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Hands Occupied

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

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What’s up, 2020? (No seriously, what is going on?)

April 4, 2020 Leave a Comment

What's up, 2020? Check out this brand new blog post about what Heidi has been up to on Hands Occupied hiatus, and plans for the rest of the year to come, including some surprises!

It’s been awhile, friends, and I have missed you! For those who may not remember, I’m Heidi Gustad, and I am an artist working in yarn crafts (knitting, crochet, latch hook, macrame, punch needle, etc.). I got my start when I launched this blog in 2010, not intending to become a full time creative, but here we are. 😊 I draft this post from my makeshift home studio space in Chicago during my state’s extended shelter-in-place order, so it feels like a great time to share where I’ve been and why. Don’t worry – this is a story with a happy ending!

My life went on pause a couple months before coronavirus, along with this here Blog. On January 6, I shared my annual blog post reflecting on the past year, saying I was taking a break. Since then, I’ve been fairly quiet, posting here and there on social media, and even taking a break from my podcast, The Very Serious Crafts Podcast. Why?

I wrote a book, folks! 😱 A new guide to latch hook for modern makers, set to publish this fall!

The teaser image for Heidi Gustad's new latch hook book, publishing fall 2020 with Leisure Arts
Image credit: Jason Masters, Photographer / Lori Wenger, Stylist

I was only recently able to announce the book, and I’m so excited to be able to share this teaser image with you here now too. My book is a contemporary take on latch hooking, and it’s being published by Leisure Arts this fall (2020). Ta DAAAA! That’s all I can say for now, but I hope it’s exciting news. Check out the Book highlight in my Instagram profile to view the very earnest video I made to announce the project, enjoy!

What to expect in 2020!

Ok, in addition to writing a book and designing a shawl (and y’know, living my life) these past few months, I’ve been taking the time to zoom out and think of what I want to do in the coming months with Hands Occupied:

*email newsletters every other week
*picks of the week every other week, opposite weeks from emails
*fewer blog posts, but more than when we were on hiatus
*more YouTube by very popular demand!
*more Instagram, showing you more of my process
*The Very Serious Crafts Podcast episode every other week with Patreon-only bonus episodes on off weeks
*fewer independently released knit & crochet designs

It’s really important to me to keep evolving as a designer and artist, and to do that, I need to make room for it. I have begun to develop a new artistic project that I realized I want to pursue after going through the process of designing my book. My entire background is in crafting, but after executing an entire collection for the book, I realized that I have a lot of ideas to explore through slower making. I’ll share more on this developing idea when the time comes.

On What I’m Doing Less…

I’ve been wanting to commit to blogging less for awhile. After almost ten years running this very blog, I’m really burned out on putting together long-form tutorials. After writing my book these recent months, I’ve realized that I’ve evolved a bit creatively and a lot as a person, and I need to be careful about spending my time on things that energize rather than drain me. Blogging will still happen with Picks of the Week returning every other week, inspiration round-ups, and yes, the occasional free yarn craft pattern & project tutorials.

As I get older, embarking on a new decade with so many things up in the air, particularly as a now-seasoned, self-employed creative, I just want to be more gentle with myself emotionally and physically. Maybe getting more in touch with my feelings during my hiatus has made me a little more woo woo, but I think it’s made be a better artist and happier person. So I’m going to try transferring my energy to a space with more growth potential and more challenge for me -what can I say? I’m a glutton for punishment, but also, I keep getting video requests from readers here and new folks on YouTube itself. It seems like that’s the direction the wind is taking me.

Arthritis & Knit Design
A big part of what threw me into a serious bout of depression last year was figuring out how to move forward in my creative career with an arthritis diagnosis. I am not a doctor, but am lucky enough to have access to one. She had to give me a talking to regarding taking care of my body and understanding that with the joint deterioration I’ve already experienced at just age 32, I simply have to do less if I want to ensure long term quality of life. This was also a wake up call about my addition to work and that there are real consequences to pursuing too much at once. Simply put, my arthritis escalates too rapidly if I’m designing knit and crochet patterns all the time. (Please don’t email me solutions to or recommendations for my arthritis. I have had major repetitive stress issues since the age of 14 and prefer to discuss my personal situation with my doctors exclusively.)

More YouTube
I’ve had a channel since almost day 1 of Hands Occupied back in 2010, but I always found the platform intimidating. Turns out, though, that all the video work I’ve done for clients’ social media pages over the past 5 years has resulted in some fans of my video teaching style I didn’t realize I had! (A very humbling surprise for which I am grateful.)

On YouTube, there will be knit & crochet tutorials despite my arthritis issues because they often only require a swatch, not huge finished projects. Also, I am aware I’ve got a lot of knitting and crochet knowledge to share, and my background in public librarianship has armed me with the ability to explain things in accessible ways.

