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Hands Occupied

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

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punch needle

There’s a new series on the Hands Occupied YouTube channel called Design Diaries. In these videos, I walk you through the process of making original craft project designs from scratch. The first episode features something professional wrestling fans will recognize as a punch needle take on the WWE's Universal Championship title belt.

Yarniversal Championship Belt Design Diary & A New YouTube Series

April 16, 2021 Leave a Comment

Let’s take a look at how my recent obsession with professional wrestling resulted in a wooly reimagining of the WWE’s Universal Championship title belt, just in time for Wrestlemania. I share how I took this project from a grief-induced grain of inspiration and crafted a fully functional belt combining basic embroidery and punch needle rug hooking.

Picks of the Week for June 26, 2020 | Hands Occupied

Picks of the Week

June 26, 2020 Leave a Comment

Punch needle, crochet & pom poms are all awesome summer-friendly craft ideas, especially for quick-gratification projects.

Picks of the Week for June 12, 2020 | Hands Occupied

Picks of the Week

June 12, 2020 Leave a Comment

Scrolling through new summery yarn ideas can be creatively invigorating. There are different colors and fibers on display this time of year – check out these new ideas for the season!

Learn how to make these planet-inspired punch needle throw pillows using embroidery hoops!

Planetary Punch Needle Pillows

November 6, 2019 Leave a Comment

Learn how to make these planet-inspired punch needle throw pillows using embroidery hoops!

Picks of the Week for April 5, 2019 | Hands Occupied

Picks of the Week

April 5, 2019 Leave a Comment

Peter Cottontail is certainly on his way – bring on the Eastery ideas!

Weaving in your ends on a punch needle project is easy! Check out this step-by-step tutorial for tips and tricks for hiding and securing your punch needle rug hooking tails.

How to Weave in Punch Needle Ends

April 3, 2019 Leave a Comment

Weaving in your ends on a punch needle project is easy! Check out this step-by-step tutorial for tips and tricks for hiding and securing your punch needle rug hooking tails.

Also known as punch hooking, punch needle is an easy-to-learn technique for making your own rugs, tapestries and more! Get to know the basics with this quickstart tutorial.

Punch Needle Rug Hooking Basics

March 14, 2019 3 Comments

Also known as punch hooking, punch needle is an easy-to-learn technique for making your own rugs, tapestries and more! Get to know the basics with this quickstart tutorial.

Find twelve inspiring works of art made with punch needle. Both a rug-making and embroidery technique, punch needle can be used to craft some amazing things with string! Click through for artist/seller names and image sources.

Things to Punch Needle

February 21, 2019 Leave a Comment

Ever heard of punch needle? Get to know this fun rug making and embroidery technique, and find inspiration to give it a try with 12 amazing punch needle works of art!

Picks of the Week for March 30, 2018 | Hands Occupied

Picks of the Week

March 30, 2018 Leave a Comment

It looks like this Easter season is all about neutrals and pastels coming together. We keep seeing a lot of light oranges, pinks & yellows, along with earthy browns and tans, and the ever-persistent greys and creams.

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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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Latch Hook by Heidi Gustad

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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 🧶✂️
New yarn alert! @knit_picks’ High Desert is avai New yarn alert! @knit_picks’ High Desert is available in a range of jewel tone colors & two weights. Head to the blog to take a closer look & enter to win FOUR skeins of this versatile yarn that’s 100% American from sheep to skein. 🧶 Enter at the link in bio.
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Pictured: A pink background with light blue knit and crochet swatches, crochet hook, knitting needle, & a bullet skein of yarn, artfully arranged in 3 shots, one with a yellow frame and one with a navy frame. Added text reads “✌🏻 Yarn review & giveaway” and there’s a description of the blog post similar to what’s in the first part of this very caption, which a lot of people don’t read. 🤪
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P.S. I’m playing around with a new template to share more pics at once from blog posts on Instagram. Please LMK here or via message if you have feedback. Appreciate it!✌🏻
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#handsoccupied #KPHighDesert2021 #sponsored #yarn #yarnreview #knitincolor #giveaway #wool #blueyarn #knitpicks #stopswatchandblockit #crochet #crochetersofinstagram #knittersofinstagram #knitter
Over the years I’ve collected a range of unique Over the years I’ve collected a range of unique vintage (often crafty) items, many handmade by family. Since the sunrise hit this creative corner just so this morning, it seemed like the perfect reason to share some favorites from my collection of curiosities. ✂️
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In this shot, you can see:

> a decorative wood shelf made by my grandpa. 

