Read Along Knit Along

September 7, 2017 10 Comments

Mark your calendars and start picking your yarn, the next Read Along Knit Along starts October 2! We are going to be reading & discussing one of my all-time favorite books, The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, and knitting The Scarf of Dreams, a mystery design very much inspired by the book

Join the Read Along Knit Along, make a pair of fun socks & enter to win a bundle of prizes!

Another RALKAL is in the books!

April 5, 2017 1 Comment

Thank you, everyone, for another successful Read Along Knit Along!

The spring 2017 Read Along Knit Along is headed your way! Take a sneak peek at the socks we'll be knitting & plan ahead with this post.

The Read Along Knit Along is back!

February 23, 2017 2 Comments

The spring 2017 Read Along Knit Along is headed your way! Plan ahead with all the details in this post.

There's more than one way to knit a bind off! Check out this elegant alternative, the collar bind off, in an easy to follow video tutorial featuring knit designer Heidi Gustad.

How to Work a Collar Bind Off

January 16, 2017 1 Comment

There’s more than one way to bind off a knitting project. For some this may come as a shock. :) I mean, I use the same classic bind off a good 85% of the time, but sometimes projects need a little extra something to help the finishing look just right. Enter, the collar bind off.

The Indian Cross Stitch is a beautiful way to change up your knitting. Formed by knitting elongated stitches out of order, the Indian Cross Stitch is a particularly unique and beautiful addition to your knitting. Click through for an easy to follow video tutorial.

How to Knit the Indian Cross Stitch

January 11, 2017 6 Comments

The Indian Cross Stitch is a beautiful way to change up your knitting, and it’s a stitch you don’t come across all that often. Formed by knitting elongated stitches out of order, the Indian Cross Stitch provides a particularly unique and beautiful addition to your knitting.

The Smell of Other People's Houses author Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock, photo credit: Kristen Boyer

Read Along Knit Along Live Author Chat!

October 31, 2016 Leave a Comment

Exciting news! Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock, author of our Read Along Knit Along book The Smell of Other People’s Houses (TSOOPH), will be live chatting about the book in our Ravelry group this Wednesday, November 2 at 1 p.m. CST!

Learn how to count garter stitch rows with this beginner friendly knitting video tutorial.

How to Count Garter Stitch Rows

October 24, 2016 3 Comments

As a beginning knitter, I always found counting garter stitch rows challenging. Learn how to count garter stitch rows with this beginner friendly knitting video tutorial.

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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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Weekend knitting design aftermath. Remember kids, Weekend knitting design aftermath. Remember kids, it’s always good to stop, swatch and block it. 🧶
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#stopswatchandblockit #handsoccupied
Learn how to do the magic loop method for knitting Learn how to do the magic loop method for knitting in the round in 90 seconds. / Using the magic loop allows knitters to work in the round with a single, long circular needle at a range of circumferences. 
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For a longer, full-width & more detailed overview of magic loop knitting, check out my u2be & b1og, the 🔗🔗 are where you’d think. 🧶
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#handsoccupied #magicloop #knitting #howtoknit #learntoknit #knitter #knittinginspiration #knittinginstagram #knittingintheround
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
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