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Hands Occupied

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

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knit along

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!

Hop On the Read Along Knit Along!

March 6, 2017 1 Comment

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

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.

Learn how to increase and decrease stitches in brioche knitting with this easy video tutorial featuring Heidi Gustad from the Hands Occupied blog.

How to Increase and Decrease in Brioche Knitting

January 4, 2017 3 Comments

Earlier this week, we learned how to knit two color brioche rib flat, so now it’s time to tackle brioche increasing and decreasing. There are not one, but TWO easy video tutorials to follow in this post!

Demystify flat two color brioche rib knitting with this easy to follow video tutorial featuring Heidi Gustad from the blog Hands Occupied.

How to Knit 2 Color Brioche Rib Flat

January 2, 2017 1 Comment

Learn how to knit two color brioche rib flat to add vertical colorwork to your 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

Craft book author, designer & creator specializing in yarn crafts like knitting, crochet, latch hook & macramé
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Heidi Gustad 🧶✂️
Nobody panic. This is just the back of an (admitte Nobody panic. This is just the back of an (admittedly insane) intarsia project. One day, this will be a seamed sweater, but today is not that day. 🧶 
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Have a good weekend, everyone! 
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Yarn: @universal_yarn’s Fibra Natura Cobblestone in Antarctica & Dragon’s Breath 
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#handsoccupied #intarsia #intarsiaknitting #wip #knitting
Here’s how to work a Norwegian purl stitch for e Here’s how to work a Norwegian purl stitch for easier continental style knitting. With this purling method, the working yarn says tensioned (held) at the back of your knitting at all times. For many knitters, always holding the yarn at the back helps with tension issues, as well as feeling a little more comfortable. 
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Have you ever encountered this style of purling before? If you’ve tried it, have you found it helps with your purl tension and knitting speed? I’m curious.
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For a written tutorial, visit handsoccupied-dot-com. For video, you guessed it, You2be. Both of these platforms allow for longer, more in-depth versions of this tutorial, including full transcripts, alt text & the ability to pause, slow down or speed up at will. (Like if you really want to learn this, I recommend using a platform that doesn’t keep your hands occupied. Thinking of putting this in all my captions these days tbh - shout out to you if you made it this far. 🙌🏻😂)
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#handsoccupied #learntoknit #continentalknitting #howtoknit #norwegianpurl #norwegianknitting #knit #knitting #knitter #knittersofinstagram #knittinghack  #handknitting #handknit #norwegianpurling
Have you ever tried this style of purl? . All thi Have you ever tried this style of purl? 
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All this recent talk about throwing vs. continental style knitting made it clear many people struggle with purling in continental knitting. Turns out that Norway may have the answer! In Norwegian purling, the working yarn stays tensioned at the back at all times, helping with speed and tension. 🤯
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Head to the bl0g (🔗 in bi0) for a more in-depth look at how to work a Norwegian purl stitch, including a photo tutorial with animated GIF & a video tutorial. Wrapping your mind around how to work a stitch you’re familiar with in a totally new way can be confusing, so I tried to give a few options for clarity. 🤙🏻 Video is also on You2be. 
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#handsoccupied #norwegianpurl #norwegianknitting #norwegianpurling #continentalknitting #howtoknit #learntoknit #knitterofinstagram #knitters
It’s been a hot second since I showed my face or It’s been a hot second since I showed my face or reintroduced myself, so here goes! I’m Heidi Gustad, a craft book author, pattern designer, and tutorial creator who specializes in yarn crafts. Lately, I’ve been focused on releasing quality knitting videos and related blog posts to help teach things like the difference between provisional cast ons and how to fix common knitting mistakes. Next week I’m shooting requested crochet and latch hook videos, so h👀kers, your time is coming! And if you ever have tutorial requests, please let me know. ☺️
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TLDR: I’m Heidi. I design & teach yarn crafts. You can find tutorials on my blog (est. 2010) & You2be. I also have several knitting & crochet patterns + a book about latch hook available. / All of these can be found on my website, the 🔗 is where you’d think. 
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#handsoccupied #fridayintroduction #heidigustad #knitting #knitter #knittersofinstagram #yarncrafts #latchhookbook
Are you a picker or a thrower? Do you knit Contine Are you a picker or a thrower? Do you knit Continental or English Style? Here’s a quick overview of the differences between the two most common knitting styles, including a side by side comparison. (A good one to save for future reference. 👍🏻) 
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There’s more on the differences between picking and throwing in my latest blog post & You 2ube video - the l1nk is where you’d think!
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#handsoccupied #learntoknit #knittingstyles #howtoknit #knittersofinstagram #knitter
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