• 0 items$0.00
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Hands Occupied

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

  • BLOG
    • Knitting
    • Crochet
    • Latch Hook
    • Macramé
    • Punch Needle
  • ABOUT
  • Shop
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • TikTok
    • YouTube

The Read Along Knit Along is Here!

October 2, 2017 Leave a Comment

The Scarf of Dreams by Heidi Gustad - a mystery knit along design inspired by The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

After months of planning, knitting, designing, testing, editing and re-editing, it’s time for our Read Along Knit Along featuring The Night Circus! I’m so exited!

Queue & Buy the Pattern / Join the Ravelry Group / Does your library have The Night Circus?


The blog (here) is where you can find new tutorials as they’re posted and enter the giveaway (scroll to the bottom of this post and look for the entry box). We’ll be discussing the pattern & book on Ravelry, and you can get in on sharing and seeing everyone’s work-in-progress pics on Instagram – just use & look at #RALKAL. And in case you’re in the Chicago area, we’ll be doing RALKALIRL (Read Along Knit Along in real life, get it?) at Firefly Fiber Arts, which is right by the Damen Blue Line stop.

The Scarf of Dreams – Clue 1

The first clue is finally available! If you preordered the pattern on Ravelry, the update of clue one should have arrived in your account last night. If you still need to get your hands on the pattern, you can get The Scarf of Dreams right here. (Psst! You can save 20% in the shop by signing up for the Hands Occupied newsletter in the sidebar.) While you’re there to grab clue 1, don’t forget to join the Hands Occupied Ravelry Group, which is where we’ll be discussing the book & the pattern for the next 6 weeks.

Clue 1 of The Scarf of Dreams by Heidi Gustad - a mystery knit along design inspired by The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Anticipation

Actually, I lied about having planned this KAL for months. To be honest, it’s been years! No joke – I’ve been planning a knit along featuring The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern since before I’d fully developed the Read Along Knit Along concept last year. I first solicited yarn support from Leading Men Fiber Arts at the Stitches Midwest conference in August 2015 after seeing a skein of their Soliloquy yarn in Poison Apple. Between the appropriately-dramatic name and gorgeous red color, I knew it was the perfect yarn for a design inspired by The Night Circus. I’d had the book on my to-read list forever, but as a librarian, there’s always a million things to read for this or that book group, review project or committee. When I finally read The Night Circus, I fell head over heels for it, due in no small part to the role red, handmade scarves play in the story. BUT! Since I know some folks will be finally crossing TNC off their own to-read lists during this RALKAL, I’ll refrain from spoiling anything beyond the phrase “red scarf” and the following quote, which seems appropriate for RALKAL day 1:

“What kind of circus is only open at night?” people ask. No one has a proper answer, yet as dusk approaches there is a substantial crowd of spectators gathering outside the gates.

You are amongst them, of course. Your curiosity got the better of you, as curiosity is wont to do. You stand in the fading light, the scarf around your neck pulled up against the chilly evening breeze, waiting to see for yourself exactly what kind of circus only opens once the sun sets.

For week 1 of this RALKAL, we’re knitting clue 1 of The Scarf of Dreams and reading Part 1: Primordium of The Night Circus. You can 100% read ahead if you like, but in the spirit of a good mystery knit along, we’ll focus our chat for this first week on just clue 1 and part 1. Here’s a break down our reading and knitting schedule for the next 6 weeks:

  • Oct. 2: Clue 1/Week 1 Section 1 & Part 1: Primordium
  • Oct. 9: Clue 2/Weeks 2-3 Section 2 & Part 2: Illumination
  • Oct. 23: Clue 3/Weeks 4-5 Section 3 & Part 3: Intersections
  • Nov. 6: Clue 4/Week 6 Section 4 & Part 4: Incendiary & Part 5: Divination

I, for one, will be listening to The Night Circus on audiobook. Of course, audiobooks and knitting go hand in hand, but this audiobook is really good. It’s narrated by the legendary Jim Dale. He’s such an epic narrator that you might even have heard of him from his audio work alone. He’s the guy whose whimsical voice brought the entire Harry Potter series to life on audio, and he narrated the utterly-charming (and unfortunately short-lived) TV show Pushing Daisies. I know audiobooks aren’t for all knitters, but consider this paragraph my strong case in favor of giving this book in particular a shot. ;)

Giveaway

This RALKAL prize pack is basically what I wish I could get for Christmas every year. There’s a skein of Leading Men Fiber Arts Soliloquy yarn, the yarn The Scarf of Dreams was designed with, in the Evil Queen colorway. Plus, there’s a gift pack of Eucalan Delicate Wash in 5 amazing scents, as well as a Love+Leche lotion bar featuring two adorable, nuzzling sheep. The bar even comes in a drawstring bag that works great as a mini project bag.

Leading Men Fiber Arts' Soliloquy yarn in Evil Queen
To enter the giveaway, use the box below. Open to US, UK, Canada, Denmark, Germany & Australia. If you’re on mobile, you’ll need to click a button that takes you to the entry page. If you’re on the desktop site, you’re all good to go right here! Full terms & conditions available by clicking the link in the box provided.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway prizes were provided by Leading Men Fiber Arts, Eucalan & Love + Leche.

