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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 Chicken & the Egg

April 1, 2015 2 Comments

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

I’ve written before about my great-grandma, who was a prolific crafter. She lived to be 102, remaining in her own home through age 100, and she crafted for essentially all of her long life. Moreso than her impressive lifespan and crafting ability, Great-Grandma Louise was defined by her Catholicism, and her youngest son, my grandfather, was also very Catholic. Since it’s Easter week, it seems fitting that I bust out another appropriately Catholic creation of my Great-Grandma’s, a knit Easter chick designed to fit cozily around a plastic egg.

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

Since I know I’ve got a few Baby Boomers out there reading, I do know that the egg Mr. Chick is crafted around is, in fact, a vintage L’eggs egg. Great-Grandma seemed to have a thing for knitting and crocheting cozies for a variety of household objects. See: this chick/egg, her nail polish cover & a household cleaner cover. The woman also clearly liked googly eyes.

(PS: Look at this 1991 New York Times article I came across about the “big switch” L’eggs made from plastic to cardboard eggs. Funny!)

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

What makes this unusual knit item so special isn’t just its handmade and vintage status. It’s sporting an Easter blessings stamp around its little neck featuring her son’s name on the back in her handwriting. She lived so long that her knitting was incredible, but her handwriting was beautifully shaky. Despite being one of dozens of great-grandchildren, many of us have the odd handmade item like this laying around, which is really special. It’s really beautiful to be able to hang on to precious handmade items like this, and it’s a nice reminder about the value of handmade gifts – even ones as random as The Chick & The Egg.

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

Happy Easter, everybody!

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

Filed Under: Easter, Inspiration, Knitting, Knitting & Crochet, Vintage Crafts Tagged With: easter, egg cosy, egg cozy, handmade gifts, knit, Knitting, l'eggs, midcentury crafts, vintage crafts

About Heidi

Heidi Gustad is a craft book author, designer & creator specializing in yarn crafts like knitting, crochet, latch hook & macramé. Her first book, Latch Hook: 12 Projects for the Modern Maker, is out now.

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Comments

  1. Carol

    April 1, 2015 at 7:08 pm

    Great Grandma and Grandpa are smiling down on you, Great Grandma was one amazing woman. Happy Easter.

    Reply
  2. Julie

    April 2, 2015 at 11:47 am

    that’s so adorable, what a great Easter knit idea!

    Reply

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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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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
It’s a disaster in here and my video microphone It’s a disaster in here and my video microphone isn’t cooperating, but it could be worse! How’s your day? 
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(If we haven’t yet met, I’m Heidi and I’m a pattern designer and tutorial creator specializing in yarn crafts like knitting & latch hook. You can learn more about my work and regularly find new tutorials in my profile. ☺️👋🏻)
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#handsoccupied #craftstudio #knitter #yarncrafter
How to knit a one-row buttonhole 🧶 . Sweater k How to knit a one-row buttonhole 🧶 
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Sweater knitters, listen up! Learn how to knit a buttonhole over the course of a single row of knitting, a.k.a. a one-row buttonhole. In this technique, a combination of binding off and casting on stitches on opposite sides of the work creates a symmetrical, stretchy buttonhole. 
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The time limit on these is 90 seconds, so this quick tutorial is perfect to save for future reference. (Did you know you can make folders of saved items like tutorials? 👩🏼‍🏫) 
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If you’re brand new to the technique or want to see this demonstration slower and more in-depth, my bl0g and You/2be are the place to be. Thanks for watching & let me know if you have any questions or requests for future tutorials in the comments. ☺️
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#handsoccupied #knitting #onerowbuttonhole #learntoknit #sweaterknitting #knittutorial #knitting_inspiration
One-row buttonholes are one of a few common ways t One-row buttonholes are one of a few common ways to knit a buttonhole. Created using a combination of binding off and casting on stitches over the course of a single row, this technique is one you’ll come back to again and again, and bonus: it’s not wildly challenging. 
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Find a brand new video tutorial for knitting one-row buttonholes and a post with other useful buttonhole resources on the bl0g, 🔗 in bi0.
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#handsoccupied #onerowbuttonhole #knitting #sweaterknitting #buttonhole #knittersofinstagram
It was quiet last week as I’ve been working on a It was quiet last week as I’ve been working on a few behind the scenes projects, including filming a bunch. The goal: tutorials most weeks!
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I also put some time into neglected design projects, in particular the pattern collection I began working on back in 2022. As I work on the samples, you’ll be seeing some sneak peeks here and there in my feed. ☺️
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The other thing occupying my time: I got an iPad to try digital planning and keep my design notes more organized, not to mention digitized. (Paper scribbling just ain’t it after 12 years.) If anyone has tips for how to make the most of digital planning as a crafter / knitter, I’d love to hear them! Accounts to follow, apps, must-know hacks for crafters - I’m excited to learn it all! 👩🏼‍🏫
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