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Hands Occupied

Contemporary yarn crafts by Heidi Gustad. Knitting, crochet, latch hook and macrame.

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Work With Me

Heidi Gustad knits a vintage sweater in the Hands Occupied Studio
more about the skirt

My name is Heidi Gustad, and I’m the designer behind Hands Occupied. I adore bold colors and graphic motifs, combining vintage design elements with a modern flair. 

I have a strong design sense which I’ve translated into various yarn crafts including knitting and crochet patterns, latch hook projects, and macramé. I also have a lot of experience designing, writing, photographing and marketing blog content – everything from tutorials and inspiration posts to product reviews, interviews and sponsored posts, I’ve done it. You can see some of my notable print features at the bottom of this page. Over the years, I’ve worked with Kleenex, Hershey’s, Kia, Lion Brand Yarn, HP and Elmer’s, to name a few.

I also do a lot of video work. If you’re curious to see how I do on video, you can check out my YouTube channel for some samples. Here are a couple of favorite videos to give you an idea of my vibe on camera.

 

 

 

Feel free to drop me a line at heidi [at] handsoccupied [dot] com to start a conversation about working together, I’m always open to new projects, partnerships and commissions!

 

 

Hands Occupied's DIY Knitting Nancy in Homespun Magazine

 

Heidi in print

  • I Like Crochet (US) August 2018 – Square Swatch Round Throw Pillow 
  • I Like Crochet (US) June 2018 – Fruit Purse Flair (available 5/1/18)
  • I Like Knitting (US) April 2018 – Pineapple Shawl 
  • Named 2017 Blogger of the Year by AllFreeKnitting (1/10/18)
  • I Like Crochet (US) February 2018 – Navy Bloom Mary Janes
  • I Like Knitting (US) February 2018 – Happy Hearts Blanket
  • I Like Knitting (US) December 2017 – Twisted Peppermint Slippers 
  • I Like Knitting (US) October 2017 – Arizona Afghan
  • I Like Knitting (US) August 2017 – Mod Maze Pillow
  • I Like Knitting (US) June 2017 – Ruby Stole
  • I Like Knitting (US) April 2017 – Abie’s Lace Shawl (a.k.a. Shawl You’ll Ever Need)
  • I Like Knitting (US) February 2017 – Why I Love Knitting article
  • Knitscene (US) Winter 2015 – Blogspotting feature
  • School Library Journal – Faux Tie Dye Tshirts
  • I Like Knitting (US) June 2015 – English Lace Scarf knitting pattern
  • I Like Crochet (US) April 2015 – Purple Haze Messenger Bag crochet pattern
  • Sewing World (UK) January 2015 – knitting needle case sewing tutorial
  • Let’s Knit Magazine (UK) July 2014 -blogger feature
  • Homespun Magazine (Aus) September 2014 – loom knitting tutorial
  • DIY Lifestyle Magazine (US – digital) December 2014 – no sew headband tutorial

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Heidi Gustad from Hands Occupied / Craft Book Author and Knitting, Crochet, Latch Hook and Macrame Designer

Hi! I’m Heidi, an author, yarn craft designer and content creator specializing in knitting, crochet, latch hook & macrame. My work unapologetically features primary colors and vintage-meets-modern style. My first book, Latch Hook: 12 Projects for the Modern Maker, is now available!

Professionally I’m most known for: advanced intarsia knitting design & modern latch hook design.

work with heidi

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Latch Hook by Heidi Gustad

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handsoccupied

Craft book author & content creator in love with primary colors & vintage vibes. / #latchhookbook out now!
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knitting, crochet, latch hook & macramé

Heidi Gustad 🧶✂️
A new YouTube tutorial is live today covering how A new YouTube tutorial is live today covering how to knit the Little Butterfly Stitch (aka Bowknot Stitch). It adds so much cute character to simple stockinette. Only a little funky to knit, and it packs a huge visual punch! 🦋 
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Find the video & written stitch pattern on the blog and YouTube, links are in bio. 
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#kpambassadorsfeb21 #sponsored
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Yarn: @kelbournewoolens Germantown in Baby Blue via @knit_picks. Needles: Prism Interchangeables, also from Knit Picks. 
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Pictured: a light blue swatch of Little Butterfly Stitch knitting on a pink background. A skein of yarn and a few stitches of knitting are nearby.
“You’re telling me words can be pronounced in “You’re telling me words can be pronounced in different ways and mean the same things?!” 👀 Posting this here, just to make it clear: when anyone says skayne, skeen, or skyne, it can be safely assumed we’re talking about a bundle o’ yarn,  a SKEIN. It’s not necessary to shame someone for using a word that is known to have MULTIPLE common pronunciations. 🧶
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Can you plz comment sharing how you say SKEIN and where you learned it? The OED happens to say SKAYNE, but it’s not a personal attack if someone says SKEEN and you say SKYNE or even Saskatoon. I’m legitimately curious. We don’t all knit or crochet the same way, and craft evolves a bit like language - it is passed on. There is so much value in having conversations about & embracing these variations! ✌🏻
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Pictured: A blond woman holds a skein of mustard yellow yarn up to her head like a phone, looking shocked. She’s wearing glasses & a knit sweater. 
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#handsoccupied #heidigustad #skein #yarn #yarncraft #knit #crochet #yarnaddict #knitincolor #soldotnacrop #language #englishisweird #oed #oxfordenglishdictionary
Sometimes my weekend projects involve hair rather Sometimes my weekend projects involve hair rather than yarn. Here’s the latest mediocre-but-improving result of my slow quest to learn to set vintage inspired curls. 💇🏼‍♀️ I’m hoping to be able to wash my hair less using a regular vintage set, but we’ll see if it ends up being practical. 😆 Hair frustrates me so much more than crafts! 
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Do you also style your hair using vintage methods? If you have any tips for vintage hair styling or good resources to share, please do!
I suppose this is one way to decide what yarn colo I suppose this is one way to decide what yarn color suits your pooch. 😆 Navy really might be Woodrow‘s color - what do you think? 
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Pictured: A medium sized, brown, senior dog asleep on a green bed. For some reason a donut ball of navy wool yarn sits on his head.
The first stitch tutorial of the new year is live The first stitch tutorial of the new year is live on YouTube! Diamond Brocade is a great knit+purl only stitch for beginners or anyone wanting a classic look for their knitting project. Find the video with a written stitch pattern on the blog or head directly to the video on YouTube. Both are linked in bio. ✌🏻 
#kpambassadorsfeb21 #sponsored
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