Filed Under: Knit Along Tagged With: kal, knit along, ralkal, ralkalirl, read along knit along, the night circus, the scarf of dreams

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.

Previous Post: « Picks of the Week
Next Post: Heart Appliqué Hat – Free Baby Crochet Pattern »

Reader Interactions

DID YOU LIKE THIS POST?
Visit similar articles...

  • Winding Down the Read Along Knit AlongWinding Down the Read Along Knit Along
  • The Scarf of Dreams knitting pattern by Heidi Gustad, inspired by The Night CircusComing this Fall: The Night Circus Read Along Knit Along
  • Read Along Knit Along Live Author Chat!Read Along Knit Along Live Author Chat!
  • How to Count Garter Stitch RowsHow to Count Garter Stitch Rows

DON’T MISS ANOTHER UPDATE

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

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.

EMAIL NEWSLETTER

Never miss a tutorial with these short & sweet monthly updates.

Find Me on Social Media

  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • TikTok
  • YouTube
Latch Hook by Heidi GustadDiscover Unique Items

Footer

INSTAGRAM

handsoccupied

Helping yarn crafters untangle various techniques on the internet since 2010
🧶 Really into intarsia
Stay up-to-date 💌 & shop the latest patterns ⤵️

Heidi Gustad 🧶 knitting & yarn crafts
How to convert a closet into WIPs storage with jus How to convert a closet into WIPs storage with just a few supplies ✂️
.
When I was a librarian, we would use these hanging bags to circulate books with audiobook CDs. They came to mind when I wanted to develop a filing cabinet-like system for my differently-sized WIPs. To fit in my studio closet, a standard bedroom closet, they just needed custom hangers. 🤙🏻 
.
HOW TO MAKE THE HANGERS
1. Carefully cut approx. a 9” (23 cm) length of flexible 3 mm aluminum wire.
2. Near the end of a large knitting needle or dowel, wrap the wire around it as you would a twist tie. 
3. Bend the other end into a hook shape, perpendicular to the circle shape you just created. 
4. Hang like a hanger in a closet, as shown. 
.
#handsoccupied #handmadelife #knitting_inspiration #craftcloset #craftroom #craftroomorganization #craftroomstorage #craftroomdecor #crocheter #latchhook #knittersofinstagram #wip #wips #hangingstorage
It’s time for the monthly review and giveaway! T It’s time for the monthly review and giveaway! This go around, get to know two new sister yarns from @manosyarnsusa, Marla and Sami, and enter to win a skein of each to try for yourself. 
.
What makes these yarns sisters is that, while dyed differently, they’re the same weight and come in intentionally coordinating color palettes. For my review, I opted for a sky-inspired combo of Sami in Natural and Marla in Nube. 🌧️ 
.
Check out the full review & enter the giveaway at the link in my bio. 
.
#handsoccupied #yarnreview #manosdeluruguay #knitting_inspire #crochet #yarngiveaway #knitters #yarn #crochetersofinstagram
If only knitting a whole project took 39 seconds… 😮‍💨 
.
In this video, you can see how the Intarsia Flower Pillow pattern knits up - two flat panels, one with intarsia, both are blocked, and then they’re seamed. Find the pattern on @hi.ravelry & my website, just search Intarsia Flower Pillow. 🌸 
.
P.S. I’m really smiling in this video while seaming the pillow, so I guess I’m proving last week’s claim that I truly enjoy that sometimes-dreaded task. 😆🫣
In knitting, a Left Lifted Increase (LLI) lets you In knitting, a Left Lifted Increase (LLI) lets you add a stitch in between two columns of stitches that leans to the left. Similar to an M1L, LLIs allow you to increase nearly invisibly.
.
To learn more about lifted increases, including when to use them and how they differ from Make 1s, head to the 🔗 in my profle. 
.
Have you ever used lifted increases? I used M1’s almost exclusively for a long time when I needed to inc between stitches, but when I designed the Intarsia Flower Pillow pattern, I needed something that would allow me to increase a lot near my cast on, and M1’s resulted in edge curling. The more you know! 🌈 
.
Yarn: @lionbrandyarn Wool Ease from my Stash / Neddles: @boyeyarncrafts - Just remembered these are the needles I learned to knit on at age 8. 😂
.
#handsoccupied #knitting #learntoknit #howtoknit #sweaterknitting #knitinspiration #knittersofinstagram #liftedincreases
Last week I got to hang out with my family & helpe Last week I got to hang out with my family & helped babysit my red-headed niece and nephew. So here’s some plane knitting, and a couple pictures (shared with permission) of my babysitting adventures.
.
Lessons learned: 1️⃣ Trying to knit around 2 toddlers, 2 cats & 2 large dogs is pretty hard. 2️⃣ I learned during water color time that pink and black make “colorful black.” 🩷🖤 3️⃣ Toddlers do NOT care about your rainbow sorting of their toys. 4️⃣ Toddlers are very good at finding mischief in a very short amount of time, what a surprise. 😂
.
#handsoccupied #knitting #placesyoucanknit #knitters #knitinpublic #handmadelife #knitting_inspiration
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Copyright © 2023 / Foodie Pro Theme On Genesis Framework / Branding by Ink + Mortar
All Site & Shop Policies / Privacy Policy / Cookie Policy