> my great-grandma’s silver clarinet that her son turned into a lamp for me in high school 😉.

>still camera from that same grandpa. Plus my instax & my husband’s 16mm. 

>Wooden scissors holder in the shape of a bird that doubles as a pin cushion and features a rotating thread holder. Not sure who made it but it’s been painted 800k times. 😆🧵 
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Am I the only weirdo who has items like this laying about? Who else has weird murder bird scissors holders from their sweet grandma? 
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Pictured: see bulleted list above. In the foreground, there’s a blue swatch of knitting drying on a blocking mat with pins.
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#maker #knitter #sewist #handsoccupied #vintagecrafts #shears #scissors #stopswatchandblockit #makerlife #antiquecrafts #handmadehome #pincushion #vintagecraft
This dang Yarniversal Championship Belt just makes This dang Yarniversal Championship Belt just makes me so happy! Even more now that it’s helped me connect with fellow crafting & wrestling crossover fans. ❤️ 
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On the blog today - link is in bio, you can take a look at a bunch more process photos that didn’t make the Design Diary video. For maker-designer types in particular, the post has detail shots & a full supply list. I’m so happy with how the @knit_picks Wool of the Andes colors worked out combined with some neutral handspun! ✂️🧶
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Pictured: A close up of a smiling woman with a punch needle version of a wrestling title belt on her shoulder. 
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#punchneedle #handsoccupied #kpambassadorsapr21 #sponsored #wooloftheandes #knitpicks #rugmaking #heidigustad #universalchampion #titlebelt #wool
Happy Wrestlemania weekend, folks!!! 🎊 It’s c Happy Wrestlemania weekend, folks!!! 🎊 It’s coincidentally International Punch Needle Rug Hooking Day today, so I’d be remiss not to share a first look at this project finished JUST in time to wear while I watch some rasslin’ on a pirate ship in a football stadium in Tampa! 💪🏻 I’m excited to watch tonight’s women’s matches the most. Eee!
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Pictured: A blond woman in a denim dress and glasses wearing a giant belt made with punch needle. The belt is made with wool in primary colors and was inspired by the WWE Universal Championship title belt. 
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This is just a preview - after jab 2.0 tomorrow (feeling grateful 🙏🏼), I’ll be editing together a vlog about the design process for this wooly waist cover. Sometimes it’s hard to know how to make some of your wilder craft ideas come to life. Stuff you’ll never find a pattern for, you know? I’ll finish editing that ASAP, but I might take a few days to edit if I feel like trash from 💉 and only want to watch wrestling and wrestling YouTube for a day or two. 😂
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#ipnrhd #punchneedle #wwe #wrestling #championshipbelt #wool #yarn #handmade #universalchampionship #universalchampion #rugmaking #wrestlingfan #wrestlemania37 #wrestlemania
A look at the halo on the back of my wrestling-ins A look at the halo on the back of my wrestling-inspired punch needle project! It’s interesting to see how fuzzy the handspun beige yarn is compared with the primary color sections of @knit_picks Wool of the Andes Bulky. ❤️💛💙🤎 
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Pictured: The back of an in-progress punch needle project. A wooden punch needle tool sits on the work.
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#punchneedle #woolrug #rugmaking  #kpambassadorsapr21 #sponsored #griefproject #handsoccupied #wrestlingfan #universalchampion #yarn #yarncraft #wool #needlepunch
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