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Hands Occupied

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

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ralcal

Crochet the Worker Bee Bag & Worker Bee Clutch! This adorable bag uses filet crochet, baubles, and elongated stitches to create a fun, textural piece perfect for spring!

Weaving in the ends on our first RALCAL

May 1, 2018 4 Comments

See all the fun we had during the first Read Along Crochet Along, both online and in person.

A closer look at the Read Along Crochet Along prize pack on Hands Occupied, featuring a Darn Good Yarn yarn bowl, bag handles from Jul Designs, a Love & Leche lotion bar, and yarn from Why Knot Fibers.

A closer look at the RALCAL Prizes!

April 23, 2018 Leave a Comment

A closer look at the Read Along Crochet Along prize pack on Hands Occupied, featuring a Darn Good Yarn yarn bowl, bag handles from Jul Designs, a Love & Leche lotion bar, and yarn from Why Knot Fibers.

The Bobble Stitch is great for adding texture and dimension to your crochet! Learn how to work double crochet bobbles and triple crochet bobbles.

How to Crochet Bobbles

April 9, 2018 Leave a Comment

Bobble stitches can be found in all kinds of crochet, adding texture and dimension to an otherwise-flat piece of fabric. The good news, especially if you’re a newer crocheter, is that if you can manage a double crochet stitch, you can manage a double crochet bobble. And the same goes for triple crochet bobbles!

Learn how to start a crochet project with an oval, great for starting baby booties, totes, and more!

How to Crochet an Oval

April 4, 2018 1 Comment

Learn how to start a crochet project with an oval, great for starting baby booties, totes, and more!

Crochet the Worker Bee Bag & Worker Bee Clutch during the Read Along Crochet Along, April 1-30! This adorable bag uses filet crochet, baubles, and elongated stitches to create a fun, textural piece perfect for spring!

The Read Along Crochet Along is here!

April 2, 2018 3 Comments

Throughout the month of April, everyone is welcome to crochet the Worker Bee Bag and read & discuss The Beekeeper’s Apprentice by Laurie R. King. The pattern was inspired by the book we’re reading too – it’s really fun!

Crochet the Worker Bee Bag & Worker Bee Clutch! This adorable bag uses filet crochet, baubles, and elongated stitches to create a fun, textural piece perfect for spring!

Coming this spring: The first Read Along CROCHET Along!

March 8, 2018 8 Comments

Crochet the Worker Bee Bag & Worker Bee Clutch during the Read Along Crochet Along, April 1-30! This adorable bag uses filet crochet, baubles, and elongated stitches to create a fun, textural piece perfect for spring! Preorder between now and April 1 to save on the pattern.

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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
❤️ Email preferred

Heidi Gustad 🧶✂️
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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