I plan on expanding the Hands Occupied YouTube channel to include all yarn crafts, i.e. latch hook, macrame, punch needle, etc. I’ll keep in touch with the YouTube community as I go to see what people are interested in. I’d love to experiment with making videos like the one embedded below featuring a Colorado yak ranch. There are so many interesting corners fo the yarn craft world to visit, and I’d love an excuse to share them with you if you’re interested! As a content creator, half the time the hard part is guessing what viewers and readers want to see, so I’m excited to put together a video/tutorial request form on my site as YouTube grows and expands.

That’s all for now!

And with those calming yaks, I have to say that’s a LOT, so thank you so much for reading this far! The last thing I have for you all is a little treat – there’s a giveaway this weekend on my Instagram for a 4-skein knitting kit from Zen Yarn Garden, featuring a knit design I completed during my hiatus, the Chrysler Arch Shawl. Thanks again for being an internet friend and have a beautiful week!

Designer Heidi Gustad models the new Chrysler Arch Shawl, a knitting pattern designed with Zen Yarn Garden yarn.

Enter the giveaway on Instagram. / Find the Chrysler Arch Shawl pattern on Ravelry. / Find Chrysler Arch Shawl Kits here.

Filed Under: Life, Yarn Crafts Tagged With: creative career, heidi gustad, latch hook, latch hook book

About Heidi

Heidi Gustad is a craft book author & content creator in love with primary colors & vintage vibes. She specializes in knitting, crochet, latch hook and macramé, and 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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handsoccupied

Craft book author & pattern designer ❤️💛💙
knitting, crochet, latch hook & macramé
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Please email for pattern support. 🧶

Heidi Gustad 🧶✂️
How to to knit throwing (a.k.a. English) style . How to to knit throwing (a.k.a. English) style 
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In knitting, there are a few common knitting styles. Most often you’re going to encounter continental style and English (throwing) style on your knitting journey. I recently had an old video teaching continental style get a lot of views. Based on the comments, it was clear the people wanted to also see a throwing tutorial, so here you go! 🧶
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Please note that there is a LOT of variation in knitting styles, and one isn’t necessarily better than another. Most often, I’ve found it comes down to two things: how you were taught and whether or not you’re really into colorwork knitting (which can involve a mix of styles). 
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Longer-term knitters who’ve made it this far: do you prefer one over the other? And why? 
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#handsoccupied #englishknitting #learntoknit #knitting #howtoknit #knittersofinstagram #knitting_inspiration
How to do a one-step provisional knitting cast on How to do a one-step provisional knitting cast on / a.k.a. crochet provisional cast on, scrap yarn cast on
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I read recently that tiktok and Instagram are being used as search engines more and more. 🤔 I thought since I’m going to all the work of making tutorials on YouTube, I should experiment with making a quick version of them for other platforms. There are obvious teaching limitations to vertical video, short-form content like this, but I think I covered the gist of this cast on in a minute. The YouTube version also covers how to unzip this cast on because there was time for it 👍🏻 L1nk is in my profile. 
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I’m very much looking for feedback as I continue to make instructional knitting & craft videos. Sometimes good tutorials are hard to find, and (ideally polite) feedback helps me improve. 
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#handsoccupied #provisionalcaston #knitting #knititngtutorial #knittersofinstagram #crochethook #knittingtutorial
For the first time in a long time, there’s a new For the first time in a long time, there’s a new tutorial from Hands Occupied! 🎉 The video is live on YouTube & the blog. 
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The post covers what provisional cast ons are & how they differ, and the video covers how to work a one-step provisional cast on using scrap yarn and a crochet hook. (This is a great one to save for future reference.)
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I learned several names for this method while researching this video & post. Crochet provisional cast on, one-step cast on, scrap yarn cast on - if you know even more names for this technique, please share! 
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#handsoccupied #provisionalcaston #knitting #scrapyarn #crochethook
Working on a sample for some upcoming videos. It’s an overcast day with intermittent sunshine & I have a scruffy little sidecar. 🐶 Can’t complain! 
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What’s on your needles this week? 
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Yarn: @debbieblissknits Cashmerino Aran 
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#handsoccupied #knitting #knittinglife
Peg boards and craft room organization go together Peg boards and craft room organization go together like peanut butter and jelly. So, as you can see, do latch hook tools and screwdriver organizers! 🪛 
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I think this trick translates to any tool with a thick handle, so leather working tools, punch needles, print making tools, etc. should work! What other tools am I, a needlecrafter, blanking on right now? 
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#craftorganization #handsoccupied #latchhook #latchhooking
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