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Hands Occupied

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

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Things to Punch Needle

February 21, 2019 Leave a Comment

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.
image & artist links at sources below. 

Ever heard of punch needle? In the past year or so, I started seeing lots of videos on social media of “magic embroidery pens” & beautiful photos of cushion covers made with all-over yarn stitches and loops. I kept seeing them over and over, until finally my curiosity got the better of me and I just had to try punch needle. Just like tackling any new technique, step 1 is research! In broad strokes, punch needle is a technique that works for both embroidery and rug making. To punch needle you use a pen-like tool to, well, punch loops of yarn or thread through a stretched piece of material, loop after loop after loop, with no knots involved. Since I know you’re all wondering how those strings stay in place without any kind of knot: The surface tension of the fabric you’re working with holds the loops in place. (Mind blown, right?)

This post is intended to be a batch of fuzzy inspiration about a new technique, so for now, I’ll save you all a more in-depth explanation than that. Much like last summer’s latch hook series for beginners, I want to use this inspiration post to get you all excited for a punch needle tutorial series I have planned for the spring here on the blog! Podcast listeners will know that I’ve been low key obsessed with punch needle for the past several months, so it’s finally time, friends! Punch needle content is officially coming to Hands Occupied. ;)

Punch Needle Coat by Clasper-Torch
Punch Needle Coat by Clasper-Torch
Punch Needle Bat Pillow by func & rec
Punch Needle Bat Pillow by func & rec
Punch Needle Mouth Cushion by Lisa Congdon
Punch Needle Mouth Cushion by Lisa Congdon
Punch Needle Embroidered Sweater Hoops by DearestQ
Punch Needle Embroidered Sweater Hoops by DearestQ
Punch Needle Chicken Cushions by CutiePiePunch
Punch Needle Chicken Cushions by CutiePiePunch
Punch Needle Pigtails Girl Pillow by Laetitia Dalbies
Punch Needle Pigtails Girl Pillow by Laetitia Dalbies
Punch Needle Slippers by Studio Myome
Punch Needle Slippers by Studio Myome
Punch Needle Bear Family Rug by Lindsay Gruetzmacher
Punch Needle Bear Family Rug by Lindsay Gruetzmacher
Punch Needle Flower Art by Myra & Jean
Punch Needle Flower Art by Myra & Jean
Punch Needle Super Purse by Chaumiere Oiseau
Punch Needle Super Purse by Chaumiere Oiseau
Punch Needle Dog Portrait by Diane Hoffman Textiles
Punch Needle Dog Portrait by Diane Hoffman Textiles
Punch Needle Friends Portrait by CutiePiePunch
Punch Needle Friends Portrait by CutiePiePunch

P.S. Please note that many of these artists have items for sale and their work is being shared here as a point of inspiration for what one might create with the punch needle technique.

P.P.S. Special shout out to the Punch Needle Gang Instagram account (and here’s their website) for consistently featuring amazing new punch needle artists that would never have come across my radar! If you’re as obsessed with finding punch needle inspiration as I am, they’re definitely worth the follow!

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.

Filed Under: Inspiration, Punch Needle Tagged With: punch needle, punch needle embroidery, punch rug making, rug making, things to punch needle

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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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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Helping yarn crafters untangle various techniques on the internet since 2010
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Heidi Gustad 🧶 knitting & yarn crafts
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. 
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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. 🌧️ 
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Check out the full review & enter the giveaway at the link in my bio. 
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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. 🌸 
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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.
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To learn more about lifted increases, including when to use them and how they differ from Make 1s, head to the 🔗 in my profle. 
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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! 🌈 
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