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Hands Occupied

Contemporary yarn crafts by Heidi Gustad. Knitting, crochet, latch hook and macrame.

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Picks of the Week for July 29, 2016

Picks of the Week

July 29, 2016 2 Comments

I love how refreshing this collection of ideas is this week. You’ve got great tutorials on crochet projects, a knit tshirt yarn clutch (and you know I love those), and even that rare unicorn of a tutorial – a flower loom DIY!

Picks of the Week for October 30, 2015 | Hands Occupied

Picks of the Week

October 30, 2015 1 Comment

Tomorrow is Halloween! I’m super excited to get in my scarecrow getup again and have blast hanging out with friends and family.

10 of the most inspiring knitting patterns to kickstart your fall knitting!

Things to Knit

August 24, 2015 Leave a Comment

It’s hard to believe the last month of summer is winding down already! The great thing about being a knitter, though, is that the drop in temperatures and shortened days means knitting season is here. I know some knitters who only like to knit when it’s cold out, specifically around the winter holidays in many…

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10 of the most inspiring knitting patterns for summer - click through for how to get your hands on them all!

Things to Knit

June 30, 2015 3 Comments

After assembling this month’s Things to Knit, it’s very clear that shawls were big among indie designers in June. Shawls, shawl-shaped sweaters, and wraps were published in full force. It’s no surprise – with their adaptability to different kinds of weather and suitability to lightweight yarns, shawls and wraps are kind of the perfect summer knit.

10 Inspiring new patterns to cast on - click through for how to get your hands on them all!

Things to Knit

May 26, 2015 Leave a Comment

I love to browse Ravelry, blogs, magazines and Pinterest to round up the 10 patterns I’m most excited about that were released each month. May is a fantastic month to find inspiration because the spring and summer issues of magazines feature lots of interesting lightweight shawls and sweaters, plus fun toys and accessories.

The Chicken & The Egg - A look at a vintage Easter knitting project.

The Chicken & the Egg

April 1, 2015 2 Comments

What makes this unusual knit item so special isn’t just its handmade and vintage status. It’s a nice reminder about the value of handmade gifts – even ones as random as a chicken-shaped egg cozy!

Tips for Organizing Your Stash Digitally

Organizing Your Yarn Labels

March 18, 2015 1 Comment

When I finish a knitting project, or even just finish a skein of yarn, I’m often met with a slight dilemma: what to do with my yarn labels. For the longest time, I’d just shove them into the middled of a densely-packed gallon zipper bag, end of story. Then I started designing.

Inside the Knitting Pattern Design Process

Inside the Design Process

March 5, 2015 Leave a Comment

Like many pattern designers, my design process begins with knitting (or crocheting) swatches. Since I’m designing this in conjunction with a publisher, my editor and I have been emailing back and forth to decide which motifs are working for us both. A big help in the design process has been my new HP Sprout.

What do you buy when you're learning to knit from scratch? Check out this list of beginner supplies!

Knewbies | Supply List & Basic Cast On

February 4, 2015 3 Comments

The first Knewbies post is finally here! For those of you have never visited the blog before, welcome! And for anyone who is brand new to knitting, I’m hoping you’re as excited to learn to knit as I am about writing these tutorials. :)

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Heidi Gustad from Hands Occupied / Craft Book Author and Knitting, Crochet, Latch Hook and Macrame Designer

Hi! I’m Heidi, an author, yarn craft designer and content creator specializing in knitting, crochet, latch hook & macrame. My work unapologetically features primary colors and vintage-meets-modern style. My first book, Latch Hook: 12 Projects for the Modern Maker, is now available!

Professionally I’m most known for: advanced intarsia knitting design & modern latch hook design.

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handsoccupied

Craft book author & content creator in love with primary colors & vintage vibes. / #latchhookbook out now!
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knitting, crochet, latch hook & macramé

Heidi Gustad 🧶✂️
A new YouTube tutorial is live today covering how A new YouTube tutorial is live today covering how to knit the Little Butterfly Stitch (aka Bowknot Stitch). It adds so much cute character to simple stockinette. Only a little funky to knit, and it packs a huge visual punch! 🦋 
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Find the video & written stitch pattern on the blog and YouTube, links are in bio. 
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#kpambassadorsfeb21 #sponsored
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Yarn: @kelbournewoolens Germantown in Baby Blue via @knit_picks. Needles: Prism Interchangeables, also from Knit Picks. 
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Pictured: a light blue swatch of Little Butterfly Stitch knitting on a pink background. A skein of yarn and a few stitches of knitting are nearby.
“You’re telling me words can be pronounced in “You’re telling me words can be pronounced in different ways and mean the same things?!” 👀 Posting this here, just to make it clear: when anyone says skayne, skeen, or skyne, it can be safely assumed we’re talking about a bundle o’ yarn,  a SKEIN. It’s not necessary to shame someone for using a word that is known to have MULTIPLE common pronunciations. 🧶
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Can you plz comment sharing how you say SKEIN and where you learned it? The OED happens to say SKAYNE, but it’s not a personal attack if someone says SKEEN and you say SKYNE or even Saskatoon. I’m legitimately curious. We don’t all knit or crochet the same way, and craft evolves a bit like language - it is passed on. There is so much value in having conversations about & embracing these variations! ✌🏻
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Pictured: A blond woman holds a skein of mustard yellow yarn up to her head like a phone, looking shocked. She’s wearing glasses & a knit sweater. 
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#handsoccupied #heidigustad #skein #yarn #yarncraft #knit #crochet #yarnaddict #knitincolor #soldotnacrop #language #englishisweird #oed #oxfordenglishdictionary
Sometimes my weekend projects involve hair rather Sometimes my weekend projects involve hair rather than yarn. Here’s the latest mediocre-but-improving result of my slow quest to learn to set vintage inspired curls. 💇🏼‍♀️ I’m hoping to be able to wash my hair less using a regular vintage set, but we’ll see if it ends up being practical. 😆 Hair frustrates me so much more than crafts! 
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Do you also style your hair using vintage methods? If you have any tips for vintage hair styling or good resources to share, please do!
I suppose this is one way to decide what yarn colo I suppose this is one way to decide what yarn color suits your pooch. 😆 Navy really might be Woodrow‘s color - what do you think? 
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Pictured: A medium sized, brown, senior dog asleep on a green bed. For some reason a donut ball of navy wool yarn sits on his head.
The first stitch tutorial of the new year is live The first stitch tutorial of the new year is live on YouTube! Diamond Brocade is a great knit+purl only stitch for beginners or anyone wanting a classic look for their knitting project. Find the video with a written stitch pattern on the blog or head directly to the video on YouTube. Both are linked in bio. ✌🏻 
#kpambassadorsfeb21 #sponsored
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